On average, your frost-free growing season starts Apr 12 and ends Oct 15, totalling 186 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around February 12. 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 2. Then, around April 8 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 12, 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 27 - Mar 13 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Apr 12 - May 10 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Feb 16 - Mar 1 |
Broccoli | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Mar 15 - Mar 29 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Mar 15 - Mar 29 | n/a |
Cabbage | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Mar 15 - Mar 29 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Mar 29 - Apr 12 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Mar 1 - Mar 29 |
Cauliflower | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Mar 15 - Mar 29 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Mar 1 - Mar 15 |
Collards | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Mar 15 - Mar 29 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Apr 12 - Apr 26 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Apr 12 - Apr 26 |
Eggplants | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Apr 12 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Apr 12 - Apr 26 |
Kale | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Mar 15 - Mar 29 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Mar 15 - Mar 29 | n/a |
Lettuce | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Mar 1 - Mar 29 | Mar 1 - Mar 29 |
Mustard | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Mar 15 - Mar 29 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Apr 12 - Apr 26 |
Onions | Jan 26 - Feb 2 | Feb 12 - Mar 13 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Feb 12 - Mar 13 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Apr 12 - May 10 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Feb 12 - Mar 13 |
Peppers | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Apr 12 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Feb 12 - Mar 13 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Feb 27 - Apr 26 |
Spinach | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Mar 15 - Mar 29 | Feb 27 - Mar 29 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Apr 12 - May 3 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Feb 2 - Feb 16 | Apr 12 - Apr 26 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Apr 12 - Apr 26 |
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 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 August 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 August 6, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 17 and then transplant them into the garden around July 27. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around August 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 July 2.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jul 2 - Aug 1 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Aug 1 - Sep 15 |
Broccoli | May 21 - Jul 5 | Jul 2 - Aug 16 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 21 - Jul 5 | Jul 2 - Aug 16 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 21 - Jul 5 | Jul 2 - Aug 16 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 17 - Jul 2 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 17 - Sep 15 |
Cauliflower | May 21 - Jul 5 | Jul 2 - Aug 16 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jul 2 - Sep 15 |
Collards | Jun 17 - Aug 1 | Jul 17 - Aug 31 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jul 2 - Jul 17 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jul 2 - Jul 17 |
Eggplants | May 6 - May 21 | Jun 17 - Jul 2 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Aug 1 - Sep 15 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jun 2 - Jul 2 |
Kale | May 21 - Jul 5 | Jul 2 - Aug 16 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 21 - Jul 5 | Jul 2 - Aug 16 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 17 - Aug 16 | Aug 16 - Sep 15 | Aug 16 - Sep 15 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 16 - Sep 15 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jun 2 - Jul 2 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 15 - Sep 25 |
Parsley | Jun 2 - Jul 17 | Jul 17 - Aug 31 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 17 - Aug 16 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jun 2 - Jul 2 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 17 - Aug 16 |
Peppers | May 11 - May 26 | Jun 22 - Jul 7 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 17 - Aug 16 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 16 - Sep 15 |
Spinach | Jul 2 - Aug 16 | Aug 1 - Sep 15 | Aug 1 - Sep 15 |
Tomatoes | May 11 - May 26 | Jun 22 - Jul 7 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 31 - Sep 30 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jun 2 - Jul 2 |