On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 1 and ends Oct 5, totalling 157 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 2. 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 February 21. Then, around April 27 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 May 1, or if your soil is still very cold, once the soil is near 60° F in temperature. Having said that, we note that your location has a shorter than average growing season. Many summer vegetables need more days to mature than your area will provide. For that reason, we recommend you get a head-start by starting these summer vegetables indoors around April 11, and transplant those seedlings out after the danger of frost is past.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Asparagus | n/a | Mar 17 - Apr 1 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 1 - May 29 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - Mar 20 |
Broccoli | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Cabbage | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Apr 17 - May 1 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 17 |
Cauliflower | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 3 |
Collards | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 1 - May 15 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 1 - May 15 |
Eggplants | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | May 1 - May 15 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 1 - May 15 |
Kale | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Lettuce | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | Mar 20 - Apr 17 | Mar 20 - Apr 17 |
Mustard | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 1 - May 15 |
Onions | Feb 14 - Feb 21 | Mar 2 - Apr 1 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 2 - Apr 1 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 1 - May 29 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 2 - Apr 1 |
Peppers | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | May 1 - May 15 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 2 - Apr 1 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Mar 17 - May 15 |
Spinach | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | Mar 17 - Apr 17 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 1 - May 22 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | May 1 - May 15 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 1 - May 15 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around June 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 August 21, 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 July 27, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 7 and then transplant them into the garden around July 17. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 22.
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 June 22.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 22 - Jul 22 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 22 - Sep 5 |
Broccoli | May 11 - Jun 25 | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 11 - Jun 25 | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 11 - Jun 25 | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 7 - Jun 22 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 7 - Sep 5 |
Cauliflower | May 11 - Jun 25 | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 22 - Sep 5 |
Collards | Jun 7 - Jul 22 | Jul 7 - Aug 21 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 22 - Jul 7 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 22 - Jul 7 |
Eggplants | Apr 26 - May 11 | Jun 7 - Jun 22 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 22 - Sep 5 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 23 - Jun 22 |
Kale | May 11 - Jun 25 | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 11 - Jun 25 | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 7 - Aug 6 | Aug 6 - Sep 5 | Aug 6 - Sep 5 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 6 - Sep 5 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 23 - Jun 22 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 5 - Sep 15 |
Parsley | May 23 - Jul 7 | Jul 7 - Aug 21 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 7 - Aug 6 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 23 - Jun 22 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 7 - Aug 6 |
Peppers | May 1 - May 16 | Jun 12 - Jun 27 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 7 - Aug 6 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 6 - Sep 5 |
Spinach | Jun 22 - Aug 6 | Jul 22 - Sep 5 | Jul 22 - Sep 5 |
Tomatoes | May 1 - May 16 | Jun 12 - Jun 27 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 21 - Sep 20 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 23 - Jun 22 |