On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 23 and ends Oct 31, totalling 161 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 24. 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 14. Then, around May 19 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 23, 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 3, 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 8 - Apr 23 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | May 23 - Jun 20 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Mar 28 - Apr 11 |
Broccoli | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | Apr 25 - May 9 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | Apr 25 - May 9 | n/a |
Cabbage | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | Apr 25 - May 9 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | May 9 - May 23 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Apr 11 - May 9 |
Cauliflower | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | Apr 25 - May 9 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Apr 11 - Apr 25 |
Collards | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | Apr 25 - May 9 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | May 23 - Jun 6 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | May 23 - Jun 6 |
Eggplants | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | May 23 - Jun 6 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | May 23 - Jun 6 |
Kale | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | Apr 25 - May 9 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | Apr 25 - May 9 | n/a |
Lettuce | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | Apr 11 - May 9 | Apr 11 - May 9 |
Mustard | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | Apr 25 - May 9 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | May 23 - Jun 6 |
Onions | Mar 7 - Mar 14 | Mar 24 - Apr 23 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Mar 24 - Apr 23 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | May 23 - Jun 20 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Mar 24 - Apr 23 |
Peppers | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | May 23 - Jun 6 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Mar 24 - Apr 23 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Apr 8 - Jun 6 |
Spinach | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | Apr 25 - May 9 | Apr 8 - May 9 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | May 23 - Jun 13 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Mar 14 - Mar 28 | May 23 - Jun 6 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | May 23 - Jun 6 |
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 23. 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 16, 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 22, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around July 3 and then transplant them into the garden around August 12. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around August 17.
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 18.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Aug 17 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Oct 1 |
Broccoli | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Jul 3 - Jul 18 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Oct 1 |
Cauliflower | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Oct 1 |
Collards | Jul 3 - Aug 17 | Aug 2 - Sep 16 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Aug 2 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Jul 18 - Aug 2 |
Eggplants | May 22 - Jun 6 | Jul 3 - Jul 18 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Aug 17 - Oct 1 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jun 18 - Jul 18 |
Kale | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jun 6 - Jul 21 | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | n/a |
Lettuce | Aug 2 - Sep 1 | Sep 1 - Oct 1 | Sep 1 - Oct 1 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Sep 1 - Oct 1 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jun 18 - Jul 18 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Oct 1 - Oct 11 |
Parsley | Jun 18 - Aug 2 | Aug 2 - Sep 16 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Sep 1 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jun 18 - Jul 18 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Sep 1 |
Peppers | May 27 - Jun 11 | Jul 8 - Jul 23 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Aug 2 - Sep 1 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Sep 1 - Oct 1 |
Spinach | Jul 18 - Sep 1 | Aug 17 - Oct 1 | Aug 17 - Oct 1 |
Tomatoes | May 27 - Jun 11 | Jul 8 - Jul 23 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Sep 16 - Oct 16 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jun 18 - Jul 18 |