On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 16 and ends Sep 27, totalling 134 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 17. 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 7. Then, around May 12 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 16, 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 26, 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 | Apr 1 - Apr 16 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 16 - Jun 13 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 21 - Apr 4 |
Broccoli | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | Apr 18 - May 2 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | Apr 18 - May 2 | n/a |
Cabbage | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | Apr 18 - May 2 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 2 - May 16 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Apr 4 - May 2 |
Cauliflower | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | Apr 18 - May 2 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Apr 4 - Apr 18 |
Collards | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | Apr 18 - May 2 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 16 - May 30 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 16 - May 30 |
Eggplants | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | May 16 - May 30 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 16 - May 30 |
Kale | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | Apr 18 - May 2 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | Apr 18 - May 2 | n/a |
Lettuce | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | Apr 4 - May 2 | Apr 4 - May 2 |
Mustard | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | Apr 18 - May 2 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 16 - May 30 |
Onions | Feb 29 - Mar 7 | Mar 17 - Apr 16 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 17 - Apr 16 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 16 - Jun 13 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 17 - Apr 16 |
Peppers | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | May 16 - May 30 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 17 - Apr 16 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - May 30 |
Spinach | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | Apr 18 - May 2 | Apr 1 - May 2 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 16 - Jun 6 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Mar 7 - Mar 21 | May 16 - May 30 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 16 - May 30 |
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 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 August 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 July 19, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around May 30 and then transplant them into the garden around July 9. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 14.
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 14.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 14 - Jul 14 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 14 - Aug 28 |
Broccoli | May 3 - Jun 17 | Jun 14 - Jul 29 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 3 - Jun 17 | Jun 14 - Jul 29 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 3 - Jun 17 | Jun 14 - Jul 29 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 30 - Jun 14 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jun 29 - Aug 28 |
Cauliflower | May 3 - Jun 17 | Jun 14 - Jul 29 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 14 - Aug 28 |
Collards | May 30 - Jul 14 | Jun 29 - Aug 13 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 14 - Jun 29 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 14 - Jun 29 |
Eggplants | Apr 18 - May 3 | May 30 - Jun 14 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 14 - Aug 28 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 15 - Jun 14 |
Kale | May 3 - Jun 17 | Jun 14 - Jul 29 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 3 - Jun 17 | Jun 14 - Jul 29 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jun 29 - Jul 29 | Jul 29 - Aug 28 | Jul 29 - Aug 28 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Jul 29 - Aug 28 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 15 - Jun 14 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Aug 28 - Sep 7 |
Parsley | May 15 - Jun 29 | Jun 29 - Aug 13 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jun 29 - Jul 29 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 15 - Jun 14 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jun 29 - Jul 29 |
Peppers | Apr 23 - May 8 | Jun 4 - Jun 19 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jun 29 - Jul 29 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Jul 29 - Aug 28 |
Spinach | Jun 14 - Jul 29 | Jul 14 - Aug 28 | Jul 14 - Aug 28 |
Tomatoes | Apr 23 - May 8 | Jun 4 - Jun 19 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 13 - Sep 12 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 15 - Jun 14 |