On average, your frost-free growing season starts Mar 29 and ends Nov 6, totalling 222 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around January 29. 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 January 19. Then, around March 25 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 March 29, 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 13 - Feb 28 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Mar 29 - Apr 26 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Feb 2 - Feb 16 |
Broccoli | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Mar 15 - Mar 29 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Feb 16 - Mar 15 |
Cauliflower | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Feb 16 - Mar 1 |
Collards | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Mar 29 - Apr 12 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Mar 29 - Apr 12 |
Eggplants | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Mar 29 - Apr 12 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Mar 29 - Apr 12 |
Kale | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Feb 16 - Mar 15 | Feb 16 - Mar 15 |
Mustard | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Mar 29 - Apr 12 |
Onions | Jan 12 - Jan 19 | Jan 29 - Feb 28 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jan 29 - Feb 28 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Mar 29 - Apr 26 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jan 29 - Feb 28 |
Peppers | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Mar 29 - Apr 12 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jan 29 - Feb 28 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Feb 13 - Apr 12 |
Spinach | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Mar 1 - Mar 15 | Feb 13 - Mar 15 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Mar 29 - Apr 19 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Jan 19 - Feb 2 | Mar 29 - Apr 12 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Mar 29 - Apr 12 |
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 29. 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 September 22, 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 28, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around July 9 and then transplant them into the garden around August 18. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around August 23.
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 24.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jul 24 - Aug 23 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Aug 23 - Oct 7 |
Broccoli | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | Jul 24 - Sep 7 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | Jul 24 - Sep 7 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | Jul 24 - Sep 7 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jul 9 - Jul 24 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Aug 8 - Oct 7 |
Cauliflower | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | Jul 24 - Sep 7 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jul 24 - Oct 7 |
Collards | Jul 9 - Aug 23 | Aug 8 - Sep 22 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jul 24 - Aug 8 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jul 24 - Aug 8 |
Eggplants | May 28 - Jun 12 | Jul 9 - Jul 24 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Aug 23 - Oct 7 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jun 24 - Jul 24 |
Kale | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | Jul 24 - Sep 7 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jun 12 - Jul 27 | Jul 24 - Sep 7 | n/a |
Lettuce | Aug 8 - Sep 7 | Sep 7 - Oct 7 | Sep 7 - Oct 7 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Sep 7 - Oct 7 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jun 24 - Jul 24 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Oct 7 - Oct 17 |
Parsley | Jun 24 - Aug 8 | Aug 8 - Sep 22 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Aug 8 - Sep 7 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jun 24 - Jul 24 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Aug 8 - Sep 7 |
Peppers | Jun 2 - Jun 17 | Jul 14 - Jul 29 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Aug 8 - Sep 7 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Sep 7 - Oct 7 |
Spinach | Jul 24 - Sep 7 | Aug 23 - Oct 7 | Aug 23 - Oct 7 |
Tomatoes | Jun 2 - Jun 17 | Jul 14 - Jul 29 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Sep 22 - Oct 22 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jun 24 - Jul 24 |