On average, your frost-free growing season starts Apr 1 and ends Nov 1, totalling 214 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around February 1. 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 22. Then, around March 28 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 1, 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 16 - Mar 2 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 29 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Feb 5 - Feb 19 |
Broccoli | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 1 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Feb 19 - Mar 18 |
Cauliflower | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Feb 19 - Mar 4 |
Collards | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 15 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 15 |
Eggplants | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 15 |
Kale | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Feb 19 - Mar 18 | Feb 19 - Mar 18 |
Mustard | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 15 |
Onions | Jan 15 - Jan 22 | Feb 1 - Mar 2 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Feb 1 - Mar 2 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 29 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Feb 1 - Mar 2 |
Peppers | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Feb 1 - Mar 2 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Feb 16 - Apr 15 |
Spinach | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | Feb 16 - Mar 18 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 22 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Jan 22 - Feb 5 | Apr 1 - Apr 15 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 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 July 24. 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 17, 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 23, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around July 4 and then transplant them into the garden around August 13. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around August 18.
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 19.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jul 19 - Aug 18 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Aug 18 - Oct 2 |
Broccoli | Jun 7 - Jul 22 | Jul 19 - Sep 2 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jun 7 - Jul 22 | Jul 19 - Sep 2 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jun 7 - Jul 22 | Jul 19 - Sep 2 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jul 4 - Jul 19 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Oct 2 |
Cauliflower | Jun 7 - Jul 22 | Jul 19 - Sep 2 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jul 19 - Oct 2 |
Collards | Jul 4 - Aug 18 | Aug 3 - Sep 17 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jul 19 - Aug 3 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jul 19 - Aug 3 |
Eggplants | May 23 - Jun 7 | Jul 4 - Jul 19 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Aug 18 - Oct 2 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jun 19 - Jul 19 |
Kale | Jun 7 - Jul 22 | Jul 19 - Sep 2 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jun 7 - Jul 22 | Jul 19 - Sep 2 | n/a |
Lettuce | Aug 3 - Sep 2 | Sep 2 - Oct 2 | Sep 2 - Oct 2 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Sep 2 - Oct 2 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jun 19 - Jul 19 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Oct 2 - Oct 12 |
Parsley | Jun 19 - Aug 3 | Aug 3 - Sep 17 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Sep 2 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jun 19 - Jul 19 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Sep 2 |
Peppers | May 28 - Jun 12 | Jul 9 - Jul 24 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Sep 2 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Sep 2 - Oct 2 |
Spinach | Jul 19 - Sep 2 | Aug 18 - Oct 2 | Aug 18 - Oct 2 |
Tomatoes | May 28 - Jun 12 | Jul 9 - Jul 24 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Sep 17 - Oct 17 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jun 19 - Jul 19 |