Vegetable Planting Calendar USA
There is no single US planting calendar, because the country spans growing seasons from under 100 days to year-round. This calendar is organised by climate band instead: find your band from your frost dates, then read across.
Step one: find your 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 |
Step two: read your year
| Month | Cold band | Mild band | Hot band |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Nothing outdoors — ground is frozen or saturated. | Peas, spinach and broad beans in the mildest spots, under cloches. | Peas, carrots, radishes, lettuce, spinach and potatoes (south Texas and Florida). |
| February | Nothing outdoors. | Peas, spinach, radish and fava beans as soil becomes workable. | Beans, corn, squash and cucumbers in the low desert; carrots, beets and greens everywhere in the band. |
| March | Peas, spinach and radish very late month where soil is workable. | Carrots, radish, beets, lettuce, spinach, peas, turnips. | Beans, corn, squash, cucumbers and melons; last lettuce and spinach before heat. |
| April | Peas, spinach, radish, carrots, lettuce, onions, potatoes. | Beans late month, carrots, beets, chard, succession lettuce. | Heat-tolerant beans, southern peas, okra, melons, sweet corn. |
| May | Beans, corn, squash and cucumbers late month once soil hits 60-70F. | Cucurbits, beans, corn; succession lettuce and beets. | Okra, southern peas, melons, sweet potatoes, heat-tolerant beans. |
| June | Cucurbits once soil is 70F+; succession beans, carrots, lettuce. | Succession beans and corn; heat-tolerant lettuce in shade. | Okra, southern peas, melons only. |
| July | Succession beans, carrots, beets and fall greens. | Fall carrots and beets; succession beans. | Little to nothing — maintain irrigation. |
| August | Fall spinach, lettuce, radish, turnips and fast greens. | Fall carrots, beets, spinach, lettuce, radish, turnips. | Fall greens late month; beans and squash for a fall crop. |
| September | Fast greens, spinach and radish under cover only. | Spinach, lettuce, radish, turnips, overwintering greens. | Fall greens, carrots, beets, peas, brassicas — the main sowing month. |
| October | Cover crops; garlic. | Spinach, lettuce and hardy greens under cover; cover crops; garlic. | Peas, greens, carrots, beets, brassicas — peak fall sowing continues. |
| November | Nothing. | Broad beans and hardy peas in the mildest spots. | Root crops, greens, peas, brassicas. |
| December | Nothing. | Nothing outdoors. | Peas, greens, root crops. |
Starting seed indoors
| Crop group | Start indoors before last frost | Transplant out |
|---|---|---|
| Onions, leeks, shallots | 10-12 weeks | 2-4 weeks before last frost |
| Peppers and eggplant | 8-10 weeks | 2 weeks after last frost, nights above 50F |
| Tomatoes | 6-8 weeks | 1-2 weeks after last frost |
| Brassicas | 4-6 weeks | 2-4 weeks before last frost |
| Cucurbits | 3-4 weeks | After last frost, soil above 70F |
Soil temperature minimums
| Crop group | Minimum soil temperature | Ideal germination range |
|---|---|---|
| Peas, spinach, lettuce | 40F | 45-70F |
| Carrots, beets, radish | 45F | 45-85F |
| Beans, corn | 60F | 70-85F |
| Tomatoes, peppers | 60F | 70-85F |
| Squash, cucumbers, melons | 70F | 70-95F |
Soil temperature is the number that actually governs germination, and it lags air temperature by weeks in spring. Measure at seed depth, at the same time each morning, before sowing anything.
Month-by-month detail
- What to plant in January USA — In January most of the USA is planning rather than planting.
- What to plant in February USA — February is the main indoor seed-starting month across most of the USA.
- What to plant in March USA — March is peak indoor sowing in the cold band, the start of outdoor sowing in the mild band, and the last cool-season window before heat arrives in the hot band.
- What to plant in April USA — April is the main transplanting month in the mild band and the main direct sowing month in the cold band.
- What to plant in May USA — May is the main planting-out month across most of the USA.
- What to plant in June USA — June is peak growth in the cold and mild bands and the start of the summer gap in the hot band.
- What to plant in July USA — July is a maintenance month in most of the USA and a planting gap in the hot band.
- What to plant in August USA — August is the fall-planting month.
- What to plant in September USA — September is the handover month.
- What to plant in October USA — October is garlic-planting month and cleanup month across most of the USA, and peak fall planting in the hot band.
- What to plant in November USA — November is cleanup and protection in the cold and mild bands, and continued planting in the hot band.
- What to plant in December USA — December is a planning month across most of the USA.
Turn this calendar 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.
Keep reading
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find my last frost date?
Look up your USDA hardiness zone for your ZIP code, then check your county extension service for local average last spring and first fall frost dates. Local elevation and water bodies shift these by weeks.
Can I use my USDA zone as a planting calendar?
No. Zones measure average winter minimum temperature, not season length. Two places in the same zone can have growing seasons that differ by months. Use the zone to find your frost dates, then plan from those.
What soil temperature do I need before sowing?
About 40F for peas and spinach, 45F for carrots and beets, 60F for beans and tomatoes, and 70F for squash, cucumbers and melons. Below those figures seed rots rather than germinating.
When should I start seeds indoors?
Onions and leeks 10-12 weeks before your last frost, peppers 8-10 weeks, tomatoes 6-8 weeks, brassicas 4-6 weeks and cucurbits 3-4 weeks.
Last updated 25 August 2026
Helpful Next Steps
Use these practical links to turn the guide into a clear garden plan and the right next action.
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.