On average, your frost-free growing season starts Mar 6 and ends Nov 27, totalling 266 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around January 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 December 27. Then, around March 2 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 6, 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 | Jan 21 - Feb 5 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - Apr 3 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jan 10 - Jan 24 |
Broccoli | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Feb 7 - Feb 21 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Feb 7 - Feb 21 | n/a |
Cabbage | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Feb 7 - Feb 21 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Feb 21 - Mar 6 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jan 24 - Feb 21 |
Cauliflower | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Feb 7 - Feb 21 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jan 24 - Feb 7 |
Collards | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Feb 7 - Feb 21 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - Mar 20 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - Mar 20 |
Eggplants | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - Mar 20 |
Kale | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Feb 7 - Feb 21 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Feb 7 - Feb 21 | n/a |
Lettuce | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Jan 24 - Feb 21 | Jan 24 - Feb 21 |
Mustard | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Feb 7 - Feb 21 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - Mar 20 |
Onions | Dec 20 - Dec 27 | Jan 6 - Feb 5 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jan 6 - Feb 5 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - Apr 3 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jan 6 - Feb 5 |
Peppers | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jan 6 - Feb 5 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Jan 21 - Mar 20 |
Spinach | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Feb 7 - Feb 21 | Jan 21 - Feb 21 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Mar 6 - Mar 27 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Dec 27 - Jan 10 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - Mar 20 |
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 19. 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 13, 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 18, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around July 30 and then transplant them into the garden around September 8. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around September 13.
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 14.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Aug 14 - Sep 13 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Sep 13 - Oct 28 |
Broccoli | Jul 3 - Aug 17 | Aug 14 - Sep 28 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jul 3 - Aug 17 | Aug 14 - Sep 28 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jul 3 - Aug 17 | Aug 14 - Sep 28 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jul 30 - Aug 14 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Aug 29 - Oct 28 |
Cauliflower | Jul 3 - Aug 17 | Aug 14 - Sep 28 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Aug 14 - Oct 28 |
Collards | Jul 30 - Sep 13 | Aug 29 - Oct 13 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Aug 14 - Aug 29 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Aug 14 - Aug 29 |
Eggplants | Jun 18 - Jul 3 | Jul 30 - Aug 14 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Sep 13 - Oct 28 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jul 15 - Aug 14 |
Kale | Jul 3 - Aug 17 | Aug 14 - Sep 28 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jul 3 - Aug 17 | Aug 14 - Sep 28 | n/a |
Lettuce | Aug 29 - Sep 28 | Sep 28 - Oct 28 | Sep 28 - Oct 28 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Sep 28 - Oct 28 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jul 15 - Aug 14 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Oct 28 - Nov 7 |
Parsley | Jul 15 - Aug 29 | Aug 29 - Oct 13 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Aug 29 - Sep 28 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jul 15 - Aug 14 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Aug 29 - Sep 28 |
Peppers | Jun 23 - Jul 8 | Aug 4 - Aug 19 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Aug 29 - Sep 28 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Sep 28 - Oct 28 |
Spinach | Aug 14 - Sep 28 | Sep 13 - Oct 28 | Sep 13 - Oct 28 |
Tomatoes | Jun 23 - Jul 8 | Aug 4 - Aug 19 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Oct 13 - Nov 12 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jul 15 - Aug 14 |