Type in your average last spring frost and first fall frost. The calendar works out when to start seeds indoors, when to plant out and when to sow straight into the ground, for 37 common vegetables and herbs.
| Crop | Sow indoors | Plant out | Sow outdoors | First harvest | Days to harvest | Spacing | Soil at least |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bush snap beansSow a few more every week or two for a longer harvest (MSU). | – | – | Apr 15 – Jul 23 | Jun 6 | 52–70 from seed | 1–3 in apart, rows 24–36 in | 55 °F |
| Lima beansBush types mature in 75–80 days, pole types in 85–90 (MSU). | – | – | Apr 15 – Jul 23 | Jun 29 | 75–90 from seed | 3–6 in apart, rows 24–36 in | – |
| BeetsSow again every 2–3 weeks (MSU). | – | – | Mar 18 – Aug 6 | May 7 | 50–80 from seed | 2–3 in apart, rows 12–18 in | 40 °F |
| Broccoli | Feb 4 – Mar 4 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | – | May 17 | 60–80 from transplant | 12–24 in apart, rows 18–36 in | 40 °F |
| Brussels sproutsSprouts picked after moderate freezes taste sweeter (MSU). | Feb 4 – Mar 4 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | – | Jun 6 | 80–90 from transplant | 18–24 in apart, rows 30–36 in | – |
| Cabbage | Feb 4 – Feb 18 | Mar 18 | – | May 17 | 60–90 from transplant | 12–18 in apart, rows 18–36 in | 40 °F |
| CarrotsSow again every 2–3 weeks (MSU). | – | – | Mar 18 – Jul 16 | May 17 | 60–80 from seed | 1½–2 in apart, rows 6–12 in | 40 °F |
| Cauliflower | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 | – | May 21 | 50–95 from transplant | 12–24 in apart, rows 24–36 in | 40 °F |
| Swiss chard | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 | Mar 18 – Sep 3 | May 12 | 55–60 from seed | 6–12 in apart, rows 18–30 in | 40 °F |
| Collards | – | – | Spring: Mar 18 – Apr 29; Fall: Aug 6 – Aug 20 | May 17 | 60–80 from seed | 12–24 in apart, rows 18–36 in | – |
| Sweet cornA second sowing 3 weeks after the first spreads the harvest (MSU). | – | – | Apr 15 – May 6 | Jun 24 | 70–90 from seed | 6–12 in apart, rows 24–36 in | 50 °F |
| CucumbersVine crops dislike root disturbance, so direct sowing usually does best; use young transplants no older than 2–3 weeks (CSU). The square-foot count assumes a trellis (CSU spaces trellised cucumbers 6 in apart). | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | Apr 15 – Jul 23 | Jun 4 | 50–70 from seed | 12–18 in apart, rows 48–72 in | 60 °F |
| Eggplant | Feb 18 – Mar 11 | Apr 29 – May 6 | – | Jun 28 | 60 from transplant | 18–24 in apart, rows 30–42 in | 60 °F |
| Kale | Feb 4 – Feb 18 | Mar 18 | Spring: Mar 11 – Apr 29; Fall: Aug 20 – Sep 3 | May 5 | 55–75 from seed | 12–24 in apart, rows 18–36 in | – |
| Kohlrabi | Feb 4 – Feb 18 | Mar 18 | Spring: Mar 11 – Apr 29; Fall: Aug 6 | Apr 12 | 45–60 from seed, 25–35 from transplant | 4–6 in apart, rows 12–36 in | 40 °F |
| Leeks | Jan 7 – Jan 21 | Mar 18 | – | – | 120 from seed | 4–6 in apart, rows 12–30 in | 40 °F |
| LettuceSow every 2 weeks and switch to heat-tolerant varieties for summer (MSU). | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Mar 18 – Mar 25 | Mar 18 – Sep 3 | Apr 12 | 40–60 from seed, 25–35 from transplant | 6–10 in apart, rows 10–18 in | 35 °F |
| Melons (cantaloupe) | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | Apr 29 | Apr 15 – Jun 25 | Jul 18 | 80–100 from transplant | 24–36 in apart, rows 60–90 in | 60 °F |
| Onions (bulb)Dry bulbs take about 110 days; green onions about 60 (CSU). | Jan 7 – Jan 21 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 – Apr 29 | Jul 13 | 110 from seed | 2–4 in apart, rows 12–18 in | 35 °F |
| ParsnipsSpacing is CSU's equal block spacing for beds (Virginia's table has no parsnips). | – | – | Mar 18 – May 13 | Jun 26 | 100–120 from seed | 5–6 in apart, rows 5–6 in | 35 °F |
| Peas | – | – | Spring: Mar 4 – May 6; Fall: Jul 23 | Apr 28 | 55–90 from seed | 2–3 in apart, rows 12–30 in | 40 °F |
| Peppers | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 29 | – | Jun 18 | 50–75 from transplant | 12–24 in apart, rows 30–36 in | 60 °F |
| PotatoesLeaves are frost-tender; the tubers are hardy (MSU). | – | – | Apr 1 – Jun 18 | Jun 20 | 80–140 from seed | 10–18 in apart, rows 24–42 in | 45 °F |
| Pumpkins | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | Apr 29 | Apr 15 – Jul 2 | Aug 7 | 100–120 from transplant | 24–48 in apart, rows 60–96 in | – |
| RadishesSow every 10 days until the weather turns warm (MSU). | – | – | Spring: Mar 4 – Apr 1; Fall: Aug 27 | Mar 24 | 20–49 from seed | ¾–1 in apart, rows 6–12 in | 40 °F |
| Rutabaga | – | – | Mar 4 – Jun 25 | Jun 2 | 90–100 from seed | 3–6 in apart, rows 12–30 in | – |
| SpinachSpring sowing can continue until about seven weeks before midsummer (MSU). | Jan 21 – Feb 25 | Mar 4 – Mar 25 | Spring: From Mar 4; Fall: Aug 20 – Sep 3 | Apr 13 | 40–60 from seed | 4 in apart, rows 6–12 in | 40 °F |
| Summer squash & zucchini | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | Apr 29 | Apr 15 – Aug 6 | Jun 13 | 45–60 from transplant | 18–36 in apart, rows 36–60 in | 60 °F |
| Winter squash | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | Apr 29 | Apr 15 – Jul 16 | Jun 28 | 85–100 from seed, 60–80 from transplant | 24–48 in apart, rows 36–120 in | 60 °F |
| Tomatoes | Feb 25 – Mar 18 | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | – | Jul 1 | 70 from transplant | 18–36 in apart, rows 36–50 in | 50 °F |
| TurnipsRoots take 60–75 days; greens can be cut from 30 days (MSU). | – | – | Spring: Mar 4 – Apr 1; Fall: Aug 20 – Sep 3 | May 3 | 60–75 from seed | 2–3 in apart, rows 12–24 in | 40 °F |
| WatermelonVery tender: plant out once days stay above 55 °F, typically 2 or more weeks after the last frost (CSU). | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | Apr 29 | Apr 15 – Jun 25 | Jul 9 | 85 from seed | 36–48 in apart, rows 60–120 in | 60 °F |
| BasilPick leaves whenever the plant is big enough; there is no single harvest date. | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 29 | From Apr 15 | – | Pick as needed | 6–12 in apart | – |
| ParsleySlow to germinate (2–5 weeks); soaking seed in warm water for up to a day helps (UMN). | Jan 14 – Jan 28 | Mar 25 – Apr 1 | From Apr 15 | – | Pick as needed | 10–12 in apart | – |
| CilantroThin to 2 in for leaves or 8–10 in for coriander seed. Bolts in summer heat; sow again every few weeks (USU). | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 15 | From Apr 15 | – | Pick as needed | 2 in apart, rows 15 in | – |
| DillDoes not transplant easily, so sow where it will grow; sow again every 2–3 weeks through midsummer (UMN). | – | – | From Apr 15 | – | Pick as needed | 10–12 in apart, rows 24 in | – |
| ChivesEasiest from rooted clumps planted after the frost danger has passed (UMN). A perennial. | – | From Apr 15 | – | – | Pick as needed | 6–12 in apart | – |
Each row is one crop. The purple bar is when to sow seed indoors, the green bar when to set plants outside, and the gold bar when to sow seed straight into the ground. Rows with two gold bars have a spring and a fall sowing. Frost-tender crops such as tomatoes and squash are never scheduled outside before your last frost date. "Tight" or "too short" means a tender crop may not ripen before your first fall frost; choose early varieties or skip it.
Use averages for your own area, not a national guess. Your national weather service publishes climate normals, and a local extension office, allotment society or garden centre can usually tell you. In the US, Virginia Cooperative Extension points gardeners to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center's Freeze Date Tool. Remember an average last frost still has about a 50% chance of a later frost, so watch the forecast before planting out.
Indoor and planting-out timings follow University of New Hampshire Extension, outdoor sowing windows and days to harvest Montana State University Extension, spacing Virginia Cooperative Extension, and soil temperatures Colorado State University Extension. They are regional guides: your soil, slope and the variety on the seed packet all shift the real dates.
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Look up a shop's domainYes. Enter your spring frost (around September or October) and the fall frost in the following year, around April or May. The calendar runs across New Year without trouble.
Then a frost-date calendar is the wrong tool. In frost-free climates heat and rainfall set the seasons, so ask a local extension service or garden club for a planting guide.
Your frost dates and settings stay in this browser's local storage, so the countdown page can use them too. Nothing is sent anywhere.