Quick Tip: Know When to Start Your Garden

Jennifer Poindexter

Have you ever wondered when the best times are for starting summer gardens? This can be difficult to understand as it varies based upon your planting zone.

However, with a little research, you can find the best times for planting in your area. This begins by understanding which planting zone you live in and the first and last frost dates for your area.

If you’re someone looking for a quick guide on when to plant for your zone, I’ve got you covered. Here’s the best times to plant your garden based upon planting zones and frost dates:

Quick Tip: Know When to Start Your Garden

There’s a four month window in which most gardens are planted. If you live in a warmer planting zone, such as zone nine, you may start your garden as early as March.

The final frost occurs during this month. Whether you start your seeds indoors in advance or plan on sowing directly, after the final frost is complete, you should be in the clear to start gardening.

In other warm planting zones, such as zones seven and eight, the final frost occurs at some point in April. After this date, you should be safe to plant your garden. 

In cooler planting zones, such as zones five and zones six, it’s best to grow your garden starting in May. 

In the coolest planting zones, zones three and four, you must wait until early June for the final frost to occur.

It’s also worth noting that the warmer the planting zone, the longer of a growing season you should have.

In cooler areas, frost hangs on later and arrives earlier. Consider starting your seeds indoors in these areas to ensure you have plenty of time to reach harvest.

You may also wish to consider growing in a greenhouse or cold frame to extend your growing season.  

Understanding which planting zone you reside in and when your first and last frost dates occur, could help you take advantage of every day of your growing season.

This is especially important for those with a smaller growing window. Utilize this information to set your plants up for success. 

More About Planting Zones

https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

https://buncombe.ces.ncsu.edu/2023/11/new-hardiness-zone-map-released/

https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2023/12/new-2023-usda-hardiness-zones-explained