Your Roadmap to Garden Planting Times

You may have picked up gardening as a spring and summer hobby, thinking it is exclusively limited to those seasons. Well, pull up your pants because you are in for a ride! Once you begin, you will not want to stop! Here are some garden-related activities you can do any time of the year. Below, I have outlined a roadmap for each season, including the transitions and what you can (and should) do to maximize your garden.

Late Winter to Early Spring

Let’s start with the obvious and build off of that. Early spring is when the temperatures are still chilly, and there may even be lingering snow on the ground. Depending on your location, this season usually takes place around March. For some folks, it can be as late as May and as early as February! Extend the growing season by planting earlier and covering the seeds and seedlings with cloches, growing in a greenhouse, or starting them indoors.

Start Seeds Indoors

This time of year is ideal for starting seeds indoors that need a long time to get going. This includes some flowers, tomatoes, pepper plants, and other tropical plants that are accustomed to a long growing season. However, our homes can be quite cool and dim this time of year too, so be sure to use heating mats and grow lights when needed. In my experience, pretty much all seeds and seedlings perform better with them.

Transplant and Direct Sow Cold-Season Vegetable Seeds

Directly sowing seeds that tolerate cool temperatures is an excellent strategy to jump-start your garden. Leafy greens like spinach, kale, lettuce, and kohlrabi thrive in cooler weather and can be sown directly into the soil as soon as it becomes workable. Providing a little protection with a cold frame or row covers can shield these hardy plants from unexpected frosts, allowing them to flourish even in early spring. These greens not only grow quickly but also offer fresh, nutritious harvests well before warm-season crops are ready. This is also the perfect time of year to direct sow native wildflowers that need stratification (a cold period).

When to Grow a Spring Cover Crop

Planting a spring cover crop in early spring enriches your soil by adding organic matter, suppressing weeds, and improving soil structure before summer planting. After about six weeks of growth, the cover crop is tilled into the soil and allowed 2-3 weeks to decompose, boosting fertility. Good options for spring cover crops include mustard, oats, field peas, and clovers. However, if you're short on time or eager to plant early-season crops, you might skip it. Additionally, fall cover crops that overwinter need to be cut and tilled during this period to prepare the soil. Incorporating cover crops ensures healthier soil and better yields for your main garden.

Process a Fall-Planted Cover Crop

Fall cover crops like winter rye, hairy vetch, and crimson clover are sown in autumn to overwinter and protect the soil. In early spring, they continue growing until it's time to cut and till them into the soil, enriching it with organic matter and nitrogen before planting main crops. As mentioned above, be sure to allow 2-3 weeks between cutting down or tilling in any cover crop and planting a new crop or garden.

Spring

Easily one of the most exciting and anticipated times of the year - Spring! Spring refers to the time of year when nighttime temperatures are still a bit cool, but daytime temps are starting to get warm. This is around the months of April and May, depending on your growing zone. It can start as early as March for southern growers or as late as June for our high-altitude friends.

Start Seeds Indoors

This is the perfect time to start seeds indoors that benefit from a bit of help germinating but don’t need to be babied for too long, such as herbs, melons, and squashes. It is also the time to start transitioning your seedlings slowly to the outdoors. This is called hardening-off, and it ensures the lowest risk of transplant shock.

Direct Sow Bulbs, Potatoes, Onions, Bare-Roots, and Some Seeds

Additionally, this is when most growers will receive their spring-planted flower bulbs, seed potatoes, onion sets, and bare roots and crowns. Depending on your varieties and location, they may be ready to plant outdoors during these months or will need to be planted a little later. Check your labels or contact a local agricultural extension office for specific information about your area. Go ahead and direct sow or transplant any cool-season annuals, such as spinach, kale, some beans, and some flowers. If you planted an early spring cover crop, be sure to plan ahead for the best time to till it into the soil to allow for your upcoming garden.

Late Spring to Early Summer

Starting around June in some climates, as early as April in warm zones, or as late as July in others. At this time, you should have transplanted everything you started indoors to the garden or be close to it. This is the time of year when the last frost date has already passed.

Direct Sow Annuals

Now, any other direct sow seeds should also be added to the garden to ensure they have enough time to grow. Direct sow vegetables like beans, sweet corn, and zucchini that don’t need to be started indoors ahead of time. Good direct sow flowers include nasturtiums, zinnia, marigolds, and sunflowers. These types of plants are more attractive to people who don’t want to spend time or money on seed-starting supplies. The problem comes when people try to sow warm-season annuals too early in the year. Be sure to wait to sow any warm-season annuals outside until the last frost date of your region has passed and soil temperatures are consistently at or above 60 F to be safe.

Planning

This time of year is also crucial for planning ahead for the summer. Gather any other supplies you will need before your plants get too big, including stakes, string, tomato cages, appropriate mulches, fertilizers, and any other garden hand tools you might need for your crop. I love my hori hori!

Summer

In my opinion, the BEST time of year. At least, here in Michigan, it is gorgeous. This is typically around July and August but can start as early as May and end as late as October in some climates. If you haven’t planted any other direct sow warm-season annuals yet, this is the time to do it! Spend your time weeding, watering, and examining your plants for pest and disease issues.

Succession Planting

Consider succession planting, too. Are there any crops you planted earlier this year that you can sow again to have another harvest throughout the season or during the fall? However, keep in mind that just like the middle of winter is not a good time to plant seeds, the heat and intensity of summer are also not conducive to new plant life either. Especially if you are growing somewhere with intense summers, you should avoid planting new plants and instead focus on tending to what you already have. The general rule is to avoid planting when temperatures are consistently above 85 F.

Plant a Summer Cover Crop

What if you need to take a break from gardening for a year but don’t want your garden bed to get overrun with weeds? Well, look no further than the glorious summer cover crop. Whether you have big travel plans or are battling some health challenges, a summer cover crop is a great way to avoid the bulk of gardening labor while setting up the soil for success next year. Good summer cover crops include black-eyed peas, vetch, and buckwheat. Some crops can be sown quite early in the season or quite late, depending on your needs and local considerations.

Late Summer to Early Fall

This time of year is all about planning and maintenance. Late summer to early fall is typically around September but can be as early as August or as late as November in some areas. Firstly, think about what plants you already have. Are some ready to be harvested? Do they need a fertilizer or compost boost to carry them through the rest of the growing season? How is your weeding going? Do you need to reapply mulch to any plants? These types of questions can get you on the right track. Also, think about harvesting, and if you have the tools you need to make working in the garden easier. Acquire them if necessary.

Direct Sow Cool-Season Vegetables and Bulbs

Late summer and early fall are the perfect times of year for planting cool-season vegetables and flowers. Planting towards the end of the summer allows you to benefit from warmer soils for germination, initial growth, and better flavor or flower production as the temperatures get away from high extremes. This is also the time of year you will receive or purchase garlic and fall-planted flower bulbs.

Planting Fall Cover Crops

Early Fall is also when you will plant any fall cover crop such as winter rye, hairy vetch, clover, winter peas, oats, and annual ryegrass. These typically need to be planted around 6 weeks before the first frost comes and then tilled or mowed down around the first frost. They then break down into the soil slowly throughout the winter, therefore making the soil healthy and robust for the following spring.

Fall

Pull out your favorite sweater and get those pumpkin spice lattes while you can! Fall is here! This time of year takes place around October and November but can start as early as August or as late as December. This is when you get to harvest everything else that has not already been harvested during the summer.

Sow Winter Crops

This is also when some gardeners with mild winters can sow cool-season crops to grow over the winter with or without the use of cloches or row covers. Those of you in regions with cold winters can extend your growing season by planting fall crops and covering the seeds and seedlings with protective tools. Use cold frames and winter tents, or grow them in a greenhouse.

Plant Wildflowers

Sow native wildflowers again around this time of year. In northern climates, they lay dormant over the winter, providing a necessary stratification, and burst forth early in the spring with cheerful blooms. It is still a good idea to grow wildflowers during the fall in milder climates because the mild winter weather is the perfect time to establish good root systems before the intense summer heat takes over the following year.

Plant Fall Garlic and Flower Bulbs

Plant any fall bulbs such as garlic, peonies, tulips, and crocuses during this time. They need a long period of dormancy to bloom. Be sure to check with your local extension office to see which bulbs to plant, and at what time. If you do not have cool weather to provide that dormancy, you may still be able to grow it indoors.

Sowing a Spring Cover Crop

There is also the option to plant a cover crop now for spring growth. Sow the seed near the first frost date and allow it to sit dormant while it overwinters till the spring. Then, it will grow as early as possible while benefiting from natural spring showers. If you go this route, allow a minimum of 2-3 weeks for the biomass to break down after terminating the cover crop before planting a spring or summer garden. Overwintering cover crops include winter rye, hairy vetch, clover, and winter peas. This method is perfect for those not planning to grow a spring garden but are instead going to utilize early summer transplants as well as warm-season annuals.

Late Fall to Early Winter

Late Fall to Early Winter is usually around November but can start as early as October or as late as December. This time of year is all about preparing for winter to set in.

Winter Preparations

Assuming you have harvested all your flowers and vegetables by this time, till in any leftover biomass to decompose during the winter, sow winter crops, and apply mulch to perennials and overwintering plants. Also, bring in any plants in pots that cannot handle low winter temperatures. Cut back perennials bushes that need fall trimmings such as peonies and columbine. Additionally, start making a rough plan using your notes from the previous years about what you want to plant for next year.

Winter

Now, you might think there is nothing to do this time of year. You’re wrong! Occurring around January and February but starting as early as November or as late as March, winter is when most, if not all plants are in dormancy. This means that it is the perfect time of year for pruning! Prune your fruit trees and flowering bushes such as hydrangeas and roses. Pruning during this time can help prevent the spread of pests and diseases as they are also dormant during this period.

Garden Planning

You also need to PLAN! Late winter is sometimes too late to plan what plants you want to grow in your upcoming garden because some of them will need to have already been started indoors. Plan your garden using our garden planner tool to get helpful recommendations and timelines. There are also some slow growing flowers that need to be started indoors this time of year. So, get those going and don’t forget the heat mat and grow light!

Winter Cover Crop

Some gardeners in warm climates might choose to grow a winter cover crop. This is a great time of year to do that. Good options include winter rye, hairy vetch, clover, and winter peas. Check with your local extension office for specific regional recommendations. Just be sure to plan where you can till them back into the soil 2-3 weeks before planting anything else.

R&R

By R&R, I mean Read and Research! Winter is the best time of year to catch up on your book learning. Read garden books, learn new techniques, gather information on the best seeds and varieties for your area, the options are endless!

Anytime of the Year - Grow Sprouts and Microgreens

In between all of these tasks, there are two things that anyone can do regardless of the time of year or the amount of growing space they have: grow sprouts and microgreens! There are easy-to-use kits for both of these endeavors that show you just how simple it is to have fresh, high quality food grown right inside your own home. The endless benefits of sprouts and microgreens are amazing! Check out our blogs linked below for more information!

Lara Wadsworth, True Leaf Market Writer

I am a native of Southwestern Michigan, where I also reside, and I love all things plants! I got a Bachelor's Degree in Horticulture and found the first work-from-home job I could get. Now, I spend my days writing for TLM, playing with my dog, eating delicious food with my husband, and plotting my next landscape or gardening move. I believe everyone should get down and dirty in the soil now and then. Happy Gardening!