🌱 Free Planting Calendar

It depends on where you live. Warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers typically need 6 to 10 weeks of indoor growing time before your last spring frost. Enter your ZIP code above and the calendar will give you specific dates for your USDA zone.

Type your ZIP code into the calendar above. We map it to your hardiness zone automatically using USDA data. You can also look it up directly at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Direct sowing means planting seeds straight into garden soil. Transplanting means growing seedlings indoors first, then moving them outside once conditions are right. Crops like carrots and beans prefer direct sowing. Tomatoes and peppers do better with an indoor head start, especially in shorter growing seasons.

They are based on USDA zone data, NOAA 30-year frost averages, and university extension recommendations. For a typical year, they will be close. But microclimates, elevation differences, and unusual weather can shift your actual frost dates by a week or two. Always check local forecasts before putting frost-sensitive plants outside.

Yes. The calendar includes fall planting for garlic, and cool-season crops like lettuce, spinach, and kale can often go in again in late summer for a fall harvest. Those windows are calculated from your first fall frost date.