Planting calendar
Enter your ZIP code to see when to start seeds, plant out and harvest, based on your local frost dates.
Your zone
- Last spring frost
- First fall frost
Your area rarely gets frost, so planting follows the cooler and hotter seasons instead of frost dates.
Estimates only.
Nothing to sow or plant this month.
Month by month
By crop
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant or sow outside | Expected harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
Fall planting
| Crop | What to do | When | Expected harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
Cool-season crops handle light frost, so fall harvests often carry on after your first frost date.
Frost dates: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, nearest weather station (, miles away). Zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Frost dates are averages; there's a 50% chance of frost after the last frost date, so many gardeners wait one to two weeks longer for tender plants.
Cool-season crops: fall to early spring
Warm-season crops: spring to summer
Zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023.
How this calendar works
Enter your five-digit ZIP code. The calendar finds your growing zone and average frost dates, then works out when to start each crop indoors, when to plant it out or sow it in the ground, and roughly when you can start harvesting. You'll see what to do this month, a month-by-month plan and a table for every crop, and you can add the dates to your own calendar.
The timings come from standard seed-starting guidance used by university extension services, so treat them as a starting point and adjust for your own garden.
Cool-season and warm-season crops
- Cool-season crops, like lettuce, peas, spinach, broccoli and kale, handle light frost and do best in spring and fall. Many can be sown again in late summer for a fall harvest, and frost often improves their flavor.
- Warm-season crops, like tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash and basil, are killed by frost. Plant them out only once the soil has warmed and the risk of frost has passed.
Tips
- Watch the forecast as well as the calendar. A late cold snap beats any average.
- Harden off seedlings by putting them outside for a few hours a day for a week before planting out.
- Keep frost cloth handy for unexpected cold nights. See how to protect plants from frost.
New to growing food? Start with how to start a vegetable garden and how to start seeds indoors.
Common questions
Your last frost date is the average date of the last freezing night in spring, and your first frost date is the average first freezing night in fall. They're averages, so there's about a 50% chance of frost after the last frost date. Many gardeners wait one to two weeks longer before planting tender crops like tomatoes.
Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals, using the weather station nearest your ZIP code. Your growing zone comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023 edition. Hills, valleys and nearby water can make your garden warmer or colder than the station.
Your zone is based on your coldest winter temperatures and tells you which perennials, shrubs and trees can survive the winter. Frost dates tell you when it's safe to plant. Vegetable planting follows frost dates, so the calendar uses those.
Some warm areas rarely get frost, so planting follows the cooler and hotter seasons rather than frost dates. In those areas the calendar lists which crops suit the cool season and which suit the warm season.