What to Plant Right Now
A simple seasonal guide to help gardeners across the United States and Canada know exactly what vegetables and herbs can be planted right now based on the time of year and climate.
Planting at the right time helps crops grow stronger, produce better harvests, and reduces common gardening problems.
Why Planting Time Matters
Gardening success often comes down to timing.
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Each vegetable has a preferred planting window depending on soil temperature, daylight length, and frost risk. Planting too early can expose young plants to cold damage, while planting too late may not allow enough time for crops to fully mature.
Gardeners typically work with three planting methods throughout the season:
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Starting Seeds Indoors
Some crops benefit from being started indoors several weeks before outdoor planting. This gives plants a head start while temperatures outside are still too cold.
Common indoor-start crops include:
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• tomatoes
• peppers
• broccoli
• cabbage
• herbs such as basil and parsley
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Direct Sowing
Certain vegetables grow best when seeds are planted directly into garden soil rather than being transplanted.
Common direct-sow crops include:
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• carrots
• peas
• radishes
• spinach
• lettuce
• beans
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Transplanting
Plants started indoors are moved into the garden once temperatures are warm enough and frost risk has passed.
This method allows gardeners to grow warm-season crops in regions with shorter growing seasons.
Cool Season Vegetables
(Plant Early)
Cool-season vegetables tolerate colder soil and mild frosts. These crops are typically planted early in the season and often grow best in spring or fall conditions.
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Vegetables you can often plant early
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Direct sow
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• peas
• spinach
• radishes
• carrots
• lettuce
• arugula
• kale
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Start indoors
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• broccoli
• cabbage
• cauliflower
• onions
• herbs
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These crops often grow quickly in cooler weather and are excellent for early harvests.
Warm Season Vegetables
(Plant After Frost)
Warm-season crops need warmer soil and consistent temperatures to grow successfully. These vegetables should typically be planted after the final frost date in your region.
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Warm season vegetables
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• tomatoes
• peppers
• cucumbers
• zucchini
• pumpkins
• squash
• corn
• beans
• melons
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These crops thrive during summer and often produce large harvests when given enough sunlight and warmth.
Planting Times by Growing Zone
Growing zones help gardeners estimate typical frost dates and seasonal temperature patterns.
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Because climates vary widely across North America, planting times may differ by several weeks depending on location.
Zone 3–4
Short growing seasons. Many crops benefit from starting seeds indoors to ensure plants have enough time to mature.
Zone 5–6
Moderate growing seasons. Many vegetables can be planted both in spring and again in late summer for fall harvests.
Zone 7–9
Long growing seasons with the opportunity to grow multiple plantings of many crops throughout the year.
Knowing your growing zone helps gardeners plant with greater confidence and reduce the risk of crop failure.
Plan Your Garden More Easily
As gardens grow larger, it becomes harder to keep track of everything:
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• planting schedules
• crop locations
• harvest amounts
• preserved food
• pantry storage
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The Grow & Gather Planner helps simplify this process.
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With the app you can:
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• design garden beds
• track what you plant and when
• log harvest quantities
• plan food preservation
• track pantry inventory
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This transforms a simple garden into a complete household food production system.
Related Guides
Continue learning with these beginner-friendly guides:
• How to Start Seeds Indoors
• Beginner Garden Setup
• How to Grow Tomatoes
• How to Grow Carrots
• Garden Planning Guide
These guides help gardeners move from beginner planting knowledge to full garden planning and food preservation.
Turn Your Garden Into a Food Production System
Growing food becomes far more rewarding when you can see the full picture—from seeds planted in spring to jars of preserved food stored in your pantry.
The Grow & Gather Planner was created to help gardeners organize that entire journey.
Plan your garden, track your harvest, and manage your preserved food all in one place.