On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 5 and ends Oct 9, totalling 157 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 6. 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 February 25. Then, around May 1 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 5, 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 15, 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 21 - Apr 5 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 5 - Jun 2 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 10 - Mar 24 |
Broccoli | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | Apr 7 - Apr 21 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | Apr 7 - Apr 21 | n/a |
Cabbage | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | Apr 7 - Apr 21 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Apr 21 - May 5 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Mar 24 - Apr 21 |
Cauliflower | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | Apr 7 - Apr 21 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Mar 24 - Apr 7 |
Collards | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | Apr 7 - Apr 21 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 5 - May 19 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 5 - May 19 |
Eggplants | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | May 5 - May 19 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 5 - May 19 |
Kale | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | Apr 7 - Apr 21 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | Apr 7 - Apr 21 | n/a |
Lettuce | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | Mar 24 - Apr 21 | Mar 24 - Apr 21 |
Mustard | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | Apr 7 - Apr 21 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 5 - May 19 |
Onions | Feb 18 - Feb 25 | Mar 6 - Apr 5 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - Apr 5 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 5 - Jun 2 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - Apr 5 |
Peppers | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | May 5 - May 19 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - Apr 5 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Mar 21 - May 19 |
Spinach | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | Apr 7 - Apr 21 | Mar 21 - Apr 21 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 5 - May 26 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | May 5 - May 19 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 5 - May 19 |
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 1. 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 25, 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 31, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 11 and then transplant them into the garden around July 21. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 26.
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 26.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 26 - Jul 26 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 26 - Sep 9 |
Broccoli | May 15 - Jun 29 | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 15 - Jun 29 | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 15 - Jun 29 | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 11 - Jun 26 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 11 - Sep 9 |
Cauliflower | May 15 - Jun 29 | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 26 - Sep 9 |
Collards | Jun 11 - Jul 26 | Jul 11 - Aug 25 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 26 - Jul 11 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 26 - Jul 11 |
Eggplants | Apr 30 - May 15 | Jun 11 - Jun 26 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 26 - Sep 9 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 27 - Jun 26 |
Kale | May 15 - Jun 29 | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 15 - Jun 29 | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 11 - Aug 10 | Aug 10 - Sep 9 | Aug 10 - Sep 9 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 10 - Sep 9 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 27 - Jun 26 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 9 - Sep 19 |
Parsley | May 27 - Jul 11 | Jul 11 - Aug 25 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 11 - Aug 10 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 27 - Jun 26 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 11 - Aug 10 |
Peppers | May 5 - May 20 | Jun 16 - Jul 1 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 11 - Aug 10 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 10 - Sep 9 |
Spinach | Jun 26 - Aug 10 | Jul 26 - Sep 9 | Jul 26 - Sep 9 |
Tomatoes | May 5 - May 20 | Jun 16 - Jul 1 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 25 - Sep 24 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 27 - Jun 26 |