On average, your frost-free growing season starts Feb 22 and ends Dec 1, totalling 283 days. You will find both Spring and Fall planting guides on this page.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around December 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 December 14. Then, around February 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 February 22, 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 8 - Jan 23 | n/a |
Beans | n/a | n/a | Feb 22 - Mar 21 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Dec 28 - Jan 11 |
Broccoli | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Jan 25 - Feb 8 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Jan 25 - Feb 8 | n/a |
Cabbage | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Jan 25 - Feb 8 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Feb 8 - Feb 22 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Jan 11 - Feb 8 |
Cauliflower | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Jan 25 - Feb 8 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Jan 11 - Jan 25 |
Collards | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Jan 25 - Feb 8 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Feb 22 - Mar 7 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Feb 22 - Mar 7 |
Eggplants | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Feb 22 - Mar 7 | n/a |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Feb 22 - Mar 7 |
Kale | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Jan 25 - Feb 8 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Jan 25 - Feb 8 | n/a |
Lettuce | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Jan 11 - Feb 8 | Jan 11 - Feb 8 |
Mustard | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Jan 25 - Feb 8 | n/a |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Feb 22 - Mar 7 |
Onions | Dec 7 - Dec 14 | Dec 24 - Jan 23 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Dec 24 - Jan 23 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Feb 22 - Mar 21 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Dec 24 - Jan 23 |
Peppers | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Feb 22 - Mar 7 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Dec 24 - Jan 23 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Jan 8 - Mar 7 |
Spinach | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Jan 25 - Feb 8 | Jan 8 - Feb 8 |
Sweet Potatoes | n/a | Feb 22 - Mar 14 | n/a |
Tomatoes | Dec 14 - Dec 28 | Feb 22 - Mar 7 | n/a |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Feb 22 - Mar 7 |
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you'd want to transplant those into the ground around August 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 October 17, 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 September 22, but because of the heat during that time of year, it's better to start them indoors around August 3 and then transplant them into the garden around September 12. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Sow peas directly around September 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 August 18.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Transplant seedlings into the garden | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|---|
Beans | n/a | n/a | Aug 18 - Sep 17 |
Beets | n/a | n/a | Sep 17 - Nov 1 |
Broccoli | Jul 7 - Aug 21 | Aug 18 - Oct 2 | n/a |
Brussel Sprouts | Jul 7 - Aug 21 | Aug 18 - Oct 2 | n/a |
Cabbage | Jul 7 - Aug 21 | Aug 18 - Oct 2 | n/a |
Cantaloupe | n/a | n/a | Aug 3 - Aug 18 |
Carrots | n/a | n/a | Sep 2 - Nov 1 |
Cauliflower | Jul 7 - Aug 21 | Aug 18 - Oct 2 | n/a |
Chard | n/a | n/a | Aug 18 - Nov 1 |
Collards | Aug 3 - Sep 17 | Sep 2 - Oct 17 | n/a |
Corn | n/a | n/a | Aug 18 - Sep 2 |
Cucumbers | n/a | n/a | Aug 18 - Sep 2 |
Eggplants | Jun 22 - Jul 7 | Aug 3 - Aug 18 | n/a |
Garlic | n/a | n/a | Sep 17 - Nov 1 |
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins | n/a | n/a | Jul 19 - Aug 18 |
Kale | Jul 7 - Aug 21 | Aug 18 - Oct 2 | n/a |
Kohlrabi | Jul 7 - Aug 21 | Aug 18 - Oct 2 | n/a |
Lettuce | Sep 2 - Oct 2 | Oct 2 - Nov 1 | Oct 2 - Nov 1 |
Mustard | n/a | n/a | Oct 2 - Nov 1 |
Okra | n/a | n/a | Jul 19 - Aug 18 |
Onions | n/a | n/a | Nov 1 - Nov 11 |
Parsley | Jul 19 - Sep 2 | Sep 2 - Oct 17 | n/a |
Peas (English) | n/a | n/a | Sep 2 - Oct 2 |
Peas (Southern) | n/a | n/a | Jul 19 - Aug 18 |
Peas (Sugar Snap) | n/a | n/a | Sep 2 - Oct 2 |
Peppers | Jun 27 - Jul 12 | Aug 8 - Aug 23 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | n/a | Sep 2 - Oct 2 |
Radishes | n/a | n/a | Oct 2 - Nov 1 |
Spinach | Aug 18 - Oct 2 | Sep 17 - Nov 1 | Sep 17 - Nov 1 |
Tomatoes | Jun 27 - Jul 12 | Aug 8 - Aug 23 | n/a |
Turnips | n/a | n/a | Oct 17 - Nov 16 |
Watermelon | n/a | n/a | Jul 19 - Aug 18 |