On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 12 and ends Oct 3, totalling 144 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 13. 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 March 3. Then, around May 8 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 12, 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 22, 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 28 - Apr 12 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 12 - Jun 9 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 17 - Mar 31 |
Broccoli | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | Apr 14 - Apr 28 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | Apr 14 - Apr 28 | n/a |
Cabbage | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | Apr 14 - Apr 28 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Apr 28 - May 12 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Mar 31 - Apr 28 |
Cauliflower | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | Apr 14 - Apr 28 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Mar 31 - Apr 14 |
Collards | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | Apr 14 - Apr 28 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 12 - May 26 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 12 - May 26 |
Eggplants | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | May 12 - May 26 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 12 - May 26 |
Kale | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | Apr 14 - Apr 28 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | Apr 14 - Apr 28 | n/a |
Lettuce | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | Mar 31 - Apr 28 | Mar 31 - Apr 28 |
Mustard | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | Apr 14 - Apr 28 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 12 - May 26 |
Onions | Feb 25 - Mar 3 | Mar 13 - Apr 12 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 13 - Apr 12 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 12 - Jun 9 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 13 - Apr 12 |
Peppers | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | May 12 - May 26 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 13 - Apr 12 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Mar 28 - May 26 |
Spinach | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | Apr 14 - Apr 28 | Mar 28 - Apr 28 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 12 - Jun 2 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Mar 3 - Mar 17 | May 12 - May 26 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 12 - May 26 |
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 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 August 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 July 25, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 5 and then transplant them into the garden around July 15. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 20.
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 20.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 20 - Jul 20 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 20 - Sep 3 |
Broccoli | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 5 - Jun 20 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 5 - Sep 3 |
Cauliflower | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 20 - Sep 3 |
Collards | Jun 5 - Jul 20 | Jul 5 - Aug 19 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 20 - Jul 5 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 20 - Jul 5 |
Eggplants | Apr 24 - May 9 | Jun 5 - Jun 20 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 20 - Sep 3 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Jun 20 |
Kale | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 9 - Jun 23 | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 5 - Aug 4 | Aug 4 - Sep 3 | Aug 4 - Sep 3 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 4 - Sep 3 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Jun 20 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 3 - Sep 13 |
Parsley | May 21 - Jul 5 | Jul 5 - Aug 19 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 5 - Aug 4 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Jun 20 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 5 - Aug 4 |
Peppers | Apr 29 - May 14 | Jun 10 - Jun 25 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 5 - Aug 4 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 4 - Sep 3 |
Spinach | Jun 20 - Aug 4 | Jul 20 - Sep 3 | Jul 20 - Sep 3 |
Tomatoes | Apr 29 - May 14 | Jun 10 - Jun 25 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 19 - Sep 18 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 21 - Jun 20 |