“Timing is everything…”
How do I know when is the right time to plant my garden each season?
It all has to do with seasonality and temperature. To make things easy, the answer is split into two parts based on the types of vegetables you want to grow.
PART 1
Spring / Summer Crops (sometimes called “warm-season crops”)
Tomatoes, Peppers, Zucchini, Squash, Eggplant, Cucumber, Okra, Corn, Green Beans, all types of Melons, and more.
Step 1
First look up the last recorded frost date for the area where you live. If the last frost has happened already, it’s safe to plant your warm season crops. Here’s a helpful link.. https://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates
Step 2
Double check the nighttime temperatures in your area for the next few weeks.
What you’re looking for is an average nighttime temperature over 40 degrees Fahrenheit well into the foreseeable future.
Step 3
Just for fun, you can also consider planting with the moon phases to really connect you to the process. Scientific research has shown that moisture pulls upward and more effectively saturates seeds during the new moon. You can look up the lunar calendar here.
https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/
You can use these three resources to plan and plant your Warm Season crops.
PART 2
Fall / Winter Crops (sometimes called “cool-season crops”)
The process for Fall / Winter planting is similar.
Step 1
Look up your first expected frost of the cold season in the area you live. https://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates
There is a slight difference between the Fall and Spring planting dates here. You’ll want to count backward at least 1 month (ideally more like 6 weeks) BEFORE that “first-frost” date to plant your cool-season crops.
Step 2
Double check the temperature ranges for the first few weeks after your planting date. You’re looking to be sure the daytime temperatures are below 90 degrees (too hot!) and the nighttime temps are above 40 degrees (nowhere near freezing).
Step 3
Lastly, and once again just for fun, you can check the phases of the moon. You’re looking for a new moon that coincides with the temperature ranges and frost date calculations that you just did.
https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/
That’s it! You’ve just calculated the best planting days for your garden!
Make sure you prepare your garden’s soil in advance so you’re ready to go when the time comes.
REMEMBER… How you SETUP your garden in the first place determines a great deal of your success. Check out our online course to coach you through the RIGHT way to start your garden.