Spring Vegetable Planting Calendar by Zone

Planting dates depend almost entirely on your last frost date, and that varies by several weeks depending on where you live. Zone maps give you a general range, but your microclimate matters too. A south-facing bed against a brick wall might be a full zone warmer than an exposed north-facing slope half a mile away.

This calendar uses USDA hardiness zones as a starting framework, then breaks timing into three simple groups: cool-season crops that tolerate frost, warm-season crops that need warm soil, and succession plantings you can repeat throughout spring.

Know Your Last Frost Date

Everything anchors to this number.

Your USDA zone tells you the average, but local extension offices publish more precise data for your county.

• Zone 3-4: Last frost mid-May to early June
• Zone 5: Last frost late April to mid-May
• Zone 6: Last frost mid-April to early May
• Zone 7: Last frost early to mid-April
• Zone 8: Last frost mid-March to early April
• Zone 9-10: Last frost February or earlier (some areas frost-free)

Once you have your approximate last frost date, count backward and forward from it to schedule everything.

Cool-Season Crops: 4 to 6 Weeks Before Last Frost

These vegetables handle light frosts (28 to 32 degrees F) and actually grow better in cool weather.

Plant them as soon as the soil is workable, which usually means when it is no longer frozen and crumbles in your hand rather than clumping in a wet ball.

• Peas: Direct sow 4 to 6 weeks before last frost. Soil temperature needs to be at least 40F for germination. Plant 1 inch deep, 2 inches apart, with a trellis ready since most varieties climb 3 to 6 feet.
• Lettuce and salad greens: Direct sow or transplant 4 to 5 weeks before last frost.

Seeds are tiny, so scatter them and thin to 6 inches apart. These bolt (go to seed) once temperatures regularly hit 75F, so plant early.

Cherry Belle varieties mature in 22 to 25 days from planting.

These need consistent moisture and cooler temperatures (60 to 70F ideal).

Warm-Season Crops: After Last Frost

These vegetables die at the first touch of frost and need soil temperatures of at least 60F (ideally 65 to 70F) for good root development.

Planting too early just stalls them in cold soil and invites rot.

• Tomatoes: Transplant 1 to 2 weeks after last frost, when nighttime temps stay above 50F. Hardened-off transplants that have been gradually introduced to outdoor conditions for a week will establish faster. Bury the stem up to the first set of true leaves for stronger root development.
• Peppers: Transplant 2 weeks after last frost. Peppers are more cold-sensitive than tomatoes and will sulk in temperatures below 55F. Wait until the soil is genuinely warm.
• Cucumbers: Direct sow or transplant 1 to 2 weeks after last frost. Soil needs to be 60F minimum. Plant 1 inch deep, 12 inches apart if trellised, 36 inches apart if sprawling on the ground.
• Squash and zucchini: Direct sow 1 to 2 weeks after last frost. These grow fast once established. Plant 2 to 3 seeds per hill, 1 inch deep, hills spaced 3 to 4 feet apart. Thin to the strongest plant per hill.
• Beans (bush and pole): Direct sow 1 week after last frost. Beans do not transplant well, so always direct sow. Plant 1 inch deep, 3 inches apart. Pole beans need a 6 to 8 foot trellis.
• Corn: Direct sow 1 to 2 weeks after last frost when soil is 60F. Plant in blocks of at least 4 rows for pollination, not single long rows. 10 to 12 inches apart, 1.5 inches deep.

Succession Planting: Keep the Harvest Going

Some crops produce one harvest and they are done. Succession planting means sowing a new batch every 2 to 3 weeks so you always have something coming to maturity.

• Lettuce: Sow every 2 weeks from early spring through early summer, then again in late summer for fall harvest.
• Radishes: Sow every 10 to 14 days. Since they mature so fast, a staggered schedule prevents the classic problem of 50 radishes ripening on the same Tuesday.
• Bush beans: Sow a new row every 3 weeks. Each planting gives you about 2 to 3 weeks of picking before it slows down.
• Spinach: Sow every 2 weeks until temperatures regularly exceed 75F. Then switch to heat-tolerant alternatives like New Zealand spinach or malabar spinach.

Write your actual planting dates on a simple calendar. Mark the date you planted each crop, the expected harvest date, and when to sow the next succession round. This removes the guesswork and keeps the garden productive from early spring through the first fall frost.