On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 13 and ends Oct 13, totalling 153 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 14. 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 4. Then, around May 9 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 13, 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 23, 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 | Mar 29 - Apr 13 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 13 - Jun 10 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 18 - Apr 1 |
Broccoli | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | Apr 15 - Apr 29 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | Apr 15 - Apr 29 | n/a |
Cabbage | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | Apr 15 - Apr 29 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Apr 29 - May 13 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 29 |
Cauliflower | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | Apr 15 - Apr 29 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Apr 1 - Apr 15 |
Collards | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | Apr 15 - Apr 29 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 13 - May 27 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 13 - May 27 |
Eggplants | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | May 13 - May 27 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 13 - May 27 |
Kale | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | Apr 15 - Apr 29 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | Apr 15 - Apr 29 | n/a |
Lettuce | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | Apr 1 - Apr 29 | Apr 1 - Apr 29 |
Mustard | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | Apr 15 - Apr 29 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 13 - May 27 |
Onions | Feb 26 - Mar 4 | Mar 14 - Apr 13 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 14 - Apr 13 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 13 - Jun 10 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 14 - Apr 13 |
Peppers | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | May 13 - May 27 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 14 - Apr 13 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Mar 29 - May 27 |
Spinach | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | Apr 15 - Apr 29 | Mar 29 - Apr 29 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 13 - Jun 3 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Mar 4 - Mar 18 | May 13 - May 27 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 13 - May 27 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around July 5. 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 29, 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 August 4, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 15 and then transplant them into the garden around July 25. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 30.
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 30.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 30 - Jul 30 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 30 - Sep 13 |
Broccoli | May 19 - Jul 3 | Jun 30 - Aug 14 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 19 - Jul 3 | Jun 30 - Aug 14 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 19 - Jul 3 | Jun 30 - Aug 14 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 15 - Jun 30 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 15 - Sep 13 |
Cauliflower | May 19 - Jul 3 | Jun 30 - Aug 14 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 30 - Sep 13 |
Collards | Jun 15 - Jul 30 | Jul 15 - Aug 29 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 30 - Jul 15 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 30 - Jul 15 |
Eggplants | May 4 - May 19 | Jun 15 - Jun 30 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 30 - Sep 13 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 31 - Jun 30 |
Kale | May 19 - Jul 3 | Jun 30 - Aug 14 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 19 - Jul 3 | Jun 30 - Aug 14 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 15 - Aug 14 | Aug 14 - Sep 13 | Aug 14 - Sep 13 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 14 - Sep 13 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 31 - Jun 30 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 13 - Sep 23 |
Parsley | May 31 - Jul 15 | Jul 15 - Aug 29 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 15 - Aug 14 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 31 - Jun 30 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 15 - Aug 14 |
Peppers | May 9 - May 24 | Jun 20 - Jul 5 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 15 - Aug 14 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 14 - Sep 13 |
Spinach | Jun 30 - Aug 14 | Jul 30 - Sep 13 | Jul 30 - Sep 13 |
Tomatoes | May 9 - May 24 | Jun 20 - Jul 5 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 29 - Sep 28 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 31 - Jun 30 |