When to Plant Vegetables by Zone: 2026 Planting Calendar Guide
Knowing when to plant is half the battle in vegetable gardening. Plant too early and frost kills your seedlings. Plant too late and you run out of growing season. The key is your USDA hardiness zone and your local frost dates.
How Planting Dates Work
Every vegetable has a temperature range it needs to germinate and grow. Planting dates are calculated relative to your last spring frost date and first fall frost date.
- Indoor start: Weeks before last frost to start seeds indoors
- Direct sow: When soil temperature is warm enough to plant outside
- Transplant: When to move indoor starts to the garden
Quick Reference by Zone
Zones 3-4 (Short Season)
Last frost: May 15-30 | First frost: Sep 15-30
| Vegetable | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | Mar 15 | May 25 | — |
| Peppers | Mar 1 | Jun 1 | — |
| Lettuce | — | — | Apr 15 |
| Peas | — | — | Apr 15 |
| Beans | — | — | May 25 |
| Squash | May 1 | May 30 | May 25 |
Zones 5-6 (Moderate)
Last frost: Apr 15-May 1 | First frost: Oct 1-15
| Vegetable | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | Mar 1 | May 1 | — |
| Peppers | Feb 15 | May 5 | — |
| Lettuce | — | — | Mar 15 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 15 |
| Beans | — | — | May 1 |
| Cucumbers | Apr 1 | May 5 | May 1 |
Zones 7-8 (Warm)
Last frost: Mar 15-Apr 1 | First frost: Oct 15-Nov 1
| Vegetable | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | Feb 1 | Mar 25 | — |
| Peppers | Jan 15 | Apr 1 | — |
| Lettuce | — | — | Feb 15 |
| Beans | — | — | Apr 1 |
| Squash | Mar 1 | Apr 1 | Mar 25 |
| Melons | Mar 1 | Apr 15 | Apr 1 |
Zones 9-10 (Year-Round)
Last frost: Jan 15-Feb 15 | First frost: Dec 1-15
These zones can grow nearly year-round. Focus on heat tolerance in summer and cool-season crops in winter.
Automating Your Planting Calendar
Instead of remembering all these dates, use a tool that calculates them for you based on your zip code.
Garden.gg’s planting calendar automatically generates personalized planting windows based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. It includes:
- Indoor start reminders — get notified when to start seeds
- Succession planting — stagger plantings for continuous harvests
- Hardening-off schedules — track the transition from indoor to outdoor
Set your zone once and never miss a planting window again.
Pro Tips
- Soil temperature matters more than air temperature — use a soil thermometer before direct sowing
- Microclimates exist — south-facing walls, raised beds, and cold frames can extend your season by 2-4 weeks
- Succession plant lettuce and radishes — sow every 2 weeks for continuous harvests
- Start a garden journal — tracking what works builds institutional knowledge season over season
Detailed Zone Calendars
For a complete planting schedule with 49 plants (vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers), see our dedicated zone pages:
- Zone 3 Planting Calendar — Northern Minnesota, Montana, Dakotas
- Zone 4 Planting Calendar — Northern New England, upper Midwest
- Zone 5 Planting Calendar — Central Midwest, southern New England
- Zone 6 Planting Calendar — Mid-Atlantic, lower Midwest
- Zone 7 Planting Calendar — Southeast, Pacific Northwest coast
- Zone 8 Planting Calendar — Deep South, Gulf Coast
- Zone 9 Planting Calendar — Southern California, southern Texas
- Zone 10 Planting Calendar — South Florida, Hawaii
Track your planting dates automatically with Garden.gg — free garden planner with USDA zone-aware planting calendars.