On average, your frost-free growing season starts Jan 31 and ends Dec 21, totalling 325 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around December 2. 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 22. Then, around January 27 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 January 31, 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 17 - Jan 1 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jan 31 - Feb 28 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Dec 6 - Dec 20 |
Broccoli | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Jan 3 - Jan 17 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Jan 3 - Jan 17 | n/a |
Cabbage | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Jan 3 - Jan 17 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jan 17 - Jan 31 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Dec 20 - Jan 17 |
Cauliflower | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Jan 3 - Jan 17 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Dec 20 - Jan 3 |
Collards | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Jan 3 - Jan 17 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jan 31 - Feb 14 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jan 31 - Feb 14 |
Eggplants | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Jan 31 - Feb 14 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jan 31 - Feb 14 |
Kale | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Jan 3 - Jan 17 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Jan 3 - Jan 17 | n/a |
Lettuce | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Dec 20 - Jan 17 | Dec 20 - Jan 17 |
Mustard | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Jan 3 - Jan 17 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jan 31 - Feb 14 |
Onions | Nov 15 - Nov 22 | Dec 2 - Jan 1 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Dec 2 - Jan 1 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jan 31 - Feb 28 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Dec 2 - Jan 1 |
Peppers | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Jan 31 - Feb 14 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Dec 2 - Jan 1 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Dec 17 - Feb 14 |
Spinach | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Jan 3 - Jan 17 | Dec 17 - Jan 17 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Jan 31 - Feb 21 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Nov 22 - Dec 6 | Jan 31 - Feb 14 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jan 31 - Feb 14 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around September 12. 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 November 6, 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 October 12, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around August 23 and then transplant them into the garden around October 2. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around October 7.
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 September 7.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Sep 7 - Oct 7 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Oct 7 - Nov 21 |
Broccoli | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | Sep 7 - Oct 22 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | Sep 7 - Oct 22 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | Sep 7 - Oct 22 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Aug 23 - Sep 7 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Sep 22 - Nov 21 |
Cauliflower | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | Sep 7 - Oct 22 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Sep 7 - Nov 21 |
Collards | Aug 23 - Oct 7 | Sep 22 - Nov 6 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Sep 7 - Sep 22 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Sep 7 - Sep 22 |
Eggplants | Jul 12 - Jul 27 | Aug 23 - Sep 7 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Oct 7 - Nov 21 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Aug 8 - Sep 7 |
Kale | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | Sep 7 - Oct 22 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jul 27 - Sep 10 | Sep 7 - Oct 22 | n/a |
Lettuce | Sep 22 - Oct 22 | Oct 22 - Nov 21 | Oct 22 - Nov 21 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Oct 22 - Nov 21 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Aug 8 - Sep 7 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Nov 21 - Dec 1 |
Parsley | Aug 8 - Sep 22 | Sep 22 - Nov 6 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Sep 22 - Oct 22 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Aug 8 - Sep 7 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Sep 22 - Oct 22 |
Peppers | Jul 17 - Aug 1 | Aug 28 - Sep 12 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Sep 22 - Oct 22 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Oct 22 - Nov 21 |
Spinach | Sep 7 - Oct 22 | Oct 7 - Nov 21 | Oct 7 - Nov 21 |
Tomatoes | Jul 17 - Aug 1 | Aug 28 - Sep 12 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Nov 6 - Dec 6 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Aug 8 - Sep 7 |