On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 26 and ends Sep 14, totalling 111 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 27. 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 17. Then, around May 22 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 26, 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 May 6, 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 11 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 23 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 31 - Apr 14 |
Broccoli | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | Apr 28 - May 12 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | Apr 28 - May 12 | n/a |
Cabbage | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | Apr 28 - May 12 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 12 - May 26 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Apr 14 - May 12 |
Cauliflower | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | Apr 28 - May 12 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Apr 14 - Apr 28 |
Collards | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | Apr 28 - May 12 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 9 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 9 |
Eggplants | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | May 26 - Jun 9 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 9 |
Kale | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | Apr 28 - May 12 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | Apr 28 - May 12 | n/a |
Lettuce | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | Apr 14 - May 12 | Apr 14 - May 12 |
Mustard | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | Apr 28 - May 12 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 9 |
Onions | Mar 10 - Mar 17 | Mar 27 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 27 - Apr 26 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 23 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 27 - Apr 26 |
Peppers | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | May 26 - Jun 9 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 27 - Apr 26 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Apr 11 - Jun 9 |
Spinach | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | Apr 28 - May 12 | Apr 11 - May 12 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 26 - Jun 16 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Mar 17 - Mar 31 | May 26 - Jun 9 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 26 - Jun 9 |
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 6. 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 July 31, 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 6, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around May 17 and then transplant them into the garden around June 26. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 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 June 1.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 1 - Jul 1 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 1 - Aug 15 |
Broccoli | Apr 20 - Jun 4 | Jun 1 - Jul 16 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Apr 20 - Jun 4 | Jun 1 - Jul 16 | n/a |
Cabbage | Apr 20 - Jun 4 | Jun 1 - Jul 16 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 17 - Jun 1 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jun 16 - Aug 15 |
Cauliflower | Apr 20 - Jun 4 | Jun 1 - Jul 16 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 1 - Aug 15 |
Collards | May 17 - Jul 1 | Jun 16 - Jul 31 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 1 - Jun 16 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 1 - Jun 16 |
Eggplants | Apr 5 - Apr 20 | May 17 - Jun 1 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 1 - Aug 15 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 2 - Jun 1 |
Kale | Apr 20 - Jun 4 | Jun 1 - Jul 16 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Apr 20 - Jun 4 | Jun 1 - Jul 16 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jun 16 - Jul 16 | Jul 16 - Aug 15 | Jul 16 - Aug 15 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Jul 16 - Aug 15 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 2 - Jun 1 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Aug 15 - Aug 25 |
Parsley | May 2 - Jun 16 | Jun 16 - Jul 31 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jun 16 - Jul 16 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 2 - Jun 1 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jun 16 - Jul 16 |
Peppers | Apr 10 - Apr 25 | May 22 - Jun 6 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jun 16 - Jul 16 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Jul 16 - Aug 15 |
Spinach | Jun 1 - Jul 16 | Jul 1 - Aug 15 | Jul 1 - Aug 15 |
Tomatoes | Apr 10 - Apr 25 | May 22 - Jun 6 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Jul 31 - Aug 30 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 2 - Jun 1 |