On average, your frost-free growing season starts Apr 3 and ends Nov 4, totalling 215 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around February 3. Sow the seeds of peas (sugar snap and english) at the same time. If the ground is still frozen, then plant these as soon as the ground thaws.
Do you want to grow tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants? Start these indoors around January 24. Then, around March 30 you should start watching the weather forecast and, as soon as no frost is forecast, go ahead and transplant those into the ground.
Now, for all the summer vegetables like beans, cowpeas, corn, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, gourds and sunflowers, you should plant those seeds directly into the ground around April 3, or if your soil is still very cold, once the soil is near 60° F in temperature.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Asparagus | n/a | Feb 18 - Mar 4 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - May 1 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Feb 7 - Feb 21 |
Broccoli | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 3 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Feb 21 - Mar 20 |
Cauliflower | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Feb 21 - Mar 6 |
Collards | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 17 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 17 |
Eggplants | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 17 |
Kale | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Feb 21 - Mar 20 | Feb 21 - Mar 20 |
Mustard | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 17 |
Onions | Jan 17 - Jan 24 | Feb 3 - Mar 4 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Feb 3 - Mar 4 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - May 1 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Feb 3 - Mar 4 |
Peppers | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Feb 3 - Mar 4 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Feb 18 - Apr 17 |
Spinach | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | Feb 18 - Mar 20 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 24 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 17 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around July 27. Anyway, it's important to remember that the numbers in this fall planting guide are only a starting point for you! Good luck and good gardening to you.
Fall is the time to plant garlic. Around September 20, take your cloves apart and plant the toes about 3 to 4 inches deep. This may not be accurate! Garlic dates vary wildly around the country. The way to be sure is to use a soil thermometer. When the soil temperature is 60° at a depth of 4 inches, then plant your garlic.
Cole crops like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage can be direct seeded into your garden around August 26, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around July 7 and then transplant them into the garden around August 16. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around August 21.
Now, for all the usual hot weather veggies like beans, cowpeas, corn, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, gourds and sunflowers, you should plant those seeds directly into the ground around July 22.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jul 22 - Aug 21 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Aug 21 - Oct 5 |
Broccoli | Jun 10 - Jul 25 | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jun 10 - Jul 25 | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jun 10 - Jul 25 | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jul 7 - Jul 22 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Aug 6 - Oct 5 |
Cauliflower | Jun 10 - Jul 25 | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jul 22 - Oct 5 |
Collards | Jul 7 - Aug 21 | Aug 6 - Sep 20 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jul 22 - Aug 6 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jul 22 - Aug 6 |
Eggplants | May 26 - Jun 10 | Jul 7 - Jul 22 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Aug 21 - Oct 5 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jun 22 - Jul 22 |
Kale | Jun 10 - Jul 25 | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jun 10 - Jul 25 | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | n/a |
Lettuce | Aug 6 - Sep 5 | Sep 5 - Oct 5 | Sep 5 - Oct 5 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Sep 5 - Oct 5 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jun 22 - Jul 22 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Oct 5 - Oct 15 |
Parsley | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | Aug 6 - Sep 20 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Aug 6 - Sep 5 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jun 22 - Jul 22 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Aug 6 - Sep 5 |
Peppers | May 31 - Jun 15 | Jul 12 - Jul 27 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Aug 6 - Sep 5 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Sep 5 - Oct 5 |
Spinach | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | Aug 21 - Oct 5 | Aug 21 - Oct 5 |
Tomatoes | May 31 - Jun 15 | Jul 12 - Jul 27 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Sep 20 - Oct 20 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jun 22 - Jul 22 |