When to start seeds.
Planting made easy 🌿
Create your personalized planting chart.
If you’re wondering whether it’s a good time to start your seeds inside or when you should put your plants in the ground, you’re in the right place.
With my seed starting calculator, you can quickly find the best time to sow seeds (indoors or outdoors) and transplant seedlings outside. Just enter your last spring frost date or first fall frost date below, and the interactive tool will calculate optimal planting dates for your garden.
You’ll get personalized planting charts for both spring and fall, which you can print and keep with your seeds as a handy reference. This is the easiest way to create a custom seed planting calendar, tailored to your area!
Don’t know your frost dates? I can help with that too! Simply enter your zip code in my frost date lookup tool, and it’ll give you the most current freeze/frost dates from the National Climactic Data Center (NCDC) website.
What to know:
Toggle plants or whole categories to show or hide them in the table. Use the search field at the top to filter this list.
Spring Planting
| Weeks indoors before transplant | Transplant/sow, relative to final frost | Start Indoors | Transplant (or Direct Sow) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables | ||||
| Arugula | direct sow only | 4 weeks before | ||
| Beets* | 5 to 6 | 2 weeks before | ||
| Broccoli* | 4 to 6 | 2 weeks before | ||
| Brussels sprouts* | 4 to 6 | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Bulb fennel | direct sow only | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Bush beans | direct sow only | 0 to 2 weeks after | ||
| Cabbage* | 6 to 8 | 2 weeks before | ||
| Carrots | direct sow only | 1 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Cauliflower* | 4 to 6 | 2 weeks before | ||
| Celery | 8 to 10 | 1 week after | ||
| Celeriac | 8 to 10 | 1 week after | ||
| Chard* | 4 | 2 weeks before | ||
| Collards* | 4 to 6 | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Corn* | 2 to 4 | 0 to 2 weeks after | ||
| Cucumbers* | 3 to 4 | 1 to 2 weeks after | ||
| Eggplant | 6 to 8 | 2 weeks after | ||
| Garlic (for green garlic) | direct sow only | 5 to 6 weeks before | ||
| Kale* | 4 to 6 | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Kohlrabi* | 4 to 6 | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Leeks | 8 to 10 | 2 weeks before | ||
| Lettuce* | 4 | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Mache | direct sow only | 4 to 6 weeks before | ||
| Muskmelons | 0 to 4 | 1 to 2 weeks after | ||
| Mustard greens* | 4 | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Okra | direct sow only | 0 to 2 weeks after | ||
| Onions | 8 to 10 | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Parsnips | direct sow only | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Peas | 6 | 5 to 6 weeks before | ||
| Peppers | 6 to 8 | 1 to 2 weeks after | ||
| Pole beans | direct sow only | 0 to 2 weeks after | ||
| Pumpkins* | 3 to 4 | 1 to 2 weeks after | ||
| Radishes | direct sow only | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Scallions | 4 to 8 | 4 weeks before | ||
| Shallot sets | direct sow only | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Spinach | direct sow only | 4 to 6 weeks before | ||
| Summer squash* | 3 to 4 | 1 to 2 weeks after | ||
| Tomatoes | 6 to 8 | 1 to 2 weeks after | ||
| Turnips | direct sow only | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Watermelons | 0 to 4 | 1 to 2 weeks after | ||
| Winter squash* | 3 to 4 | 1 to 2 weeks after | ||
| Herbs | ||||
| Basil* | 4 to 6 | 1 week after | ||
| Cilantro | direct sow only | 0 to 3 weeks before | ||
| Dill | direct sow only | 0 to 3 weeks before | ||
| German chamomile | 4 to 6 | at last frost date | ||
| Parsley | 8 to 10 | 0 to 2 weeks before | ||
| Flowers | ||||
| Calendula* | 6 to 8 | 1 week before | ||
| California poppy* | 2 to 3 | at last frost date | ||
| Cosmos* | 6 | at last frost date | ||
| Dianthus (Sweet William) | 10 to 12 | at last frost date | ||
| Gaillardia (blanket flower) | 8 to 10 | at last frost date | ||
| Iceland poppy | 6 to 8 | at last frost date | ||
| Impatiens | 8 to 10 | at last frost date | ||
| Marigold | 6 to 8 | at last frost date | ||
| Monarda (bee balm) | 6 to 8 | at last frost date | ||
| Morning glory | 3 to 4 | at last frost date | ||
| Petunia | 8 to 10 | at last frost date | ||
| Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan) | 8 to 10 | at last frost date | ||
| Snapdragon | 8 to 10 | at last frost date | ||
| Sunflower* | 3 to 4 | at last frost date | ||
| Sweet pea* | 4 to 6 | 1 to 2 weeks before | ||
| Viola (pansy) | 8 to 10 | at last frost date | ||
| Zinnia | 4 | at last frost date | ||
| * Asterisks indicate seeds that are easiest when directly sown outdoors, if the soil and weather allows. However, in northern climates with short growing seasons, starting seeds indoors for heat-loving crops like cucumbers, muskmelons, pumpkins, watermelons, summer squash, and winter squash gives them a head start (and gives you a quicker path to harvest). | ||||
Fall Planting
| Weeks indoors before transplant | Transplant/sow, relative to final frost | Start Indoors | Transplant (or Direct Sow) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables | ||||
| Arugula | direct sow only | 9 to 10 weeks before | ||
| Beets* | direct sow only | 10 to 12 weeks before | ||
| Broccoli* | 12 to 14 | 10 to 12 weeks before | ||
| Brussels sprouts* | 12 to 14 | 10 to 12 weeks before | ||
| Bulb fennel | direct sow only | 12 to 14 weeks before | ||
| Bush beans | direct sow only | 13 to 14 weeks before | ||
| Cabbage* | 12 to 14 | 8 to 12 weeks before | ||
| Carrots | direct sow only | 10 to 12 weeks before | ||
| Cauliflower* | 12 to 14 | 10 to 12 weeks before | ||
| Chard* | direct sow only | 5 to 7 weeks before | ||
| Chinese cabbage | direct sow only | 8 to 10 weeks before | ||
| Collards* | direct sow only | 10 to 12 weeks before | ||
| Cucumbers* | direct sow only | 13 to 14 weeks before | ||
| Daikon | direct sow only | 8 to 10 weeks before | ||
| Garlic | direct sow only | 2 to 3 weeks after | ||
| Kale* | direct sow only | 4 to 10 weeks before | ||
| Kohlrabi* | 12 to 14 | 10 to 12 weeks before | ||
| Leeks | direct sow only | 10 to 12 weeks before | ||
| Lettuce* | direct sow only | 9 to 14 weeks before | ||
| Mache | direct sow only | 3 to 8 weeks before | ||
| Mustard greens* | direct sow only | 6 to 10 weeks before | ||
| Onion sets | direct sow only | 2 to 4 weeks before | ||
| Parsnips | direct sow only | 12 to 14 weeks before | ||
| Peas | direct sow only | 10 to 12 weeks before | ||
| Radishes | direct sow only | 3 to 14 weeks before | ||
| Rutabagas | direct sow only | 10 to 14 weeks before | ||
| Scallions | direct sow only | 10 to 12 weeks before | ||
| Shallot sets | direct sow only | 2 to 6 weeks before | ||
| Spinach | direct sow only | 3 to 10 weeks before | ||
| Summer squash* | direct sow only | 13 to 14 weeks before | ||
| Turnips | direct sow only | 6 to 10 weeks before | ||
| Winter radishes | direct sow only | 8 to 10 weeks before | ||
| Herbs | ||||
| Cilantro | direct sow only | 13 to 14 weeks before | ||
| Parsley | direct sow only | 10 to 12 weeks before | ||
| * Asterisks indicate seeds that are easiest when directly sown outdoors, if the soil and weather allows. However, in northern climates with short growing seasons, starting seeds indoors for heat-loving crops like cucumbers, muskmelons, pumpkins, watermelons, summer squash, and winter squash gives them a head start (and gives you a quicker path to harvest). | ||||
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Start here if you’re new to seed starting
My favorite seed-starting gear
Air pruning trays are new for me, but so far I’m loving how easy it is to grow healthier root systems and stronger seedlings. Bonus: they come in lots of fun colors!
I use these shallow 1020 trays under my air pruning trays to bottom water seedlings. You can also use them to grow microgreens. They are the most heavy-duty trays I’ve ever used!
These are the best tomato cages, hands down. I’ve had mine for over 10 years now! They’re incredibly sturdy, can stack to support massive tomato vines, and fold away neatly for storage.
Versatile and stackable ladder trellises. I use one for peppers, eggplants, fava beans, tarragon, and other tall, top-heavy plants; stack two for bush tomatoes; and stack three for indeterminate tomatoes.
