How to use the planting calendar
Everything here is anchored to two dates that drive a vegetable garden: your average last spring frost and your average first fall frost. Colder zones have a short window between them; warm zones can grow nearly year-round. Choose your zone above and each crop's colored bars shift to match.
- Start seeds indoors (blue) — give heat-lovers and slow growers a head start under lights before it's warm enough outside.
- Transplant / plant out (green) — move seedlings, sets, or dormant plants into the garden.
- Direct sow (light green) — plant seeds straight into the bed; best for root crops and fast growers that dislike being moved.
- Harvest (orange) — roughly when the crop is ready, based on typical days to maturity.
Cool-season vs warm-season crops
Cool-season crops — lettuce, spinach, kale, broccoli, peas, carrots, beets, radishes — tolerate light frost and actually taste better in cool weather. Grow them in early spring and again for a fall harvest. Warm-season crops — tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, squash, corn, melons — are frost-tender and only go out once the soil and nights have warmed after your last frost.
A few habits that make the biggest difference
- Harden off transplants. Give indoor seedlings a week of gradually longer time outside before planting, so they don't stall.
- Succession-sow the fast crops. Lettuce, radishes, beans and cilantro can be re-sown every 2–3 weeks for a steady supply instead of one big glut.
- Don't rush the heat-lovers. Tomatoes and peppers planted into cold soil just sit and sulk — a couple of warm weeks later they catch up fast.
- Plan a fall garden by mid-summer. Count back the days-to-maturity from your first frost to know the last date you can sow.
Planting calendar FAQ
- How do I know my planting zone?
- Your USDA hardiness zone is based on your average coldest winter temperature. Look it up by ZIP code at the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, then pick it above.
- When should I start tomato seeds indoors?
- About 6–8 weeks before your average last spring frost, then transplant 1–2 weeks after the last frost once nights stay above 50°F. In zone 6 that's roughly starting seeds in March and planting out in mid-May.
- Can I plant a fall vegetable garden?
- Yes — cool-season crops can be sown again in mid to late summer to mature in the cool fall before your first hard frost. The calendar shows that second window automatically for crops that suit it.
- Are these dates exact?
- They're solid starting points based on average frost dates for each zone. Your local microclimate — a warm south-facing wall, a frost-pocket low spot, a coastal or mountain setting — can shift them by a week or two. Use them as a plan, then watch your own weather.