On average, your frost-free growing season starts Mar 20 and ends Nov 9, totalling 234 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around January 20. 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 10. Then, around March 16 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 March 20, 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 4 - Feb 19 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 17 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jan 24 - Feb 7 |
Broccoli | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - Mar 20 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Feb 7 - Mar 6 |
Cauliflower | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Feb 7 - Feb 21 |
Collards | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 3 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 3 |
Eggplants | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Mar 20 - Apr 3 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 3 |
Kale | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Feb 7 - Mar 6 | Feb 7 - Mar 6 |
Mustard | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 3 |
Onions | Jan 3 - Jan 10 | Jan 20 - Feb 19 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jan 20 - Feb 19 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 17 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jan 20 - Feb 19 |
Peppers | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Mar 20 - Apr 3 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jan 20 - Feb 19 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Feb 4 - Apr 3 |
Spinach | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Feb 21 - Mar 6 | Feb 4 - Mar 6 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 10 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Jan 10 - Jan 24 | Mar 20 - Apr 3 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 3 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around August 1. 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 25, 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 31, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around July 12 and then transplant them into the garden around August 21. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around August 26.
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 27.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jul 27 - Aug 26 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Aug 26 - Oct 10 |
Broccoli | Jun 15 - Jul 30 | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jun 15 - Jul 30 | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jun 15 - Jul 30 | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jul 12 - Jul 27 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Aug 11 - Oct 10 |
Cauliflower | Jun 15 - Jul 30 | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jul 27 - Oct 10 |
Collards | Jul 12 - Aug 26 | Aug 11 - Sep 25 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jul 27 - Aug 11 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jul 27 - Aug 11 |
Eggplants | May 31 - Jun 15 | Jul 12 - Jul 27 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Aug 26 - Oct 10 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jun 27 - Jul 27 |
Kale | Jun 15 - Jul 30 | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jun 15 - Jul 30 | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | n/a |
Lettuce | Aug 11 - Sep 10 | Sep 10 - Oct 10 | Sep 10 - Oct 10 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Sep 10 - Oct 10 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jun 27 - Jul 27 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Oct 10 - Oct 20 |
Parsley | Jun 27 - Aug 11 | Aug 11 - Sep 25 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Aug 11 - Sep 10 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jun 27 - Jul 27 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Aug 11 - Sep 10 |
Peppers | Jun 5 - Jun 20 | Jul 17 - Aug 1 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Aug 11 - Sep 10 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Sep 10 - Oct 10 |
Spinach | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | Aug 26 - Oct 10 | Aug 26 - Oct 10 |
Tomatoes | Jun 5 - Jun 20 | Jul 17 - Aug 1 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Sep 25 - Oct 25 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jun 27 - Jul 27 |