Although it can be tempting to try to get a jump on the gardening season during an early warm spell, it's best to be patient and wait until the weather is right to plant. Spring weather in many parts of the country can be erratic, with unseasonably mild weather followed by a severe cold snap. To help you avoid the temptation of planting too early, make a calendar with planting times for various crops.
2. Next, open your calendar and mark the average last frost date. You'll be counting backwards from that date for cool-season crops that can be set out before the last frost date, and counting forward for heat-loving crops.
4. Begin making notes on your calendar. Mark dates for indoor seed-starting, dates for sowing in the garden, and dates for transplanting seedlings into the garden.
The following cool-season crops can be planted a few weeks before the average last frost date:
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Kale
Lettuce
Spinach
For the following warm-season plants, wait until after the last frost date to sow seeds in the garden or set plants outdoors:
Cucumbers
Melons
Peppers
Squash
Tomatoes
A lot of this work can be done for you by the computer! Enter your zipcode into our Garden Planting Calendar for a good starting place.
For 25 years, the family-owned Victory Seed Company has provided the highest quality vegetable, herb and flower seeds to families across the country. We are passionate about providing you the best seeds available that give excellent germination, robust plants, and the harvest you want. With a catalog of over a thousand varieties, we have everything, and our prices are the kinds that we'd want to pay. We have hundreds of yesterday's heirloom vegetables, as well as today's award winning hybrid selections. Get to know us by visiting our website and browsing through our online vegetable seed catalog.