On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 22 and ends Sep 19, totalling 120 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 23. 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 March 13. Then, around May 18 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 May 22, or if your soil is still very cold, once the soil is near 60° F in temperature. Having said that, we note that your location has a shorter than average growing season. Many summer vegetables need more days to mature than your area will provide. For that reason, we recommend you get a head-start by starting these summer vegetables indoors around May 2, and transplant those seedlings out after the danger of frost is past.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Asparagus | n/a | Apr 7 - Apr 22 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jun 19 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 27 - Apr 10 |
Broccoli | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | Apr 24 - May 8 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | Apr 24 - May 8 | n/a |
Cabbage | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | Apr 24 - May 8 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 8 - May 22 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Apr 10 - May 8 |
Cauliflower | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | Apr 24 - May 8 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Apr 10 - Apr 24 |
Collards | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | Apr 24 - May 8 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jun 5 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jun 5 |
Eggplants | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | May 22 - Jun 5 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jun 5 |
Kale | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | Apr 24 - May 8 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | Apr 24 - May 8 | n/a |
Lettuce | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | Apr 10 - May 8 | Apr 10 - May 8 |
Mustard | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | Apr 24 - May 8 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jun 5 |
Onions | Mar 6 - Mar 13 | Mar 23 - Apr 22 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 23 - Apr 22 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jun 19 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 23 - Apr 22 |
Peppers | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | May 22 - Jun 5 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 23 - Apr 22 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Apr 7 - Jun 5 |
Spinach | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | Apr 24 - May 8 | Apr 7 - May 8 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 22 - Jun 12 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Mar 13 - Mar 27 | May 22 - Jun 5 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jun 5 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around June 11. 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 5, 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 July 11, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around May 22 and then transplant them into the garden around July 1. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around July 6.
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 6.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jun 6 - Jul 6 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Aug 20 |
Broccoli | Apr 25 - Jun 9 | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Apr 25 - Jun 9 | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | n/a |
Cabbage | Apr 25 - Jun 9 | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 22 - Jun 6 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jun 21 - Aug 20 |
Cauliflower | Apr 25 - Jun 9 | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jun 6 - Aug 20 |
Collards | May 22 - Jul 6 | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jun 6 - Jun 21 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jun 6 - Jun 21 |
Eggplants | Apr 10 - Apr 25 | May 22 - Jun 6 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Jul 6 - Aug 20 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 7 - Jun 6 |
Kale | Apr 25 - Jun 9 | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Apr 25 - Jun 9 | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | n/a |
Lettuce | Jun 21 - Jul 21 | Jul 21 - Aug 20 | Jul 21 - Aug 20 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Jul 21 - Aug 20 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 7 - Jun 6 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Aug 20 - Aug 30 |
Parsley | May 7 - Jun 21 | Jun 21 - Aug 5 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Jun 21 - Jul 21 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 7 - Jun 6 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Jun 21 - Jul 21 |
Peppers | Apr 15 - Apr 30 | May 27 - Jun 11 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Jun 21 - Jul 21 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Jul 21 - Aug 20 |
Spinach | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 6 - Aug 20 | Jul 6 - Aug 20 |
Tomatoes | Apr 15 - Apr 30 | May 27 - Jun 11 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Aug 5 - Sep 4 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 7 - Jun 6 |