Vegetable Planting Calendar by ZIP Code & USDA Zone

How We Calculate These Dates

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know when to plant vegetables where I live?

Almost every planting date is measured from your average last spring frost. Enter your ZIP code above to get your USDA hardiness zone, then read your zone's table: it gives you a start-indoors date, a transplant date, a direct-sow date and a harvest start for each crop. Cold-hardy crops like peas, spinach and kale go in before that frost date; warm-season crops like tomatoes, peppers and basil wait until after it.

What is my USDA hardiness zone, and why does it matter?

A USDA hardiness zone describes the average coldest winter temperature in your area, in 10°F bands. It is the standard shorthand for how long and how warm your growing season is: zone 3 gets about 106 frost-free days, while zone 10 gets around 324. Because frost dates track zones fairly closely, a zone is a quick way to shift a planting calendar to your climate.

How accurate is a planting calendar based on ZIP code?

Treat it as a planning starting point, not a forecast. We match the first three digits of your ZIP code to a representative zone, which is a regional approximation — mountain, desert and coastal ZIP codes routinely sit a zone or two away from their neighbors. If you already know your zone, pick it from the list instead of relying on the ZIP lookup, and when in doubt check with a local extension office or a nearby gardener.

What is the difference between starting seeds indoors and direct sowing?

Starting indoors means sowing in trays on a windowsill or under lights weeks before your last frost, then moving the seedlings outside once the weather settles. It buys a long-season crop like tomatoes or peppers extra growing weeks. Direct sowing means putting seed straight into the garden bed. Root crops such as carrots, beets and radishes dislike being transplanted and do best direct sown; some crops, like cucumbers and squash, work either way.

Why do some plants show a dash instead of a date?

A dash means that step is not recommended for that plant. Many herbs and perennials are not usually direct sown, and transplant-sensitive root crops have no indoor-start date. Showing a dash rather than inventing a date keeps the calendar honest — it is telling you that step is not part of how that crop is normally grown.

Can I plant a second round of crops later in the season?

Yes, and that is where the first fall frost date in each zone header matters. Count back from your first frost by a crop's weeks-to-harvest, and if the result is still in the future you have time for a succession planting. Fast, cool-tolerant crops — lettuce, radishes, spinach, bush beans, arugula — are the usual candidates. Zones 9 to 11 can keep going almost year round.

Do I still need a planting calendar if I garden in containers or raised beds?

The frost dates still apply, because air temperature is what limits a frost-tender crop. Raised beds and containers do warm up faster in spring than open ground, so you can often direct sow and transplant a week or so earlier than the table suggests. They also cool off faster in a cold snap, so keep a row cover handy early and late in the season.