Vegetable garden
Pick your USDA zone to see when to start seeds indoors and when to sow or transplant outside.
Approx. last spring frost: April 15
| Crop | Start seeds indoors | Sow / transplant outside |
|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | March 4 | April 22 |
| Peppers | February 18 | April 29 |
| Eggplant | February 18 | April 29 |
| Broccoli | March 11 | April 1 |
| Cabbage | March 11 | April 1 |
| Bush beans | — | April 22 |
| Sweet corn | — | April 22 |
| Cucumber | — | April 22 |
| Squash & zucchini | — | April 22 |
| Carrots | — | March 25 |
| Lettuce | — | March 18 |
| Peas | — | March 4 |
| Radishes | — | March 18 |
| Spinach | — | March 4 |
| Kale | — | March 18 |
Every crop has a rule in weeks relative to your average last spring frost — for example, start tomatoes indoors 6 weeks before it and transplant 1 week after. We anchor those rules to a typical last-frost date for your zone and turn them into calendar dates.
Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce, spinach, kale) tolerate light frost and go in early. Warm crops (tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash) need warm soil and frost-free nights, so they wait until after the last frost. The calendar handles both.
Anchored to approximate zone last-frost dates. A guide — confirm locally.
One late frost kills tomatoes, peppers, and basil. Wait until you're safely past your average last frost and night temperatures have settled — a warm week in early spring is a tease, not the all-clear.
Sowing indoors months ahead gives you leggy, root-bound seedlings that struggle at transplant. Stick to the roughly 6–8 week window before last frost that the calendar shows for each crop.
The calendar gives dates, but soil warmth is what really matters — beans and squash rot in cold, wet ground. After the frost date, give the soil time to warm before sowing heat-lovers direct.
These are guides anchored to a typical last frost for your zone. Your microclimate and the season's weather shift them, so check the local forecast before setting out tender plants.
Most planting dates are set relative to your average last spring frost. Warm crops like tomatoes go out 1–2 weeks after the last frost; cool crops like peas and lettuce can go in several weeks before it. Pick your USDA zone above and the calendar works out the dates.
USDA hardiness zones run from 1 (coldest) to 13 (warmest), based on average annual minimum temperature. You can look yours up by ZIP code on the USDA hardiness zone map. This calendar covers zones 3–10, where most US vegetable gardening happens.
Heat-loving crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) are usually started indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost, then transplanted after it. The calendar shows the indoor-start date and the transplant date for each crop in your zone.
They're a guide based on a typical last frost for your zone. Your specific microclimate and the weather that year can shift them by a week or two, so always check the forecast before transplanting tender crops.
This calendar starts from a typical last-frost date for your USDA zone, so picking your zone is enough to get going. For tighter dates, look up your local average last frost through a nearby weather station or your state's extension office — and when in doubt, transplant a little later rather than earlier.
Often, yes. Row covers, cold frames, cloches, and warming the soil with black plastic can buy 2–4 weeks, especially for cool-season crops. Tender heat-lovers like tomatoes and basil still die in a frost, though, so protect them or wait for settled warm nights.
Long-season, heat-loving crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) take too long from seed to harvest for a short summer, so starting them indoors 6–8 weeks early steals a head start on the season. Fast or cool-season crops (lettuce, radishes, beans) do fine sown straight into the ground.
A planting guide, not a guarantee. Dates are anchored to approximate average last-frost dates per USDA zone; your microclimate and the season's weather will shift them. Check the local forecast before planting tender crops.