Vegetable Gardening
Planting Times,
Zone Chart, and Guide for When to Plant

Download Zone Chart

Download Garden Planting Guide

Use our free worksheet for vegetable gardening planting times, to plan your next garden.

Whether planting seeds or transplants, learn the best time to start your garden!

Download Free Garden Planning Worksheets, Garden Diary, Zone Chart, Or Planting Guide

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Design Your Own Vegetable Garden Layout Using our Free "Vegetable Garden Planner" Software!

Finding vegetable planting times for your area is an important first step when planning your garden!

Are you ready to shake off the doldrums of winter and begin the fun of planting a vegetable garden?

Vegetable gardens are a great way to reduce your food bill, give a little back to the environment, and to simply get outside and enjoy nature.

But before you get started, you are going to need to keep the planting times in mind.

Vegetable Garden Planting Times Vary By Area

The kinds of vegetables that you can plant are going to be affected by the growing season in your area, which determines when you can safely put your garden seeds and plants outdoors or in the ground.

When deciding when to plant your garden vegetables, there are a few things that you will want to keep in mind.

Find the Climate Zone
in Your Area

When to Plant Your Garden

The first thing that you should consider is the climate in your region also called your "temperature zone."

No matter how good a gardener you are, you will find that it is always easier to grow vegetables that grow well in your area or zone!

Be prepared for climate zone surprises; sometimes your garden can be planted earlier than other years.

Sometimes a late frost will arrive unexpectedly, and you will have to provide covers to protect your tender veggies.

Seeds and plants available in your local gardening center will be offered with your specific zone in mind.

Warm and Cool Season Vegetable Plants

Vegetable Gardening Planting Times for Both Types

Broccoli Seedlings Prefer Cool Weather

If you are considering vegetable gardening planting times, be aware that vegetables tend to fall into warm season vegetables and cool season vegetables.

Decide which you are more inclined to work with, and which will grow best in your area.

For instance, cool season vegetables need cool soil and cool air temperature, and they tend to have shallow roots and to suffer from drought.

• Some examples of cool season vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, kale, peas, lettuce and onions.
  

On the other hand, if you have a longer growing season to work with, you will find that warm season vegetables, which need warm soil and warmer air temperatures to grow might be more suitable for your area.

You'll find that these vegetables do not do well with any frost at all, though they have deeper roots that let them resist drought fairly well.

• Some warm season vegetables that you may be interested in include tomatoes, beans, peppers, squash, cucumbers, cantaloupe, eggplant, okra, and sweet potatoes.

Cucumbers Seedlings Prefer Warm Weather, and are Sensitive to Frost

Remember that when you are looking at the vegetable gardening planting times on the backs of the seed packets, you are looking at averages.

Some years the ground will warm earlier than other years.

You'll soon discover that as long as you have enough of the weather that the your particular plants require, they will do well.

Take some time to plan your garden and to chose what will grow well in your climate, as this will be contribute to your success in the garden.

Vegetable Harvest from the Garden

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Plant a Vegetable Garden