Vegetable Planting Calendar: When to

Timing is half of vegetable gardening. Plant too early and frost kills tender seedlings. Plant too late and cool-season crops bolt in the heat, or warm-season crops run out of time before fall.

This guide gives you a method that works anywhere in the U.S.: anchor everything to your average last frost date, then plant cool-season crops before it, warm-season crops after it, and count back from your first fall frost for fall crops. Part of the Grow Your Own Food series.

Key takeaway

Find your average last spring frost date from your county extension office. Plant hardy cool-season crops several weeks before it, and tender warm-season crops after it, when nights are around 60°F. Use the weather forecast, not just the calendar.

The timeline relative to your last frost

When	What to do
6 to 8 weeks before last frost	Start tomatoes, peppers and eggplant seeds indoors (tomatoes can take 5 to 8 weeks). Start cool-season transplants such as broccoli and cabbage if you like.
Several weeks before last frost (soil workable, about 40°F to 50°F)	Direct sow peas, spinach, lettuce and radishes. Very hardy crops can go in anywhere from several weeks to a couple of months before your last frost.
2 to 3 weeks before last frost	Start cucumbers and squash indoors if you want a head start (about 3 to 4 weeks ahead of planting). Begin hardening off cool-season transplants.
Around the last frost date	Plant cool-season transplants. Prepare beds. Watch the forecast.
1 to 2 weeks after the last frost	Transplant tomatoes, peppers and eggplant when nights are around 60°F and days around 70°F. Direct sow beans, cucumbers and squash.
Summer	Sow successive plantings of beans and greens. In hot climates, shade lettuce or wait until fall.
Late summer	Start fall crops such as lettuce, kale, broccoli and radishes.

Cool-season and warm-season crops

Crop	Season	Planting note
Peas	Cool	Direct sow early. They stop setting pods above about 85°F, so plant 50 to 70 days before hot weather.
Spinach, lettuce, radishes	Cool	Sow when soil is about 40°F to 50°F, and again in late summer for fall.
Kale, chard, broccoli, cabbage	Cool	Spring transplants or late summer for fall.
Carrots, beets	Cool	Direct sow a few weeks before the last frost.
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant	Warm	Transplant after frost and when nights are warm.
Beans, corn	Warm	Direct sow after frost, in warm soil.
Cucumbers, squash, melons	Warm	After frost, from seed or transplants.
Basil	Warm	Sensitive to cold. Plant after frost.

Fall planting: count backward

Find your average first fall frost date.
Check the days to maturity on the seed packet.
Add one to two weeks to allow for slower growth in shorter days.
Count back from the frost date to find your sowing date.

Lettuce for fall harvest is often started in August or September, and heat can prevent seeds from sprouting, so extension services recommend using transplants about four weeks old when it is hot.

Regional notes

Region type	What to expect
Short-season northern areas	Late last frost and early first frost. Use transplants for warm-season crops and choose faster varieties.
Mid-latitude areas	Distinct spring and fall cool-season windows, with a summer warm-season crop in between.
Hot southern and desert areas	Cool-season crops often do best in fall, winter and early spring. Plant warm-season crops early and give shade in peak summer.
Mild coastal areas	Long seasons, with many cool-season crops possible most of the year.

These are general patterns. For exact dates, use your county extension office. See Gardening 101 for how frost dates differ from hardiness zones.

Make your own calendar

Write your average last spring frost and first fall frost dates.
Choose your crops and check their days to maturity.
Use the timeline above to fill in sowing and transplant dates.
Add a reminder for succession sowings every two weeks for lettuce, radishes and beans.
Adjust for weather each year.