Annual Planting Calendar

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Last frost date: May 11th - 20th

First frost date // Oct 1st - 10th
Zone 5b

The suggested planting times for each crop below are based on earliest planting times without any cover, but these dates can shift from year to year depending on weather, frost dates, moisture, soil temperature, etc. If you are using row covers, cold frames, a hoop house, etc. these dates can be earlier. Regularly check your local soil temperatures and frost warnings. 

When planting seeds directly out of doors, it is best to use this as a general guide but choose when to plant based on the soil temperature. For this you’ll first need a soil thermometer so you can measure the temperature of the soil in your garden. You’ll also need to know at what temperatures different seeds germinate. Some seed companies include this information on the backs of their seed packets. If you can’t find the information there, The University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources has a great guide entitled “Soil Temperature Conditions for Vegetable Seed Germination” that lists the minimum, maximum, and optimum temperatures needed for many commonly grown vegetables and fruits. If you can’t find that specific guide, typing that phrase into a search engine will produce many such charts for your use.

When planting anything but especially transplants that have been started indoors either by you or by someone else, you need to consider whether or not that plant is cold hardy. Certain fruits and vegetables cannot tolerate any frost at all. These plants need to be planted after any danger of frost has passed. Certain other vegetables can tolerate either a light frost or even temperatures in the 20s. You’ll find these vegetables listed below. If they’re not on one of these two lists, you’ll need to wait until after the last frost date in order to plant them.

Semi-hardy vegetables (can stand light frost, 30-32F)

Beets, chinese cabbage, collards, potatoes, bibb lettuce, leaf lettuce, mustard, radishes, spinach, swiss chard, green onions

Hardy vegetables (can stand several frost but are killed when temps drop near 20F)

Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, kale