On average, your frost-free growing season starts Feb 25 and ends Dec 10, totalling 289 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around December 27. 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 17. Then, around February 21 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 25, 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 | Jan 11 - Jan 26 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Feb 25 - Mar 24 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Dec 31 - Jan 14 |
Broccoli | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Jan 28 - Feb 11 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Jan 28 - Feb 11 | n/a |
Cabbage | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Jan 28 - Feb 11 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Feb 11 - Feb 25 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jan 14 - Feb 11 |
Cauliflower | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Jan 28 - Feb 11 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jan 14 - Jan 28 |
Collards | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Jan 28 - Feb 11 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Feb 25 - Mar 10 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Feb 25 - Mar 10 |
Eggplants | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Feb 25 - Mar 10 |
Kale | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Jan 28 - Feb 11 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Jan 28 - Feb 11 | n/a |
Lettuce | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Jan 14 - Feb 11 | Jan 14 - Feb 11 |
Mustard | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Jan 28 - Feb 11 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Feb 25 - Mar 10 |
Onions | Dec 10 - Dec 17 | Dec 27 - Jan 26 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Dec 27 - Jan 26 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Feb 25 - Mar 24 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Dec 27 - Jan 26 |
Peppers | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Dec 27 - Jan 26 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Jan 11 - Mar 10 |
Spinach | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Jan 28 - Feb 11 | Jan 11 - Feb 11 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Feb 25 - Mar 17 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Dec 17 - Dec 31 | Feb 25 - Mar 10 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Feb 25 - Mar 10 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around September 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 October 26, 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 October 1, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around August 12 and then transplant them into the garden around September 21. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around September 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 August 27.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Aug 27 - Sep 26 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Sep 26 - Nov 10 |
Broccoli | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | Aug 27 - Oct 11 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | Aug 27 - Oct 11 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | Aug 27 - Oct 11 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Aug 12 - Aug 27 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Sep 11 - Nov 10 |
Cauliflower | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | Aug 27 - Oct 11 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Aug 27 - Nov 10 |
Collards | Aug 12 - Sep 26 | Sep 11 - Oct 26 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Aug 27 - Sep 11 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Aug 27 - Sep 11 |
Eggplants | Jul 1 - Jul 16 | Aug 12 - Aug 27 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Sep 26 - Nov 10 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jul 28 - Aug 27 |
Kale | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | Aug 27 - Oct 11 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jul 16 - Aug 30 | Aug 27 - Oct 11 | n/a |
Lettuce | Sep 11 - Oct 11 | Oct 11 - Nov 10 | Oct 11 - Nov 10 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Oct 11 - Nov 10 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jul 28 - Aug 27 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Nov 10 - Nov 20 |
Parsley | Jul 28 - Sep 11 | Sep 11 - Oct 26 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Sep 11 - Oct 11 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jul 28 - Aug 27 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Sep 11 - Oct 11 |
Peppers | Jul 6 - Jul 21 | Aug 17 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Sep 11 - Oct 11 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Oct 11 - Nov 10 |
Spinach | Aug 27 - Oct 11 | Sep 26 - Nov 10 | Sep 26 - Nov 10 |
Tomatoes | Jul 6 - Jul 21 | Aug 17 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Oct 26 - Nov 25 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jul 28 - Aug 27 |