vegetable planting calendar

My Vegetable Planting Calendar for Cold Climates

3/7/2019

As I write this, there's about 4 feet of snow piled against the south side of the greenhouse, the pond is almost completely obscured and the chickens are getting a little stir-crazy having been cooped up in their house. The thermometer reads 10 degrees F, which seems balmy compared to the subzero temperatures that we've been experiencing over the past couple of weeks.

But, believe it or not, it really is time to start planning for the growing season ahead.

In my video today, I wanted to share one of the most useful resources I have in my vegetable gardening toolkit - the Planting Calendar. In gardening, especially in cold climates, timing is everything. This Planting Calendar will give you a good guideline for what to plant when as we move into spring. It will also give you an idea of when to start your seeds indoors. Click on the video to learn more and then download my calendar below!

Click here to download my Planting Calendar. Remember, use this as a guide but be sure to check with your gardening neighbors and friends about dates that may be more specific to your site.

Have questions? Please ask them in the comments below!

13 Comments

Christine H

3/9/2019 01:02:03 pm

This planting guide is great - thanks, Kareen!

Quick question on the length of growing season. If our first/last frost dates are May 26/Oct 1, would the length of our growing season be 5 (days in May) + 30 (June) + 31 (July) + 31 (Aug) + 30 (Sep) = 127 days? This is clearly a question from a math geek, but I wanted to check in case I got the dates wrong, as I would welcome a bit more cushion for when to start outside so as to avoid a late first frost ;-)

Kareen

3/9/2019 01:31:15 pm

Hi Christine! Great question that I should have clarified during the video. The 95 to 107 day growing season length is our average. So though our last and first frost dates are around the times I stated, that's in an ideal situation. On average, however, with the +/- two week window on both ends, it ends up being less than the 127 days. Does that make sense? Certainly in your area right in town, you may be able to count on a few more days as it tends to be warmer right in the city. I often suggest pushing the edge of the start date to the last week in April if temperatures are looking good. Let me know if you have any further questions!

Bre

2/29/2020 09:21:16 am

This is super helpful! I love the Planting Calendar! Thank you!

2/29/2020 01:00:52 pm

Thanks for watching Bre! Glad it's useful for you!

Mary

3/22/2020 08:40:52 pm

Yay! I just love that you are making this knowledge available for our local community. The calendar is super helpful.

3/23/2020 08:35:26 am

Great, I'm glad it's of use! Thanks for watching!

Mitchell Taylor @ PROTREE link

1/14/2021 12:34:07 am

Such great tips! It's getting me excited already about my 2020 garden. I've only done it once before so I'm ready to grow a bigger garden this year!

Lori

2/6/2021 11:18:30 am

I am getting a greenhouse in April I have know idea where to start
I am 7 miles west of Livingston at an elevation of 5400 feet I’m going to download your garden calendar. Also there is free weed free compost at the transfer station, yay or nay? Thank you!

Kareen Erbe

2/9/2021 09:57:04 am

Hi Lori!

Thanks for getting in touch. That's exciting that you'll be getting a greenhouse in April. As you probably know, planting dates in the greenhouse are a little different than outside. You are able to shift to start in the greenhouse a lot earlier. I would suggest checking with Happy Trash Can or YES compost in order to get weed free compost. Both of them sell in bulk. I'm not sure about the transfer station. If you need more support, I'm happy to do a 1:1 consultation to get you jumpstarted or you want more insight or advice. Just get in touch via phone or email at info@brokengroundpermaculture.com. Good luck!

2/15/2021 05:35:43 pm

I'm going to try starting fennel and squash indoors this year. Both seed packets say careful not to disturb roots when transplanting. What is best approach? A local nursery indicated that for squash, start in 2-4 in pots instead of small seed trays. Would you recommend that? And if so, would I use seed starting mix on top 1" or so, and then regular soil below? And when I do transplant outdoors, just take care not to loosen roots and put directly in well worked soil? Thanks ahead, Kareen!

2/16/2021 08:58:51 am

Hi Christine!

Yes, I start my squash in 4 inch pots with potting soil. I don't bother with just seed starting mix since they are such heavy feeders. So just get regular potting soil that has compost in it. I would probably do the same for fennel as well. You might be able to get away with a slightly smaller pot for fennel. Don't start your squash too early, though, as you don't want it to get too leggy or big before putting it in the ground. When you transplant, just squeeze the pot a little so that the root ball comes out intact. Good luck!

John C - Garden Design link

5/7/2021 03:38:27 am

I was just thinking I needed to make a planting calendar. I’m always too early or too late.

5/10/2021 11:35:14 am

Great, hope this one is useful for you!

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My Vegetable Planting Calendar for Cold Climates

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