Starting seeds too late indoors
Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants need six to ten weeks under grow lights before transplanting. Count back from your last frost date. If frost is May 1 and you start pepper seeds on April 10, they will go outside as tiny plants with almost no root system.
Planting heat-loving crops in cold soil. Beans, squash, and cucumbers need soil above 60 °F. Seeds sit in cold wet soil and rot. Use a soil thermometer or wait two weeks after the last frost before direct-sowing these crops.
Ignoring succession planting
Lettuce, radishes, and bush beans mature fast. If you plant them all on one day, you get one giant harvest and then nothing. Stagger plantings every two to four weeks for a steady supply.
Forgetting the fall garden
Many crops do better in cool fall weather. Count backward from your first fall frost to plan a second round of lettuce, kale, carrots, and beets. If your first frost is October 15, you can direct-sow carrots as late as mid-July.
Questions gardeners ask
What if I do not know my hardiness zone?
Use the 'Guess from my state' button or search the USDA zone map. If you live on the line between two zones, pick the colder one for safer timing.
Can I plan more than one planting round?
Yes. Use the succession selector when adding a crop, and the calendar will show a second and third sowing with its own transplant and harvest dates.
How accurate is the indoor seed-start estimate?
It is based on common seed-starting windows. Always read your seed packet, since some varieties need more or less time indoors.
Can I share my plan with a friend?
Use the Copy button to copy the schedule to your clipboard. You can also print it and tape it to the potting bench.
Does this work for flowers and herbs?
Yes, as long as you know whether the plant is frost-tender or frost-hardy. Mark tender flowers like zinnias and marigolds as frost-tender for correct timing.