On average, your frost-free growing season starts Apr 20 and ends Oct 11, totalling 174 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around February 20. 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 10. Then, around April 16 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 20, 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 | Mar 6 - Mar 21 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Apr 20 - May 18 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Feb 24 - Mar 9 |
Broccoli | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Mar 23 - Apr 6 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Mar 23 - Apr 6 | n/a |
Cabbage | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Mar 23 - Apr 6 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Apr 6 - Apr 20 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Mar 9 - Apr 6 |
Cauliflower | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Mar 23 - Apr 6 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Mar 9 - Mar 23 |
Collards | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Mar 23 - Apr 6 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Apr 20 - May 4 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Apr 20 - May 4 |
Eggplants | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Apr 20 - May 4 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Apr 20 - May 4 |
Kale | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Mar 23 - Apr 6 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Mar 23 - Apr 6 | n/a |
Lettuce | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Mar 9 - Apr 6 | Mar 9 - Apr 6 |
Mustard | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Mar 23 - Apr 6 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Apr 20 - May 4 |
Onions | Feb 3 - Feb 10 | Feb 20 - Mar 21 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Feb 20 - Mar 21 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Apr 20 - May 18 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Feb 20 - Mar 21 |
Peppers | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Apr 20 - May 4 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Feb 20 - Mar 21 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Mar 6 - May 4 |
Spinach | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Mar 23 - Apr 6 | Mar 6 - Apr 6 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Apr 20 - May 11 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Feb 10 - Feb 24 | Apr 20 - May 4 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Apr 20 - May 4 |
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 3. 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 27, 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 2, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around June 13 and then transplant them into the garden around July 23. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 28.
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 28.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 28 - Jul 28 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 28 - Sep 11 |
Broccoli | May 17 - Jul 1 | Jun 28 - Aug 12 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | May 17 - Jul 1 | Jun 28 - Aug 12 | n/a |
Cabbage | May 17 - Jul 1 | Jun 28 - Aug 12 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jun 13 - Jun 28 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jul 13 - Sep 11 |
Cauliflower | May 17 - Jul 1 | Jun 28 - Aug 12 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 28 - Sep 11 |
Collards | Jun 13 - Jul 28 | Jul 13 - Aug 27 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 28 - Jul 13 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 28 - Jul 13 |
Eggplants | May 2 - May 17 | Jun 13 - Jun 28 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 28 - Sep 11 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 29 - Jun 28 |
Kale | May 17 - Jul 1 | Jun 28 - Aug 12 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | May 17 - Jul 1 | Jun 28 - Aug 12 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jul 13 - Aug 12 | Aug 12 - Sep 11 | Aug 12 - Sep 11 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Aug 12 - Sep 11 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 29 - Jun 28 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Sep 11 - Sep 21 |
Parsley | May 29 - Jul 13 | Jul 13 - Aug 27 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jul 13 - Aug 12 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 29 - Jun 28 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jul 13 - Aug 12 |
Peppers | May 7 - May 22 | Jun 18 - Jul 3 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jul 13 - Aug 12 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Aug 12 - Sep 11 |
Spinach | Jun 28 - Aug 12 | Jul 28 - Sep 11 | Jul 28 - Sep 11 |
Tomatoes | May 7 - May 22 | Jun 18 - Jul 3 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 27 - Sep 26 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 29 - Jun 28 |