On average, your frost-free growing season starts Feb 8 and ends Dec 20, totalling 316 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around December 10. 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 November 30. Then, around February 4 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 February 8, 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 | Dec 25 - Jan 9 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Feb 8 - Mar 7 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Dec 14 - Dec 28 |
Broccoli | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Jan 11 - Jan 25 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Jan 11 - Jan 25 | n/a |
Cabbage | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Jan 11 - Jan 25 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jan 25 - Feb 8 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Dec 28 - Jan 25 |
Cauliflower | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Jan 11 - Jan 25 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Dec 28 - Jan 11 |
Collards | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Jan 11 - Jan 25 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Feb 8 - Feb 22 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Feb 8 - Feb 22 |
Eggplants | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Feb 8 - Feb 22 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Feb 8 - Feb 22 |
Kale | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Jan 11 - Jan 25 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Jan 11 - Jan 25 | n/a |
Lettuce | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Dec 28 - Jan 25 | Dec 28 - Jan 25 |
Mustard | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Jan 11 - Jan 25 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Feb 8 - Feb 22 |
Onions | Nov 23 - Nov 30 | Dec 10 - Jan 9 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Dec 10 - Jan 9 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Feb 8 - Mar 7 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Dec 10 - Jan 9 |
Peppers | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Feb 8 - Feb 22 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Dec 10 - Jan 9 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Dec 25 - Feb 22 |
Spinach | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Jan 11 - Jan 25 | Dec 25 - Jan 25 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Feb 8 - Feb 29 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Nov 30 - Dec 14 | Feb 8 - Feb 22 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Feb 8 - Feb 22 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around September 11. 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 November 5, 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 October 11, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around August 22 and then transplant them into the garden around October 1. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around October 6.
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 September 6.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Sep 6 - Oct 6 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Oct 6 - Nov 20 |
Broccoli | Jul 26 - Sep 9 | Sep 6 - Oct 21 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jul 26 - Sep 9 | Sep 6 - Oct 21 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jul 26 - Sep 9 | Sep 6 - Oct 21 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Aug 22 - Sep 6 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Sep 21 - Nov 20 |
Cauliflower | Jul 26 - Sep 9 | Sep 6 - Oct 21 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Sep 6 - Nov 20 |
Collards | Aug 22 - Oct 6 | Sep 21 - Nov 5 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Sep 6 - Sep 21 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Sep 6 - Sep 21 |
Eggplants | Jul 11 - Jul 26 | Aug 22 - Sep 6 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Oct 6 - Nov 20 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Aug 7 - Sep 6 |
Kale | Jul 26 - Sep 9 | Sep 6 - Oct 21 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jul 26 - Sep 9 | Sep 6 - Oct 21 | n/a |
Lettuce | Sep 21 - Oct 21 | Oct 21 - Nov 20 | Oct 21 - Nov 20 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Oct 21 - Nov 20 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Aug 7 - Sep 6 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Nov 20 - Nov 30 |
Parsley | Aug 7 - Sep 21 | Sep 21 - Nov 5 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Sep 21 - Oct 21 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Aug 7 - Sep 6 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Sep 21 - Oct 21 |
Peppers | Jul 16 - Jul 31 | Aug 27 - Sep 11 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Sep 21 - Oct 21 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Oct 21 - Nov 20 |
Spinach | Sep 6 - Oct 21 | Oct 6 - Nov 20 | Oct 6 - Nov 20 |
Tomatoes | Jul 16 - Jul 31 | Aug 27 - Sep 11 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Nov 5 - Dec 5 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Aug 7 - Sep 6 |