When to plant vegetables: a schedule by USDA zone

Last updated 2026-05-18 · 7 min read

Timing matters more than soil, more than fertilizer, more than which variety you buy. Plant lettuce in July and you get bolted, bitter stalks. Plant tomatoes in March and frost kills them overnight. This guide gives you the planting windows that actually work, organized by USDA zone, with separate schedules for cool-season and warm-season crops and the indoor seed-starting dates that get you a head start without legging up your seedlings.

The two rules that drive everything

Vegetable timing comes down to two dates:

1. Last spring frost date. The average date of the last 32°F night in spring. Look it up by zip code from the National Weather Service or NOAA — it varies by microclimate even within the same town.
2. First fall frost date. The average date of the first 32°F night in fall. The window between these two dates is your growing season — the only time warm-season crops survive outdoors.

Cool-season crops (lettuce, peas, broccoli, kale, spinach, radishes, carrots) actually prefer cool weather. Plant them 4–6 weeks before the last frost. Warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, beans, corn) need warm soil. Plant them 1–2 weeks after the last frost, when soil temperature is at least 60°F.

Cool-season vs warm-season crops

Knowing which is which prevents most planting disasters. Keep this list pinned to the fridge:

• Cool-season (35–65°F). Lettuce, spinach, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collards, kohlrabi, radish, turnip, beet, carrot, arugula, Asian greens, chard, leek, onion, garlic. Many tolerate light frost. Bolt or grow bitter in summer heat.
• Warm-season (65–90°F). Tomato, pepper, eggplant, summer squash, winter squash, pumpkin, cucumber, melon, bean (bush and pole), corn, okra, sweet potato, basil. Killed by any frost. Soil must be warm at planting or seeds rot.

Indoor seed-starting timing

Some crops need a head start indoors because the outdoor growing season is too short or because the seeds need warmth to germinate. Count backward from your last frost date:

• 10–12 weeks before: onions from seed, leeks, celery, parsley.
• 8 weeks before: peppers, eggplant.
• 6 weeks before: tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage.
• 4 weeks before: lettuce (for an early outdoor transplant), basil, kale.
• 3 weeks before: cucumber, squash, melon (these resent transplanting — direct seed if you can).

Seedlings need a south-facing window or a shop light hung two inches above the leaves and raised as they grow. A windowsill alone almost always legs them up.

Zone-by-zone monthly schedule

Zones 3–4 (last frost mid-May to early June)

Short, intense season. Everything is compressed.

• February: start onions, leeks, celery indoors.
• March: start peppers, eggplant indoors mid-month. Start tomatoes, cabbage family late month.
• April: direct seed peas, spinach, radish under row cover if soil is workable. Indoor seedlings continue.
• May: direct seed lettuce, carrots, beets, chard early month. Transplant brassicas mid-month. Transplant tomatoes, peppers, squash AFTER last frost (typically Memorial Day weekend).
• June: direct seed beans, corn, cucumbers, squash. Succession plant lettuce.
• July: last sowing of cucumbers and beans. Start fall brassicas indoors.
• August: direct seed fall lettuce, spinach, radish, turnip. Transplant fall broccoli, cabbage early month.
• September: plant garlic late month. Harvest hard before first frost.

Zones 5–6 (last frost mid-April to mid-May)

• January: start onions and leeks late month.
• February: start peppers and eggplant late month.
• March: start tomatoes, brassicas indoors. Direct seed peas, spinach, radish outdoors late month under row cover.
• April: direct seed lettuce, carrots, beets, chard. Transplant onions, brassicas mid-month.
• May: Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil after frost (usually mid-May). Direct seed beans, corn, cucumbers, squash late month.
• June: succession plant beans and lettuce. Last sowing of cucumbers.
• July: start fall brassicas indoors. Direct seed bush beans for fall harvest.
• August: direct seed fall lettuce, spinach, radish, turnip, kale. Transplant fall brassicas.
• September–October: plant garlic. Harvest fall crops before hard freeze.

Zones 7–8 (last frost late March to mid-April)

• January: start onions, leeks. Direct seed peas, spinach under row cover late month.
• February: start tomatoes, peppers, brassicas indoors. Direct seed lettuce, radish, carrots.
• March: transplant brassicas, onions. Direct seed beets, chard.
• April: transplant tomatoes, peppers (late month in zone 7). Direct seed beans, corn, squash, cucumber.
• May–June: succession plant beans, cucumber, lettuce (heat-tolerant varieties only by June).
• July: direct seed cucumbers, beans for fall. Start fall brassicas indoors.
• August: direct seed fall greens. Transplant brassicas.
• September: direct seed spinach, lettuce, radish, turnip, carrots.
• October–November: plant garlic. Harvest fall crops.

Zones 9–10 (last frost February to early March, or none)

Two distinct seasons: a "cool" winter season (October–April) for cool-weather crops, and a "summer" season for heat-lovers — though many cool-season crops simply do not grow in midsummer here.

• September–October: start tomato and pepper seeds indoors for a fall transplant; direct seed lettuce, carrots, spinach, broccoli, cabbage.
• November–February: peak cool-season harvests; succession plant greens every 3 weeks.
• February–March: transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. Direct seed beans, corn, squash.
• April–May: heat-tolerant crops only — okra, southern peas, sweet potatoes, melons. Pull cool-season stragglers.
• June–August: let the heat-lovers run. Many gardeners take a break from new plantings until September.

Succession planting

Succession planting means staggering sowings of the same crop every 2–3 weeks so harvests spread across the season instead of arriving all at once. It is the single most useful habit for a small vegetable garden:

• Lettuce, radish, arugula, spinach. Sow a short row every 2 weeks until heat stops them; resume in fall.
• Bush beans. Three sowings three weeks apart give you fresh beans from July to frost.
• Carrots. Plant April, June, and August in temperate zones for spring, summer, and fall harvests.
• Cilantro and dill. Both bolt in heat. Sow every 3 weeks for continuous leaves.

Plan your beds and successions visually with our garden planner tool, and check spacing with the plant spacing calculator.

Soil temperature: the number gardeners forget to check

Air temperature gets all the attention, but soil temperature is what germinating seeds and transplanted roots actually feel. A $10 soil thermometer pushed four inches into the bed in the morning tells you what no calendar can:

• 40°F: peas, spinach, radish, lettuce will germinate (slowly).
• 50°F: carrots, beets, chard, broccoli transplants, onion sets.
• 60°F: beans, corn, cucumber. Below this the seeds rot in cold wet soil before they sprout.
• 65°F: tomato and pepper transplants — anything cooler stunts them permanently.
• 70°F: melons, sweet potatoes, okra, basil.

Raised beds run 5–10°F warmer than ground beds in spring, which buys an extra week or two of early planting in cold zones.

Frost protection and season extension

Three cheap tricks add weeks at both ends of the season:

• Row cover (frost cloth). Light spun fabric draped over hoops adds 4–8°F of frost protection and lets light and rain through. Lift for pollination once flowering begins.
• Cloches and milk jugs. A gallon jug with the bottom cut out shields a single tomato seedling on a cold spring night. Vent during the day.
• Cold frames. A simple box with an old window on top extends the spinach and lettuce season by 6 weeks on each end. Effective even in zone 4.

Common timing mistakes

• Planting tomatoes too early. Soil under 55°F stunts them. The plants do not recover even when warmth returns. Wait two weeks past last frost.
• Planting lettuce too late. By the time air temperatures hit 75°F consistently, lettuce bolts. Sow early and sow often.
• Skipping fall planting. August into September is the most productive season in zones 6–8 — cool nights, warm soil, fewer pests. Most gardeners give up too soon.
• Direct-seeding warm crops in cold soil. Cucumber and squash seeds rot below 60°F. Soil temperature is a 2-dollar thermometer purchase.

Not sure what to grow first? The AI plant advisor suggests vegetables matched to your zone, sun, and experience level.