Monthly & Seasonal Gardening USA

Spring

Spring (March to May, northern hemisphere) in the USA is organized around one date: your average last spring frost.

Summer

Summer (June to August, northern hemisphere) is watering, mulching and planning the second season.

Fall

Fall (September to November; the months are for the northern hemisphere) is two different seasons in the USA.

Winter

Winter (December to February, northern hemisphere) is the planning season for most of the USA.

January

• Zones 3–6: Nothing
• Zones 7–8: Nothing new in most areas
• Zones 9–10: Brassicas, lettuce, chard, carrots , radishes, peas, onions and more (see below)

February

• Zones 3–6: Onions, peppers and eggplant if planting out is 8–10 weeks away
• Zones 7–8: Onions, peppers, eggplant; tomatoes once planting out is 5–6 weeks away
• Zones 9–10: Tomato and pepper starts hardening off (Central Texas)

March

• Zones 3–4: Tomatoes, peppers, brassicas, by count-back
• Zones 5–6: Broccoli, cabbage, lettuce , 6–8 weeks before planting out
• Zone 7: Tomatoes, peppers, broccoli , cauliflower
• Zone 8: Harden off transplants

April

• Zones 3–4: Hardy crops 2–4 weeks before your last frost; semi-hardy 0–2 weeks before
• Zones 5–6: Cool-season seed once soil is 50°F: early to mid-April in central Iowa
• Zone 7: Beets , carrots, kale, chard, parsnips; broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and onion transplants
• Zone 8: Beans, corn, squash, cucumbers , melons, okra, peppers, tomatoes

May

• Zones 3–4: Warm-season crops once soil and air are warm
• Zones 5–6: Tomatoes around May 10 in central Iowa; other warm-season crops from early May
• Zone 7: Tomato and pepper transplants; beans, sweet corn , squash, cucumbers, melons
• Zone 8: Third plantings of beans, corn, squash , lima beans

June

• Zones 3–6: Tomatoes by about June 20 (central Iowa); beans, corn, squash in warm soil
• Zone 7: Snap and lima beans, sweet corn , cucumbers; tomato transplants
• Zone 8: Sweet potatoes ; a second planting of southern peas
• Zones 9–10: Okra, southern peas, long beans, sweet potatoes

July

• Zones 3–6: Fall crops by count-back from first frost
• Zone 7: Carrots, beets , Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi, kale, fall lettuce; transplant fall broccoli and cabbage
• Zone 8: Tomatoes, okra, corn, pole and lima beans by July 20; cucumbers, squash, snap beans
• Zones 9–10: Pumpkins, southern peas, okra; beans, corn, melons, squash (Arizona)

August

• Zones 3–6: Quick, frost-hardy crops by count-back
• Zone 7: Spinach, arugula , radish, turnips, bok choy, lettuce, kohlrabi, kale; transplant fall broccoli, cabbage, leek
• Zone 8: Snap beans and potatoes by Aug 15; cucumbers and squash by Aug 31
• Zones 9–10: Fall tomatoes and peppers (FL); beans, corn, radish, beets, turnips (AZ); last beans, cucumbers, squash (TX)

September

• Zones 3–6: Little: get ready for fall garlic
• Zone 7: Spinach (early Sept), arugula , radishes (to mid-Sept), bok choy (first week)
• Zone 8: Broccoli, cabbage, collards, mustard; lettuce, spinach; carrots, beets , radishes, turnips; onions
• Zones 9–10: The main cool-season list

October

• Zones 3–4: Garlic, timed to your first frost
• Zones 5–6: Garlic
• Zones 7–8: Garlic, mid-October to early November
• Zones 9–10: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards, lettuce, carrots, beets, spinach, strawberries

November

• Zones 3–4: Nothing new outdoors
• Zones 5–6: Nothing new outdoors
• Zones 7–8: Garlic, early in the month
• Zones 9–10: Beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, kale, lettuce, peas, spinach, chard, turnips

December

• Zones 3–6: Nothing outdoors; microgreens indoors
• Zones 7–8: Nothing new outdoors
• Zones 9–10: Lettuce, peas, radishes, carrots, chard, kale, parsnips, beets; cabbage and cauliflower