Vegetable Growing Guides for the USA
The United States spans USDA zones 3 to 10 and growing seasons from under 100 days to effectively year-round. A single national planting date is meaningless here, so every guide below is written against frost dates and climate bands rather than calendar months.
Find your growing band
| Band | Where | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cold band USDA zones 3-5 |
Intermountain West, Northern Plains & Upper Midwest, Lower Midwest & Ohio Valley, Northeast & New England | mid-May to early June | mid-September to mid-October | 90-150 frost-free days |
|
Mild band USDA zones 6-7 |
Pacific Northwest, Mid-Atlantic & Upper South | late March to late April | late October to mid-November | 180-220 frost-free days |
|
Hot band USDA zones 8-10 |
California & Mediterranean coast, Southwest deserts, Deep South & Gulf Coast | February to mid-March (frost-free in the far south) | late November to December, or none | 250-365 frost-free days |
Cold band: The binding constraint is season length. Anything with a long days-to-maturity figure has to be started indoors or skipped. Mild band: Long enough for two full cycles of most cool-season crops, with a warm-season crop between them. Hot band: Summer heat, not winter cold, is the limiting season. Cool-season crops run in fall, winter and early spring; midsummer is the gap.
Growing guides (20 crops)
- How to Grow Beets in the USA — Leaf miner tunnels through leaves but rarely threatens the root crop…
- How to Grow Bell peppers in the USA — Blossom-end rot from uneven watering; aphids and pepper weevil in…
- How to Grow Broccoli in the USA — Cabbage looper, imported cabbageworm and flea beetles are…
- How to Grow Bush beans in the USA — Mexican bean beetle causes the most defoliation, especially in the…
- How to Grow Cabbage in the USA — Same pest pressure as broccoli (loopers, cabbageworm, flea beetles);…
- How to Grow Carrots in the USA — Carrot rust fly in cooler regions
- How to Grow Cucumbers in the USA — Squash bugs and powdery mildew
- How to Grow Eggplant in the USA — Flea beetles riddle young leaves with small holes — worst in the…
- How to Grow Garlic in the USA — Hardneck varieties need real winter chill (vernalization) to divide…
- How to Grow Kale in the USA — The most cold-hardy common brassica — increases in sweetness after…
- How to Grow Lettuce in the USA — Bolts and turns bitter above roughly 80F — shift to heat-tolerant…
- How to Grow Onions in the USA — Onion maggot and thrips
- How to Grow Peas in the USA — Powdery mildew as the season warms — time sowing so the crop finishes…
- How to Grow Potatoes in the USA — Colorado potato beetle and early/late blight
- How to Grow Radishes in the USA — Flea beetles riddle leaves but the fast maturity usually outruns…
- How to Grow Spinach in the USA — Bolts rapidly as days lengthen and warm in late spring — the fall…
- How to Grow Sweet corn in the USA — Corn earworm and fall armyworm
- How to Grow Sweet potatoes in the USA — Wireworm and sweet potato weevil (Gulf Coast and Deep South)
- How to Grow Tomatoes in the USA — Blossom-end rot, early and late blight (worst in humid regions), and…
- How to Grow Zucchini in the USA — Squash vine borer and powdery mildew are the two main threats
Working out timing rather than technique? The Vegetable Planting Calendar USA sets out sowing, transplanting and harvest windows for every region.
Month by month
- What to plant in January USA
- What to plant in February USA
- What to plant in March USA
- What to plant in April USA
- What to plant in May USA
- What to plant in June USA
- What to plant in July USA
- What to plant in August USA
- What to plant in September USA
- What to plant in October USA
- What to plant in November USA
- What to plant in December USA
Just need the timing?
- When to plant tomatoes in the USA — sowing and planting-out windows on their own
- When to plant bush beans in the USA — sowing and planting-out windows on their own
- When to plant bell peppers in the USA — sowing and planting-out windows on their own
Turn these guides into a written plan. The USA Vegetable Garden Planner (printable PDF) has frost-date planning pages, bed layouts, crop rotation, a sowing log and a harvest tracker — 74 printable pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which US growing band I am in?
Look up your USDA hardiness zone, then find your local average last spring and first fall frost dates. Zones 3-5 are the cold band, 6-7 the mild band, and 8-10 the hot band.
Does my USDA zone tell me when to plant?
No. Hardiness zones describe average winter minimum temperature, which tells you what survives your winter, not how long your growing season is. Use the zone to look up your frost dates, then time planting from those.
How many crops do these guides cover?
20 vegetables, each with frost-relative timing, soil and spacing requirements, watering guidance and the problems most likely in US gardens.
Last updated 25 August 2026
Build The Plan Into Your Garden
Planning guides are easier to act on when you pair them with bed records, soil preparation, and the right basic tools.
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.