PlantByZone
Find your zoneMy garden
Garden planning by zone

Plant on time for your zone.

When to plant, how deep and how much to buy, for every USDA hardiness zone. Every date comes from a university extension service, and we show you which one.

Make my planting calendarWhat zone am I in?

USDA 2023 zone mapNOAA 1991–2020 normalsUniversity extension guides

USDA hardiness zones

Average coldest winter night, °F

Zones from the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Find your zone by ZIP code, or plan your vegetable garden.

01 · Find your growing rhythm

A plan for your part of the planet.

Start with your ZIP code. We connect the climate data to the growing guidance.

Your spring planting calendar

Direct sowTransplantSow or transplantOpen-ended startFreeze date

Calculated planning dates, not forecasts. Planting windows from Purdue Extension’s vegetable planting calendar, counted from your station’s 32 °F freeze date. An open-ended start is not permission to plant all season: check the variety’s days to maturity, the heat and the season you have left. How the freeze odds work.

02 · Pick your next good thing

Meet your garden’s next residents.

Eight vegetables to get you growing. Clear instructions. Every measurement linked.

Warm season

Tomatoes

↑

Summer’s sweetest reward.

70–90 daysfrom transplant

Set plants 24 in apart, rows 48 in

Tender · warm seasonExtension source

Cool season

Carrots

↑

A little patience. A sweet reward.

70–95 daysfrom seed

Sow ¼ in deep, 2–3 in apart

Semi-hardy · cool seasonExtension source

Cool season

Lettuce

↑

Fresh leaves, just outside your door.

60–85 daysheading types

Sow ⅛ in deep, plants 8–12 in apart

Semi-hardy · cool seasonExtension source

Cool season

Radishes

↑

Small roots. Big satisfaction.

25–30 daysfrom seed

Sow ½ in deep, 1 in apart

Hardy · cool seasonExtension source

Cool season

Peas

↑

Something sweet for the cool season.

60–70 daysfrom seed

Sow 1–2 in deep, 2 in apart

Hardy · cool seasonExtension source

Warm season

Bush beans

↑

A summer staple, straight from the garden.

50–60 daysfrom seed

Sow 1–1½ in deep, 2–4 in apart

Tender · warm seasonExtension source

Warm season

Cucumbers

↑

Fresh crunch for warmer days.

50–65 daysfrom seed

Sow ½–¾ in deep, 12 in apart

Very tender · warm seasonExtension source

Cool season

Spinach

↑

Good greens for cooler days.

40–45 daysfrom seed

Sow ½–¾ in deep, 2 in apart

Hardy · cool seasonExtension source

Days to maturity, depth and spacing from UGA Extension’s vegetable planting chart: days count from sowing seed or setting out transplants and vary with the variety, so check your seed packet. Hardy, semi-hardy, tender and very tender are Purdue’s groups.

A note from the garden

Your zone is a starting point.
Your season tells the rest.

Hardiness zones describe winter cold. Frost dates help you plan the growing season. Soil temperature, daylight and the variety in your seed packet finish the picture.

Get to know your growing season
Plant now · October

Fall planting and harvest

What’s due in your garden
VegetablesWhen to Plant GarlicPlant garlic in fall, a few weeks before the ground freezes: about mid-October in zones 4–6 and later in zones 7–10. Dates by zone, depth and mulch.Bulbs & FlowersWhen to Plant Tulip BulbsPlant tulip bulbs once the soil is below 60 °F: Sept–Oct in zones 3–6, Nov–Dec in zones 7–8. Chill them first in zones 8–10. Plant 6–8 inches deep.Bulbs & FlowersWhen to Plant Daffodil BulbsPlant daffodil bulbs in fall: mid-September to October in zones 3–6, October to early December in zones 7–9, 6–8 inches deep. They return every spring.VegetablesWhen to Harvest Sweet PotatoesHarvest sweet potatoes 90–120 days after planting, before frost or soil below 55 °F. Cure them at 80–85 °F for a week, then store at 55–60 °F.LawnBest Time to Plant Grass SeedThe best time to plant grass seed: late summer to early fall for cool-season grass, late spring for warm-season grass. Dates by zone and grass type.
Browse

Browse by topic

Zones & FrostYour zone and frost dates.
VegetablesWhen to plant and harvest, by zone.
Bulbs & FlowersBulbs and flowers, planted on time.
LawnSeed, feed and overseed on time.
CalculatorsMeasure the bed, get what to buy.
My garden

Your garden, and what’s due next

Save your ZIP code and your plants once. My garden lists the jobs for the coming weeks: your zone’s garlic and bulb dates, your frost dates, and when to start seeds indoors. It stays on this device: no account.

Open My garden
Raleigh, NC 27601 · zone 8aExample
  • Your zone’s planting datesGarlic, bulbs
  • Frost at your weather stationFall and spring
  • Seeds to start indoorsCounted back
03 · Follow the roots

Good advice has good roots.

The date on your calendar. The space between your seeds. You should be able to see where every number came from. Planting dates differ by state, so we name the extension service behind each one.

Explore the original sources
  1. 01
    Your place.USDA’s 2023 hardiness zones, with ZIP-code records from Oregon State’s PRISM group.
  2. 02
    Your season.NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals. Named weather stations and visible freeze probabilities.
  3. 03
    Your plants.Planting windows, depth, spacing and growing time from university extension specialists.