Crop timing guide

When to start, sow and transplant 43 common vegetables, herbs and flowers, relative to your last spring frost and first fall frost. Enter your ZIP on the planting calendar to turn these into dates.

Crop	Frost tolerance	Start indoors	Transplant	Sow outdoors	Fall crop	Days to harvest	Min. soil temp
TomatoPlant out once nights stay above 50°F; cold soil stalls growth.	Tender (no frost)	8–6 wk before last frost	1 wk after to 3 wk after	—	—	60–85	60°F
PepperSlow to germinate; use bottom heat (75–85°F).	Tender (no frost)	10–8 wk before last frost	2 wk after to 4 wk after	—	—	60–90	65°F
EggplantNeeds warm nights; wait longer than for tomatoes.	Tender (no frost)	10–8 wk before last frost	2 wk after to 4 wk after	—	—	65–85	65°F
BroccoliFall crops often head up better than spring ones.	Hardy (takes frost)	8–6 wk before last frost	4 wk before to 2 wk before	—	14 wk before to 10 wk before	55–80	45°F
Cabbage	Hardy (takes frost)	8–6 wk before last frost	4 wk before to 2 wk before	—	14 wk before to 10 wk before	60–90	45°F
CauliflowerSensitive to stress; keep evenly watered.	Half-hardy (light frost)	8–6 wk before last frost	2 wk before to at last frost	—	14 wk before to 11 wk before	55–80	45°F
Brussels sproutsFlavor improves after light frosts.	Hardy (takes frost)	8–6 wk before last frost	2 wk before to at last frost	—	16 wk before to 14 wk before	90–110	45°F
Kale	Hardy (takes frost)	8–6 wk before last frost	4 wk before to 2 wk before	4 wk before to 2 wk before	10 wk before to 6 wk before	50–65	45°F
Collards	Hardy (takes frost)	8–6 wk before last frost	4 wk before to 2 wk before	4 wk before to 1 wk before	12 wk before to 8 wk before	60–75	45°F
LettuceBolts in heat; sow small batches every 2–3 weeks.	Half-hardy (light frost)	6–4 wk before last frost	2 wk before to 2 wk after	4 wk before to 2 wk after	8 wk before to 4 wk before	45–60	40°F
SpinachBolts as days lengthen; best in early spring and fall.	Hardy (takes frost)	—	—	6 wk before to 3 wk before	8 wk before to 4 wk before	40–50	40°F
Arugula	Hardy (takes frost)	—	—	4 wk before to 2 wk after	6 wk before to 3 wk before	30–40	40°F
Swiss chard	Half-hardy (light frost)	6–4 wk before last frost	—	2 wk before to 2 wk after	10 wk before to 8 wk before	50–60	50°F
PeasSow as soon as soil can be worked.	Hardy (takes frost)	—	—	6 wk before to 3 wk before	12 wk before to 9 wk before	55–70	40°F
Radish	Hardy (takes frost)	—	—	5 wk before to 2 wk after	6 wk before to 3 wk before	25–30	40°F
Turnip	Hardy (takes frost)	—	—	4 wk before to 1 wk before	10 wk before to 6 wk before	40–60	45°F
Kohlrabi	Hardy (takes frost)	—	—	4 wk before to 2 wk before	10 wk before to 8 wk before	45–60	45°F
CarrotKeep the seedbed moist until seedlings emerge (1–3 weeks).	Half-hardy (light frost)	—	—	3 wk before to 2 wk after	12 wk before to 9 wk before	60–80	45°F
Beet	Half-hardy (light frost)	—	—	3 wk before to 2 wk after	10 wk before to 8 wk before	50–60	50°F
Onion (from seed)Choose long-, intermediate- or short-day types for your latitude.	Hardy (takes frost)	12–10 wk before last frost	4 wk before to 2 wk before	—	—	90–120	50°F
Leek	Hardy (takes frost)	12–10 wk before last frost	2 wk before to at last frost	—	—	100–120	50°F
PotatoPlant seed pieces; hill soil over stems as they grow.	Half-hardy (light frost)	—	—	3 wk before to 1 wk after	—	70–120	45°F
GarlicPlant cloves around the first fall frost; harvest next summer.	Hardy (takes frost)	—	—	—	at first frost to 4 wk after	240–270	40°F
Bush beansSow every 2–3 weeks for a steady harvest.	Tender (no frost)	—	—	1 wk after to 8 wk after	12 wk before to 9 wk before	50–60	60°F
Pole beans	Tender (no frost)	—	—	1 wk after to 4 wk after	—	60–70	60°F
Sweet cornPlant in blocks, not single rows, for good pollination.	Tender (no frost)	—	—	1 wk after to 4 wk after	—	70–90	60°F
Cucumber	Tender (no frost)	4–3 wk before last frost	1 wk after to 3 wk after	1 wk after to 4 wk after	11 wk before to 9 wk before	50–65	65°F
Summer squash	Tender (no frost)	4–3 wk before last frost	1 wk after to 3 wk after	1 wk after to 4 wk after	11 wk before to 9 wk before	45–60	65°F
Winter squash	Tender (no frost)	4–3 wk before last frost	1 wk after to 3 wk after	1 wk after to 3 wk after	—	85–110	65°F
Pumpkin	Tender (no frost)	—	—	1 wk after to 3 wk after	—	90–120	65°F
Melon	Tender (no frost)	4–3 wk before last frost	2 wk after to 4 wk after	2 wk after to 4 wk after	—	75–90	70°F
Watermelon	Tender (no frost)	4–3 wk before last frost	2 wk after to 4 wk after	2 wk after to 4 wk after	—	80–100	70°F
Okra	Tender (no frost)	6–4 wk before last frost	3 wk after to 5 wk after	2 wk after to 5 wk after	—	55–65	70°F
Sweet potatoPlant rooted slips once soil is warm.	Tender (no frost)	—	3 wk after to 5 wk after	—	—	90–120	65°F
BasilBlackens below about 40°F.	Tender (no frost)	6–4 wk before last frost	1 wk after to 3 wk after	2 wk after to 4 wk after	—	60–70	60°F
CilantroBolts quickly in heat.	Half-hardy (light frost)	—	—	2 wk before to 2 wk after	8 wk before to 4 wk before	45–70	50°F
Parsley	Half-hardy (light frost)	10–8 wk before last frost	2 wk before to 1 wk after	—	—	70–90	50°F
Dill	Half-hardy (light frost)	—	—	1 wk before to 2 wk after	—	40–60	60°F
Zinnia	Tender (no frost)	6–4 wk before last frost	1 wk after to 2 wk after	1 wk after to 3 wk after	—	60–70	70°F
Marigold	Tender (no frost)	8–6 wk before last frost	at last frost to 2 wk after	1 wk after to 3 wk after	—	50–60	65°F
Cosmos	Tender (no frost)	6–4 wk before last frost	—	at last frost to 2 wk after	—	60–80	65°F
Sunflower	Tender (no frost)	—	—	at last frost to 3 wk after	—	70–100	55°F
Sweet pea (flower)	Hardy (takes frost)	—	—	6 wk before to 4 wk before	—	70–90	45°F

How to read this table

“Before last frost” is counted back from your average last spring frost date; “after” is counted forward. Fall timings count back from the average first fall frost. Days to harvest are from transplanting for crops usually grown from transplants, and from seeding for everything else; they vary a lot by variety, so check your seed packet.

Timings follow widely used U.S. Cooperative Extension planting calendars and are a starting point. In hot-summer regions (much of the South and Southwest) cool-season crops do best planted in late summer and fall, and lettuce, spinach and peas often fail in late spring heat.