2026 Planting Calendars

Know exactly when to plant in your zone

Timing is everything in gardening. Plant too early and a late frost kills your seedlings. Plant too late and your tomatoes never ripen before fall. A planting calendar takes the guesswork out of your growing season by telling you exactly when to start seeds indoors, when to direct sow outdoors, and when to transplant — all based on your USDA hardiness zone.

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map divides North America into zones based on average annual minimum winter temperatures. Each zone spans a 10-degree Fahrenheit range, from the frigid zone 1 in interior Alaska to the tropical zone 13 in Puerto Rico. For most home gardeners across the United States, zones 2 through 11 cover nearly every backyard, raised bed, and community garden plot.

Your zone determines your frost dates — the average last spring frost and first fall frost — which define your growing season. A zone 5 gardener in Ohio has roughly 180 frost-free days, while a zone 9 gardener in southern California enjoys 300. That difference changes everything: which varieties to grow, when to start seeds, and whether you can squeeze in a second planting of beans or lettuce.

Below you will find planting calendars for zones 2 through 11, covering vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers. Each calendar includes specific date ranges for starting seeds indoors, direct sowing, transplanting, and expected harvest times, plus season-by-season "what to plant" guides. Select your zone to get a printable schedule you can pin to your potting bench.

Want more detail? Read our complete guide on when to plant vegetables by zone.

Select Your Zone

2 Zone 2

USDA zone 2 has average annual minimum temperatures of -50 to -40 F and one of the shortest, coolest growing seasons in North America, with a hard frost possible in any month and a frost-free window of roughly 11-13 weeks. Success depends on cold-hardy short-season varieties, indoor seed-starting, and season-extension structures.

Last frost: Jun 1 First frost: Sep 5 Season: 90 days

Half-zones: Zone 2a Zone 2b

3 Zone 3

USDA zone 3 is a cold continental climate with long, harsh winters (annual minimums of -40 to -30°F) and a short, intense growing season of roughly 90-115 frost-free days. Warm spells arrive late and frost returns early, so heat-loving crops require indoor starting and season-extension to mature.

Last frost: May 25 First frost: Sep 12 Season: 105 days

Half-zones: Zone 3a Zone 3b

4 Zone 4

Zone 4 is a cold continental climate with long, freezing winters (annual minimum temperatures of -30 to -20 F) and a short, often variable growing season of about four months. Hard frosts persist into late spring and return by mid-September, making variety selection and season extension essential.

Last frost: May 25 First frost: Sep 15 Season: 113 days

Half-zones: Zone 4a Zone 4b

5 Zone 5

Zone 5 has cold, snowy winters (annual lows of -20 to -10°F) and warm summers, giving a moderate but distinctly four-season climate with a roughly 5-month frost-free growing window. Spring warms slowly and the first hard fall freeze arrives by mid-October, so heat-loving crops must be started indoors and frost-tender work is bracketed tightly between mid-May and early October.

Last frost: May 15 First frost: Oct 8 Season: 146 days

Half-zones: Zone 5a Zone 5b

6 Zone 6

USDA zone 6 has cold winters with average annual minimums of -10 to 0 F and a moderate growing season of roughly 5.5-6 months between hard frosts. It supports a full warm-season garden in summer plus generous shoulder-season cool crops in spring and fall.

Last frost: Apr 25 First frost: Oct 15 Season: 173 days

Half-zones: Zone 6a Zone 6b

7 Zone 7

USDA zone 7 has average annual minimum temperatures of 0 to 10°F and a moderate four-season climate with mild winters, a long warm summer, and a generous ~190-day frost-free growing season. It supports both heat-loving summer crops and hardy fall/winter cool-season crops, often with light season extension.

Last frost: Apr 15 First frost: Oct 25 Season: 193 days

Half-zones: Zone 7a Zone 7b

8 Zone 8

USDA zone 8 has mild winters (average annual minimums 10 to 20°F) and long, hot summers, giving roughly eight months of frost-free growing plus productive cool-season shoulders in fall through early spring. The climate spans humid Southeast pine country to the drier Pacific Northwest lowlands and inland Southwest, but all share a long season that supports nearly every common garden crop.

Last frost: Mar 25 First frost: Nov 15 Season: 235 days

Half-zones: Zone 8a Zone 8b

9 Zone 9

USDA zone 9 has hot summers and mild, nearly frost-free winters, with an average annual minimum of 20-30°F and a growing season well over nine months. The limiting factor is summer heat, not cold, which inverts the calendar so cool-season crops flourish fall through spring while only heat-lovers persist in midsummer.

Last frost: Feb 28 First frost: Dec 5 Season: 280 days

Half-zones: Zone 9a Zone 9b

10 Zone 10

Zone 10 is a frost-free to nearly frost-free subtropical/tropical climate with hot, humid or hot-dry summers and warm, mild winters that rarely (if ever) dip below 30-35°F. The growing calendar is inverted relative to colder zones: winter is the prime vegetable-growing season while mid-summer heat, intense sun, and pests force a slowdown for most cool-season and many heat-sensitive crops.

Last frost: Jan 15 First frost: Dec 31 Season: 350 days

Half-zones: Zone 10a Zone 10b

11 Zone 11

USDA zone 11 is effectively frost-free year-round (average annual minimums 40-50°F), with a tropical to subtropical climate where the limiting factors are extreme summer heat, humidity, heavy rainfall, and intense pest and disease pressure rather than cold. The cool, drier "winter" months are the prime productive growing season, while high summer is the difficult off-season.

Frost-free — grow year-round

How to Find Your USDA Zone

Look up your ZIP code on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Your zone comes from the average annual minimum winter temperature at your location, in 10°F bands. The USDA updated the map in November 2023 with newer climate data, and about half the country shifted a half-zone warmer — if you last checked years ago, check again.

What 'a' and 'b' half-zones mean

Each zone splits into two half-zones that differ by 5°F in average minimum temperature. Zone 7a bottoms out at 0 to 5°F, zone 7b at 5 to 10°F — the 'b' half is always the warmer one.

Half-zones and planting dates

The cooler 'a' half gets its last spring frost about a week later and its first fall frost about a week earlier than the zone average; the 'b' half is the reverse. Every zone with frost dates has a half-zone schedule with the dates shifted, such as the zone 7a planting schedule and the zone 7b planting guide.

Microclimates

South-facing walls, urban heat, frost pockets in low ground, and elevation can shift your effective zone a half-zone in either direction. Track your own frost dates for a year and adjust from the averages.

Planting by Month

Zone calendars answer "when do I plant this crop?" The monthly guides flip it around: what to sow, start indoors, and transplant right now, zone by zone.

What to plant in March What to plant in April What to plant in May What to plant in June What to plant in July What to plant in August What to plant in September What to plant in October

Fall vegetable planting guide by zone

First-frost count-back dates and the best fall crops for every zone, in one guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What planting zone am I in?

Look up your ZIP code on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov. Your zone reflects the average annual minimum winter temperature where you live. Most of the continental US falls between zone 4 and zone 9; the calendars here cover zones 2 through 11.

What is the difference between zone 7a and 7b?

Each USDA zone splits into 'a' and 'b' half-zones that differ by 5°F in average minimum winter temperature. Zone 7a bottoms out at 0 to 5°F, zone 7b at 5 to 10°F. The cooler 'a' half typically sees its last spring frost about a week later and its first fall frost about a week earlier than the zone average; the warmer 'b' half is the reverse. Each zone below links to its own 7a- and 7b-style half-zone schedule with those dates already shifted.

When should I start seeds indoors?

Count back from your zone's average last spring frost: 6 to 8 weeks for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, 4 to 6 weeks for broccoli and cabbage, 3 to 4 weeks for cucumbers and squash. Your zone calendar lists the indoor-start window for every crop that benefits from a head start.

What can I plant right now?

That depends on the month and your zone. In spring, cool-season crops like lettuce and peas go in weeks before warm-season crops like tomatoes; from midsummer on, the focus shifts to fall brassicas and greens. Open your zone calendar above, or use the monthly what-to-plant guides for a current shortlist.

What to plant in October Fall vegetable planting guide by zone

Are frost dates guaranteed?

No. Frost dates are multi-year averages, and in any given year the actual last or first frost commonly lands up to 2 weeks earlier or later. Treat them as planning midpoints: watch your local forecast near the average date and keep row covers ready for late cold snaps.

Get personalized planting reminders

The garden.gg app sends you notifications when it is time to start seeds, transplant, and harvest — based on your exact location and the plants in your garden. Free forever.