Seasonal Planting Guide
A month-by-month reference for what to plant, when to plant it, and how to keep your garden productive from the last frost through the first freeze.
Zone & Climate
Apr 20 – Oct 15
Frost-Free Window
Spring (March – May)
March
- Indoors: Start tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and herbs (basil, parsley) under grow lights 6–8 weeks before last frost.
- Outdoors: Direct sow peas, spinach, and radishes as soon as the soil can be worked. These crops tolerate light frost.
- Soil prep: Turn in compost and aged manure. Take a soil test if you haven't in two years.
April
- Indoors: Start cucumbers, squash, and melons 3–4 weeks before transplant date.
- Outdoors: Plant potatoes, onion sets, and transplant cool-season crops like broccoli, cabbage, and kale after hardening off.
- Cover crops: Terminate winter rye or crimson clover two weeks before planting into that bed.
May
- After last frost (around April 20): Transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and basil. Direct sow beans, corn, squash, and cucumbers.
- Succession planting: Sow a new row of lettuce and radishes every two weeks for continuous harvest.
- Mulch: Apply 2–3 inches of straw or shredded leaf mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Summer (June – August)
June
- Plant: Succession-sow bush beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower) indoors.
- Maintain: Side-dress tomatoes and peppers with compost or organic fertilizer. Train and stake indeterminate tomatoes.
- Pests: Scout for squash vine borers, aphids, and tomato hornworms. Hand-pick or use row cover.
July
- Plant: Direct sow fall carrots, beets, and turnips. Transplant fall broccoli and cabbage.
- Harvest: Zucchini, cucumbers, beans, and early tomatoes should be producing heavily. Pick frequently to encourage continued production.
- Water: Deep water 1–2 times per week. Morning watering reduces disease pressure.
August
- Plant: Sow fall lettuce, spinach, arugula, and kale. Plant garlic cloves for overwintering (in warmer microclimates, wait until September).
- Seed saving: Allow select plants (tomatoes, peppers, beans, lettuce) to go to seed. Harvest and dry seeds for the seed library.
- Compost: Mid-season is a great time to turn your pile and add brown material to balance the influx of green garden waste.
Fall (September – November)
September
- Plant: Last call for cool-season greens. Sow cover crops (winter rye, crimson clover, field peas) in empty beds.
- Harvest: Tomatoes, peppers, winter squash, and sweet potatoes. Cure winter squash in the sun for a week before storage.
- Preserve: Can, freeze, or dehydrate surplus. Coordinate with chapter harvest drive.
October
- Frost protection: Cover tender crops with row cover on frost nights to squeeze out a few more weeks.
- Cleanup: Remove spent plants. Compost healthy material; discard diseased plants in the trash (not the compost).
- Garlic: Plant garlic cloves 2 inches deep, 6 inches apart, mulch with 4 inches of straw.
November
- Final cleanup: All plots must be cleared by November 15. Top-dress beds with compost and cover with mulch or cover crop.
- Tool care: Clean, oil, and sharpen tools before storing them for winter.
- Reflect: Note what worked and what didn't. Update your garden journal for next year's planning.
Winter (December – February)
December – January
- Plan: Review seed catalogs. Sketch your plot layout and crop rotation plan.
- Learn: Attend winter workshops (seed starting, soil science, tool maintenance).
- Order seeds: Place orders early for the best selection. Check the seed library first — many popular varieties are available for free.
February
- Start early indoors: Onions, leeks, and celery need a long head start. Start under lights by mid-February.
- Soil test: Send samples to the county extension office. Results take 2–3 weeks.
- Plot reservation: Confirm your plot assignment with your Chapter President.
Happy planting!
