What to Plant Each Month: A Year-Round Calendar

The most common question new gardeners ask is deceptively simple: 'When do I plant?' The answer is frustratingly complex — it depends on what you're planting, where you live, and what the weather decides to do this particular year. But having a general framework to work from takes most of the guesswork out of garden timing.

This calendar is based on Zone 6-7 (last frost around mid-April to early May, first frost around mid-October to early November). If you're in a warmer zone, shift earlier. Colder zone, shift later. The important thing isn't the specific dates — it's the SEQUENCE. The order in which things happen remains the same regardless of your zone.

January: Dream and Plan

Seed catalogs arrive and gardeners lose all self-control. This is fine. Order seeds, especially unusual varieties that sell out fast. Start a garden plan on paper or use a digital tool. Review last year's successes and failures. Start onion seeds indoors under lights (they need the longest lead time of any common vegetable). Clean, sharpen, and oil garden tools on a rainy day.

February: The Slow Start

Start pepper and eggplant seeds indoors (they need 8-10 weeks before transplanting). Start leeks and celery if you grow them. Prune fruit trees and berry bushes while dormant — it's easier to see the branch structure without leaves. On warm days, turn your compost pile and add water if it's dried out. If you have a cold frame, start lettuce and spinach inside it.

March: Spring Awakening

Start tomato seeds indoors (6-8 weeks before last frost). Start herb seeds: basil, parsley, cilantro. Direct sow cold-hardy crops outdoors as soon as soil is workable: peas, spinach, radishes, lettuce, arugula, kale. Plant potatoes around St. Patrick's Day (traditional timing). Set out onion transplants. Prune roses and summer-blooming shrubs.

April: The Great Transition

This is the busiest month. Continue direct sowing cool-season crops: carrots, beets, chard, turnips. Transplant cool-season seedlings: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale. Begin hardening off warm-season seedlings. Divide and transplant perennials. Apply compost to all garden beds. Plant asparagus crowns, strawberries, and rhubarb. Start succession planting lettuce every 2 weeks.

May: The Big Plant-Out

After last frost (usually early-to-mid May in Zone 6-7): transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, basil. Direct sow beans, corn, cucumbers, squash, melons, and zinnias. Plant dahlia tubers. Set up supports and cages. Mulch everything. Plant annual flowers. Start harvesting spring-planted radishes, lettuce, and spinach. Succession sow beans and lettuce.

June Through August: Peak Season

June: Last round of direct-sowing warm-season crops. Succession plant beans, cucumbers, and lettuce. Plant sweet potato slips. Sow sunflowers and zinnias for late-summer color. Harvest peas (before summer heat arrives), spring lettuce, garlic scapes. Begin harvesting strawberries.

July: Start fall garden transplants indoors: broccoli, cabbage, kale. Continue succession sowing beans and lettuce. Begin harvesting tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, and summer squash. Water deeply during hot spells — an inch per week minimum. Watch for pest and disease issues and address them promptly.

August: Plant fall crops: direct sow lettuce, spinach, radishes, turnips, and carrots for fall harvest. Transplant fall brassica seedlings. Plant garlic chives. Peak harvest season — tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, corn, melons. Begin preserving: canning, freezing, drying.

September Through December: Wind Down and Prepare

September: Continue harvesting everything. Pull spent summer crops and compost them (if disease-free). Plant cover crops on empty beds. Divide perennials. Start planning fall bulb planting.

October: Plant spring-flowering bulbs (tulips, daffodils, alliums, crocuses). Plant garlic cloves. Harvest the last warm-season crops before frost. Dig dahlia tubers after first frost blackens foliage. Continue planting cover crops. Apply fall mulch. Collect and shred fallen leaves for mulch and compost.

November: Final garden cleanup. Remove stakes and cages, sanitize and store. Drain and store hoses before freezing. Mulch perennial beds for winter protection. Plant any remaining bulbs before ground freezes. Take soil tests. Winterize irrigation systems.

December: Rest. Read. Dream. Order seed catalogs. Plan next year's garden. You've earned the break — and the cycle begins again in January.