On average, your frost-free growing season starts Feb 4 and ends Dec 3, totalling 303 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around December 6. 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 26. Then, around January 31 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 4, 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 21 - Jan 5 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Feb 4 - Mar 3 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Dec 10 - Dec 24 |
Broccoli | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Jan 7 - Jan 21 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Jan 7 - Jan 21 | n/a |
Cabbage | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Jan 7 - Jan 21 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jan 21 - Feb 4 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Dec 24 - Jan 21 |
Cauliflower | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Jan 7 - Jan 21 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Dec 24 - Jan 7 |
Collards | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Jan 7 - Jan 21 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Feb 4 - Feb 18 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Feb 4 - Feb 18 |
Eggplants | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Feb 4 - Feb 18 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Feb 4 - Feb 18 |
Kale | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Jan 7 - Jan 21 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Jan 7 - Jan 21 | n/a |
Lettuce | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Dec 24 - Jan 21 | Dec 24 - Jan 21 |
Mustard | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Jan 7 - Jan 21 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Feb 4 - Feb 18 |
Onions | Nov 19 - Nov 26 | Dec 6 - Jan 5 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Dec 6 - Jan 5 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Feb 4 - Mar 3 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Dec 6 - Jan 5 |
Peppers | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Feb 4 - Feb 18 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Dec 6 - Jan 5 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Dec 21 - Feb 18 |
Spinach | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Jan 7 - Jan 21 | Dec 21 - Jan 21 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Feb 4 - Feb 25 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Nov 26 - Dec 10 | Feb 4 - Feb 18 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Feb 4 - Feb 18 |
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 25. 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 October 19, 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 September 24, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around August 5 and then transplant them into the garden around September 14. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around September 19.
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 August 20.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Aug 20 - Sep 19 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Sep 19 - Nov 3 |
Broccoli | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Aug 5 - Aug 20 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Sep 4 - Nov 3 |
Cauliflower | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Aug 20 - Nov 3 |
Collards | Aug 5 - Sep 19 | Sep 4 - Oct 19 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Aug 20 - Sep 4 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Aug 20 - Sep 4 |
Eggplants | Jun 24 - Jul 9 | Aug 5 - Aug 20 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Sep 19 - Nov 3 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jul 21 - Aug 20 |
Kale | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | n/a |
Lettuce | Sep 4 - Oct 4 | Oct 4 - Nov 3 | Oct 4 - Nov 3 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Oct 4 - Nov 3 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jul 21 - Aug 20 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Nov 3 - Nov 13 |
Parsley | Jul 21 - Sep 4 | Sep 4 - Oct 19 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Sep 4 - Oct 4 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jul 21 - Aug 20 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Sep 4 - Oct 4 |
Peppers | Jun 29 - Jul 14 | Aug 10 - Aug 25 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Sep 4 - Oct 4 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Oct 4 - Nov 3 |
Spinach | Aug 20 - Oct 4 | Sep 19 - Nov 3 | Sep 19 - Nov 3 |
Tomatoes | Jun 29 - Jul 14 | Aug 10 - Aug 25 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Oct 19 - Nov 18 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jul 21 - Aug 20 |