The standard climate band set by your average winter low.
Sets the zone to the colder end of the state's range — adjust to your local zone.
| Crop | Start indoors | Direct sow | Transplant out |
|---|---|---|---|
| OnionsCool-season | Feb 7 | — | Mar 21 |
| PeasHardy | — | Mar 14 | — |
| SpinachHardy | — | Mar 14 | — |
| LettuceCool-season | — | Mar 21 | — |
| KaleHardy | Mar 7 | Mar 21 | — |
| BroccoliCool-season | Mar 7 | — | Apr 4 |
| CabbageCool-season | Mar 7 | — | Apr 4 |
| CarrotsCool-season | — | Mar 28 | — |
| BeetsCool-season | — | Mar 28 | — |
| PotatoesCool-season | — | Apr 4 | — |
| TomatoesWarm-season | Mar 7 | — | Apr 25 |
| PeppersWarm-season | Feb 21 | — | May 2 |
| BasilWarm-season | Mar 7 | — | Apr 25 |
| BeansWarm-season | — | Apr 25 | — |
| CucumbersWarm-season | — | Apr 25 | — |
| SquashWarm-season | — | Apr 25 | — |
| CornWarm-season | — | Apr 25 | — |
| MelonsWarm-season | Mar 28 | — | May 2 |
Dates are planning midpoints from your zone's average frost window — confirm local frost dates and watch the forecast before setting out tender plants.
Pick your USDA hardiness zone — or a state to start near the right one — and the calendar estimates your average last-spring and first-fall frost dates, then works out when to start seeds indoors, direct sow, and transplant each crop relative to that frost window. Cold-hardy crops go out before the last frost; tender warm-season crops wait until after it.
Zones track winter lows rather than frost dates directly, so these are planning midpoints — confirm your local frost dates and watch the forecast. A longer growing season also opens up a second, fall planting. To find the warmest, longest-season states, see our guide to the warmest states for year-round gardening, and size the plot itself with our garden size calculator.
Your zone is set by your average coldest winter temperature and is the standard way gardeners describe a climate. Pick your state to start near the right zone, then fine-tune with your local zip code on the USDA map — a single state can span several zones from the mountains to the coast.
No — treat them as planning midpoints. Hardiness zones track winter lows rather than frost dates directly, and your real last-spring and first-fall frost shift by weeks with elevation, proximity to water, and the year's weather. Always check a local frost-date source and watch the forecast before setting out tender plants.
Slow-maturing or frost-tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, and onions get a head start indoors weeks before the last frost, then go out as transplants once the weather is safe. Quick, cold-tolerant crops like peas, beans, carrots, and lettuce are usually sown straight into the garden on the dates shown.
Yes. Count back from your first-fall-frost date by the crop's days to maturity (plus a couple of weeks of slower autumn growth) to find when to sow cool-season crops for a fall harvest. The longer your growing season, the more a second planting fits.
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