Please remember that this is only a guide, not a hard-and-fast schedule. Colder or warmer, or wetter or dryer weather will influence these dates. Some seeds will not germinate in cold soil, so pushing the envelope is always a gamble.

To tell if your soil is ready for planting in early spring, squeeze a handful of it in the palm of your hand. If it forms a ball that crumbles easily, it is ready for planting; but if it is wet and sticky, wait for a few days then test it again. Working a wet soil destroys its structure and only results in hard clods that will be hard to break up later on.

February

Early – Seed catalog ordering - go ahead, try something new!
Late – Start tomato seeds under lights indoors Put manure and compost on the surface of the garden soil.

March

Early – Start tomatoes on a sunny windowsill
Late – Put compost on the surface of the garden soil Earliest chance for planting peas

April

Early – Sow seeds of peas, parsnips, radishes, turnips
Late – Sow seeds of arugula lettuce, spinach, Asian greens

May

Early – Plant tomatoes outdoors in Walls o' Water Sow seeds of beans, beets, Brussels sprouts, carrots, sweet corn, flowers (of all kinds), kale, parsley, potatoes, and Swiss chard. Plant transplants of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, leeks, and onions. Put compost on the garden around all your transplants to act as a mulch
Late – Plant tomato transplants in the garden, and gladiolas Sow seeds of cucumbers, lettuce, melons, pumpkins, summer squash, sweet corn, potatoes, and watermelons Put more compost on the garden

June

Early – Plant transplants of broccoli, peppers, eggplant, and late tomatoes
Late – Sow seeds of arugula, basil, beans, endive, and sweet corn

July

Early – Plant seeds of Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, beets, and turnips
Late – Sow seeds of late peas and beets Plant some cherry tomato transplants

August

Early – Harvest tomatoes
Late – Sow seeds of radishes, spinach, turnips

September

Early – Tomato bonanza!
Late – Sow seeds of arugula, lettuce, spinach, and Asian greens Sow seeds of winter cover crops to protect and enrich the soil

October

Early – Harvest pumpkins and squashes
Late – Harvest spinach, kale, leeks, carrots, beets (but these can be left in the ground protected with piles of leaves) Remove any dead plants and lay down a winter mulch of leaves and/or compost, unless you have seeded a cover crop.