Create a Spring Gardening Calendar

Use this handy interactive map to find your last frost date! Select the magnifying glass in the upper right corner to input your address, or click around the map to compare dates across the country.

The timing of many spring planting tasks and other gardening activities revolves around your average last spring frost date. That’s because different plants have different needs. For example, some plants, such as spinach, grow best in cool weather and can tolerate light frosts; plant them in early spring for the best harvest. Others, like basil, love the heat; wait until air and soil temperatures warm up before planting them outdoors.

Creating a calendar helps you time your spring gardening activities based on your region’s last frost date and the crops you plan to grow. Start by finding your last frost date by area on the map. Then use the guidelines below to mark the dates for various gardening tasks.

12 Weeks Before Your Last Frost Date

• Browse seed catalogs and websites for ideas for new plants, unusual varieties, and other inspiration for this season’s garden.
• Make a list of seeds and plants, and then place orders early to ensure the best selection.
• Set up indoor grow lights and gather seed-starting supplies.

10 Weeks Before Your Last Frost Date

• Survey your landscape and consider ways to transform areas of lawn into new gardens or interesting hardscape elements like patios.
• Plan a wildflower planting to lure pollinators and other beneficials.
• Start seeds indoors for leeks and onions.

8 Weeks Before Your Last Frost Date

• Sketch a map of your vegetable garden. Then create a planting plan that rotates crops to avoid planting related crops (e.g., cabbage and broccoli) in the same spot more than once every three years.
• Start seeds indoors for basil, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, kale, and peppers.
• Prune fruit trees and blueberry bushes.

6 Weeks Before Your Last Frost Date

• Install new raised beds.
• Set up cold frames and other plant protection structures.
• Inventory garden tools, plant supports, watering equipment, and other supplies, replenishing as needed.
• Consider options for water conservation, such as a rain barrel and drip irrigation.
• Start tomato seeds indoors.
• Cut back perennials and ornamental grasses.

4 Weeks Before Your Last Frost Date

• Begin tidying up vegetable garden beds, adding compost and other soil amendments as needed.
• Direct-sow seeds of cold-tolerant crops like peas, radishes, spinach, and turnips in garden beds.
• Start seeds indoors for warm-season annual flowers such as marigolds and zinnias.

3 Weeks Before Your Last Frost Date

• Give heat-loving crops like cucumbers, melons, and squash a head start by starting seeds indoors.
• Transplant seedlings for broccoli, cabbage, and kale into the garden.
• Sow lettuce and dill seeds in the garden.
• Plant asparagus crowns and bareroot strawberries.
• Sow seeds for cool-loving annual flowers like sweet peas, bachelor's buttons, and larkspur in the garden.
• Install arches, arbors, and other supports for vines.

2 Weeks Before Your Last Frost Date

• Sow seeds of beets, carrots, chard, cilantro, and dill in the garden.
• Set up pots and planters. Fill with fresh potting soil or replenish existing soil with our Container Booster Mix.
• Gather tomato cages, cucumber trellises, and other vegetable supports so they’re ready to set up at planting time.
• Divide hostas, daylilies, and other perennials.
• Transplant leek and onion seedlings into the garden.

1 Week Before Your Last Frost Date

• Begin hardening off indoor-grown seedlings of cucumber, melon, squash, and tomatoes, as well marigolds and zinnias.
• Plant seed potatoes in the garden or in Grow Bags.
• Set up cucumber trellises.

At/Around Your Last Frost Date

• Sow bean, corn, and sunflower seeds in the garden.
• Transplant cucumber, melon, squash, and tomato seedlings into the garden; be prepared to protect them if a late cold spell threatens.
• Transplant marigold and zinnia seedlings outdoors.
• Install tomato cages.
• Begin hardening off basil, eggplant, and pepper seedlings.

1 Week After Your Last Frost Date

• Transplant basil, eggplant, and pepper seedlings into the garden. Be ready to protect them if temperatures are predicted to drop into the 50s.
• Plant sweet potato slips.