Timing is everything. Plant too early and frost takes your seedlings. Plant too late and your tomatoes never ripen. This calendar tells you when to start seeds indoors, when to transplant, and when to direct sow, all based on your USDA hardiness zone and average frost dates. Not sure of your zone? Find it in seconds.
Note your average last spring frost and first fall frost dates.
Use the months to count backward or forward from those dates.
Start indoors means seed trays under lights or on a windowsill. Direct sow means planting seeds straight into garden soil.
Pick your zone
Zone 3
Last frost late May · First frost mid-September
Spring (April through May)
April: Start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant indoors under lights. Start onions, leeks, and celery early in the month.
Early May: Start squash and cucumbers indoors. Direct sow peas, spinach, lettuce, and radishes as soon as the ground thaws and dries.
Late May: After your last frost, transplant tomatoes, peppers, squash, and cucumbers. Direct sow beans, carrots, and beets. Keep row cover handy for surprise frosts.
Summer (June through August)
June: Succession plant lettuce and radishes. Thin carrots and beets.
July: Direct sow a fast fall crop of lettuce, spinach, and radishes.
August: Harvest heavily. Plant garlic cloves toward the end of the month.
Fall (September)
September: First frost arrives. Harvest everything tender, cure onions and squash, and mulch garlic beds for winter.
Zone 3 note. A short, intense season. Choose short-maturity varieties and start warm-season crops indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost.
Zone 4
Last frost mid-May · First frost late September
Spring (March through May)
March: Start onions, leeks, and celery indoors.
April: Start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant indoors under lights. Direct sow peas, spinach, lettuce, and radishes once the soil can be worked.
Mid-May: After last frost, transplant tomatoes and peppers. Direct sow beans, corn, carrots, and beets. Set out squash and cucumbers.
Summer (June through August)
June: Succession plant beans and lettuce in light shade.
July: Direct sow fall carrots and beets, and a fast crop of lettuce.
August: Direct sow spinach and radishes for fall. Set out fall broccoli and cauliflower starts.
Fall (September through October)
September: Harvest before the first frost. Plant garlic.
October: Harvest cold-hardy greens under cover. Mulch beds and put the garden to rest.
Zone 4 note. A short season with a lot of indoor starting. Row cover and cold frames can add weeks on both ends.
Zone 5
Last frost late April · First frost mid-October
Spring (March through May)
March: Start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant indoors.
April: Start squash and cucumbers indoors. Direct sow peas, lettuce, spinach, radishes, and carrots once the soil is workable.
May: After last frost, transplant tomatoes and peppers. Direct sow beans, corn, squash, and cucumbers, plus sunflowers, zinnias, and marigolds.
Summer (June through August)
June: Harvest spring greens and peas. Succession plant beans.
July: Start fall broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts indoors. Direct sow a second round of beans.
August: Transplant fall brassicas. Direct sow fall lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, and beets.
Fall (September through October)
September: Harvest fall crops. Plant garlic.
October: Harvest before a hard freeze. Extend greens with row cover or a cold frame. Mulch garlic.
Zone 5 note. A solid middle-of-the-road season. Watch the forecast in late April, since a late frost is common.
Zone 6
Last frost mid to late April · First frost mid-October
Spring (March through May)
March: Start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant indoors under lights.
April: Start squash, cucumbers, and melons indoors. Direct sow peas, lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, and beets as the soil dries.
Late April: After last frost, transplant tomatoes and peppers. Direct sow beans and corn.
May: Transplant squash, cucumbers, and melons. Direct sow sunflowers, zinnias, and marigolds.
Summer (June through August)
June: Harvest peas and spring greens. Succession plant beans.
July: Start fall broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts indoors.
August: Transplant fall brassicas. Direct sow fall lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, and beets.
Fall (September through November)
September: Direct sow a fast crop of lettuce and spinach. Plant garlic late in the month.
October: Harvest before first frost. Protect tender crops with row cover.
November: Harvest cold-hardy kale, collards, and spinach. Mulch garlic beds.
Zone 7
Last frost mid-April · First frost mid-October
Spring (February through May)
February: Start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant indoors under lights.
March: Start squash, cucumbers, and melons indoors. Direct sow peas, lettuce, spinach, radishes, and carrots outdoors when the soil is workable.
April: After last frost, transplant tomatoes and peppers. Direct sow beans and corn.
May: Transplant squash, cucumbers, and melons. Direct sow sunflowers, zinnias, and marigolds. Sow a second succession of lettuce in partial shade.
Summer (June through August)
June: Harvest peas and spring lettuce. Succession plant beans.
July: Start fall broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts indoors.
August: Transplant fall brassicas. Direct sow fall lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, and beets.
Fall and Winter (September through December)
September: Direct sow peas for a fall harvest. Plant garlic cloves.
October: Harvest fall crops before first frost. Protect tender plants with row cover or a cold frame.
November and December: Harvest cold-hardy greens like kale, collards, and spinach. Mulch garlic beds.
Zone 8
Last frost mid-March · First frost early November
Spring (February through May)
February: Start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant indoors. Direct sow peas, lettuce, spinach, radishes, and carrots.
March: After last frost, transplant tomatoes and peppers. Direct sow beans, squash, and cucumbers.
April: Direct sow corn, okra, melons, and sunflowers. Plant herb starts.
May: Succession plant beans and squash. Start planning fall garden timing.
Summer (June through August)
June and July: Harvest and maintain. Succession plant beans. Start fall brassicas indoors in July.
August: Direct sow fall beans and squash. Start fall lettuce and spinach. Transplant broccoli and cauliflower starts.
Fall and Winter (September through December)
September: Direct sow lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, beets, and peas. Plant garlic.
October: Continue cool-season harvests.
November: Harvest before a hard freeze. Protect with row cover to extend the season.
December: Maintain winter greens under protection. Plan the spring garden.
Zone 9
Last frost mid-February · First frost mid-December
Spring (January through April)
January: Start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant indoors. Direct sow peas, lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, and beets.
February: Transplant tomatoes and peppers after last frost. Direct sow beans, squash, and cucumbers. Start melons indoors.
March: Direct sow corn, okra, and sweet potatoes. Transplant melons. Plant herb starts like basil, dill, and cilantro.
April: Sow a second succession of beans, squash, and cucumbers. Direct sow sunflowers, zinnias, and marigolds.
Summer (May through August)
May and June: Harvest spring crops. Succession plant beans and squash.
July: Start fall tomatoes and peppers indoors. Plant heat-tolerant crops only: okra, sweet potatoes, and southern peas.
August: Start the fall garden. Transplant tomatoes and peppers. Direct sow beans, squash, and cucumbers for a fall harvest.
Fall and Winter (September through December)
September: Direct sow lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, beets, and peas. Plant broccoli and cauliflower starts.
November and December: Harvest fall crops. Keep cool-season greens going through winter with row cover if needed.
Zone 9 bonus. You get two full growing seasons. Most zone 9 gardeners can grow something every month of the year.
Zone 10
Last frost late January · First frost late December or frost-free
Spring (January through April)
January: Direct sow tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, cucumbers, and corn. Start melons.
February: Plant everything. This is your prime window before the heat sets in.
March: Last call for spring tomatoes and peppers. Direct sow okra, sweet potatoes, and southern peas.
April: Transition to heat-tolerant varieties. Succession plant beans and herbs.
Summer (May through September)
May through September: Focus on tropical and heat-loving crops: okra, sweet potatoes, southern peas, Malabar spinach, and yard-long beans. Most cool-season crops bolt in the summer heat.
Fall and Winter (October through December)
October: Fall planting begins. Sow tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, and cucumbers again.
November: Direct sow lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, beets, peas, broccoli, and cauliflower.
December: Continue cool-season harvests. Plant garlic and onion sets.
Zone 10 bonus. Your winter garden is what most zones call a spring garden. You're gardening year-round.
Zone 11
Frost-free, tropical
Cool season (November through March)
November through March: Your prime growing window. Grow tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, cucumbers, and most cool-season greens now, before the heat.
Plant successions every few weeks to keep the harvest coming through the mild months.
Warm season (April through October)
April through October: Switch to heat and humidity lovers: okra, sweet potatoes, southern peas, Malabar spinach, yard-long beans, eggplant, and tropical herbs. Most standard cool-season crops bolt or fail in the heat.
Zone 11 note. There's no frost to plan around. Plan around the heat instead, and grow your everyday vegetables in the cooler months.
What to know about frost dates
Frost dates are averages based on historical data. They aren't guarantees. In any given year your last frost could come two weeks early or two weeks late.
That's why experienced gardeners watch the local forecast, not just the calendar. Use these dates as your baseline, then adjust to what is actually happening outside.
Our zone calculator gives you estimated frost dates for your zip code. For hyper-local data, check your county extension office.
Plan it out
Now that you know when to plant, lay it out. Our garden planner shows spacing, timing, and companion planting feedback all in one view.