February:
- Start indoors plants that require 10-12 weeks before last frost (eg. Tomatoes, onion and leeks, etc.).
- Start indoors plant that needs to be two-year old before producing, such as Globe artichokes.
March (1st week)
- Start inside seeds that should be started about 6-8 weeks before last frost (e.g. peppers, eggplants, etc.).
- Veggies that should be started 6 weeks before last frost but that you are planning on putting on a cold frame, a row-cover, or growing in pots and hardening them for a couple of hours outside, but taking them indoors at night.
- Place sweet potatoes in water to sprout indoors
March (middle of month):
- Start seeds of Tomatoes and Peppers (for staggered production), Berries
- Brassicas (e.g. Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and common cabbage)
- Start romaine lettuce indoors if you have a cold frame for transplant
April (as soon as the ground can be worked):
- Seed outdoors: Peas, Spinach, cold hardy greens, Parsnips, Radish. Harden-off leeks and Brassica transplants by placing outdoors for a couple of hours, but taking them indoors at night.
April (middle of month, warmer days start but ground is moist)
- Seed Carrots, Beets, Lettuce
- Transplant leeks, and brassicas but keep them on a cold frame, a row-cove, or cloche.
- Harden off tender plants like tomatoes, eggplants, etc.
May (1st week)
- Plant early potatoes
- Start indoors corn and melon seeds
- Seed greens directly on ground
- Start cucumbers indoors
After annual gardens have been plowed and staked:
- Plant beets and carrots for early harvest (stagger your seed planting), Swiss chard and storage onions outdoors
- Start early corn outdoors (ONLY if soil reasonably warm)
May (after last frost date, usually 24 May)
- Place seeds directly on ground crops like: pumpkins, cucumbers, green beans, squash, etc.
- Cut sweet potato vines into a few inches pieces, place in 2-3” of water to root
- Transplant tomatoes and peppers outdoors, cover if necessary on cold nights
June (1st week)
- All Solanums such as tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants should be in the ground. The same for peppers, and okra.
- Seed peas for a late crop
- Seed Brussels sprouts, and lima beans, kale
- Transplant sweet potatoes, cucumbers, melons (watermelons and cantaloupes)
June (middle of month)
- Plant late corn
- Plant fall crops: carrots, beets, rutabagas, potatoes, and late season brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli)
July (1st week)
- Start fall crops such as Fennel, Lettuce, carrots, beets and turnips
- Plant Chinese eggplants/cabbage outdoors
August (1st week)
- Start fall crops: radish, lettuce, and onion
September (1st week)
- (ONLY applies for Perennial gardens and Raised boxes) Seed spinach and onion for spring harvest.
September (2nd week)
- Make cuttings of sweet potato for overwintering indoors
October
- Dig up all root crops for storage
- (ONLY applies for Perennial gardens and Raised boxes) Plant garlic bulbs for spring harvest
Happy Gardening!
