On average, your frost-free growing season starts Feb 13 and ends Nov 30, totalling 291 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around December 15. 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 December 5. Then, around February 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 February 13, 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 | Dec 30 - Jan 14 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Feb 13 - Mar 12 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Dec 19 - Jan 2 |
Broccoli | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Jan 16 - Jan 30 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Jan 16 - Jan 30 | n/a |
Cabbage | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Jan 16 - Jan 30 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jan 30 - Feb 13 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jan 2 - Jan 30 |
Cauliflower | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Jan 16 - Jan 30 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jan 2 - Jan 16 |
Collards | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Jan 16 - Jan 30 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Feb 13 - Feb 27 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Feb 13 - Feb 27 |
Eggplants | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Feb 13 - Feb 27 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Feb 13 - Feb 27 |
Kale | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Jan 16 - Jan 30 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Jan 16 - Jan 30 | n/a |
Lettuce | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Jan 2 - Jan 30 | Jan 2 - Jan 30 |
Mustard | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Jan 16 - Jan 30 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Feb 13 - Feb 27 |
Onions | Nov 28 - Dec 5 | Dec 15 - Jan 14 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Dec 15 - Jan 14 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Feb 13 - Mar 12 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Dec 15 - Jan 14 |
Peppers | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Feb 13 - Feb 27 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Dec 15 - Jan 14 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Dec 30 - Feb 27 |
Spinach | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Jan 16 - Jan 30 | Dec 30 - Jan 30 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Feb 13 - Mar 5 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Dec 5 - Dec 19 | Feb 13 - Feb 27 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Feb 13 - Feb 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 August 22. 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 16, 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 21, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around August 2 and then transplant them into the garden around September 11. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around September 16.
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 17.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Sep 16 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Sep 16 - Oct 31 |
Broccoli | Jul 6 - Aug 20 | Aug 17 - Oct 1 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jul 6 - Aug 20 | Aug 17 - Oct 1 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jul 6 - Aug 20 | Aug 17 - Oct 1 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Aug 17 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Sep 1 - Oct 31 |
Cauliflower | Jul 6 - Aug 20 | Aug 17 - Oct 1 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Oct 31 |
Collards | Aug 2 - Sep 16 | Sep 1 - Oct 16 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Sep 1 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Sep 1 |
Eggplants | Jun 21 - Jul 6 | Aug 2 - Aug 17 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Sep 16 - Oct 31 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Aug 17 |
Kale | Jul 6 - Aug 20 | Aug 17 - Oct 1 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jul 6 - Aug 20 | Aug 17 - Oct 1 | n/a |
Lettuce | Sep 1 - Oct 1 | Oct 1 - Oct 31 | Oct 1 - Oct 31 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Oct 1 - Oct 31 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Aug 17 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Oct 31 - Nov 10 |
Parsley | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | Sep 1 - Oct 16 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Sep 1 - Oct 1 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Aug 17 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Sep 1 - Oct 1 |
Peppers | Jun 26 - Jul 11 | Aug 7 - Aug 22 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Sep 1 - Oct 1 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Oct 1 - Oct 31 |
Spinach | Aug 17 - Oct 1 | Sep 16 - Oct 31 | Sep 16 - Oct 31 |
Tomatoes | Jun 26 - Jul 11 | Aug 7 - Aug 22 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Oct 16 - Nov 15 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Aug 17 |