Planting Calendar by ZIP Code

Enter your ZIP code and pick your crops to get a planting schedule built on your own frost dates: when to start seeds indoors, when to plant outside, when to expect a harvest and when to sow again for fall.

How to read your calendar

Each crop gets a row on the year timeline and a card with exact dates. The colors on the timeline mean:

• Blue: start seeds indoors.
• Dark green: plant or sow outside.
• Yellow: first harvest.
• Light green with a border: fall planting.

Use "Print or save as PDF" to keep a copy in your garden shed or seed box.

Cool-season and warm-season crops

Vegetables fall into two groups, and they follow your last frost date in opposite ways:

• Cool-season crops handle light frost and prefer mild weather: lettuce, spinach, peas, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, carrots, radishes, beets, onions and potatoes. Most go out two to six weeks before your last frost, and many can be sown again in late summer for a fall harvest.
• Warm-season crops are damaged by frost and need warm soil: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkins, sweet corn, green beans, melons, watermelon and basil. They go out after your last frost.

Garlic and tulip bulbs work the other way around: you plant them in fall, around your first frost, and they grow the next year.

How we build your dates

1. Your frost dates come from NOAA's 1991–2020 climate records for the weather station nearest your ZIP code.
2. Planting rules for each crop come from university extension guides, including the University of New Hampshire, Cornell, Purdue, the University of Minnesota, Nebraska and UMass. For example, tomatoes are transplanted one to two weeks after the last frost, after six to eight weeks indoors.
3. Harvest dates add each crop's typical days to maturity to the planting date.
4. Fall sowing dates count back from your first fall frost by the crop's days to maturity plus about two weeks, because plants grow more slowly as days get shorter.

If a warm-season crop needs more days than your season allows, the calendar warns you and suggests choosing early varieties.

Tips for better timing

• Check your seed packet: days to maturity vary by variety. A 55-day tomato and an 85-day tomato have very different harvest dates.
• Use the safer dates for tender crops: tick "Use safer frost dates" if you would rather wait a few extra days than risk a late frost.
• Harden off transplants: set seedlings outside for a few hours a day, for about a week, before planting them out.
• Sow in batches: lettuce, radishes, beans and carrots can be sown every two to three weeks for a steady harvest.
• Watch the soil, not only the calendar: a cold, wet spring can delay planting even after your frost date.

Frequently asked questions

When should I start seeds indoors? It depends on the crop. Peppers need eight to ten weeks indoors and tomatoes six to eight, while cucumbers and squash need only three to four. The calendar counts back from your transplant date for each one.

Can I plant before my last frost date? Yes, for cool-season crops. Peas, spinach, lettuce and broccoli tolerate light frost and can go out several weeks early. Wait for warm-season crops.

Why don't I see a calendar for my ZIP code? If your area rarely gets frost, a frost-based calendar doesn't apply. A calendar for warm climates is coming soon. The tool also cannot build a calendar where frost can happen in any month, such as at high elevations.

Which crops can I grow for fall? Beans, lettuce, spinach, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, carrots, radishes and beets. The calendar shows your last sowing or transplant date for each.

Is this calendar accurate for my garden? It is a reliable starting point built on official data, but every garden is different. South-facing beds warm up sooner, and low spots stay colder. Adjust by a week or so based on your own experience.

Want the details behind your dates? See your frost dates and growing zone