On average, your frost-free growing season starts Apr 3 and ends Nov 15, totalling 226 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around February 3. 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 January 24. Then, around March 30 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 April 3, 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 | Feb 18 - Mar 4 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - May 1 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Feb 7 - Feb 21 |
Broccoli | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Mar 20 - Apr 3 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Feb 21 - Mar 20 |
Cauliflower | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Feb 21 - Mar 6 |
Collards | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 17 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 17 |
Eggplants | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 17 |
Kale | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Feb 21 - Mar 20 | Feb 21 - Mar 20 |
Mustard | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 17 |
Onions | Jan 17 - Jan 24 | Feb 3 - Mar 4 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Feb 3 - Mar 4 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - May 1 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Feb 3 - Mar 4 |
Peppers | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Feb 3 - Mar 4 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Feb 18 - Apr 17 |
Spinach | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Mar 6 - Mar 20 | Feb 18 - Mar 20 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 24 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Jan 24 - Feb 7 | Apr 3 - Apr 17 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Apr 3 - Apr 17 |
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 7. 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 1, 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 6, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around July 18 and then transplant them into the garden around August 27. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around September 1.
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 2.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Sep 1 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Sep 1 - Oct 16 |
Broccoli | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | Aug 2 - Sep 16 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | Aug 2 - Sep 16 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | Aug 2 - Sep 16 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Aug 2 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Oct 16 |
Cauliflower | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | Aug 2 - Sep 16 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Oct 16 |
Collards | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | Aug 17 - Oct 1 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Aug 17 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Aug 17 |
Eggplants | Jun 6 - Jun 21 | Jul 18 - Aug 2 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Sep 1 - Oct 16 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jul 3 - Aug 2 |
Kale | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | Aug 2 - Sep 16 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | Aug 2 - Sep 16 | n/a |
Lettuce | Aug 17 - Sep 16 | Sep 16 - Oct 16 | Sep 16 - Oct 16 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Sep 16 - Oct 16 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jul 3 - Aug 2 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Oct 16 - Oct 26 |
Parsley | Jul 3 - Aug 17 | Aug 17 - Oct 1 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Sep 16 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jul 3 - Aug 2 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Sep 16 |
Peppers | Jun 11 - Jun 26 | Jul 23 - Aug 7 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Sep 16 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Sep 16 - Oct 16 |
Spinach | Aug 2 - Sep 16 | Sep 1 - Oct 16 | Sep 1 - Oct 16 |
Tomatoes | Jun 11 - Jun 26 | Jul 23 - Aug 7 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Oct 1 - Oct 31 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jul 3 - Aug 2 |