For your exact dates, enter your ZIP code in what to plant now or see your frost dates by ZIP code.
In season this week
Cool-season crops for fall
105 of 568 cities
Beet, broccoli, Brussels sprouts (transplants), cabbage, collards, green onion, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens, radish, spinach, turnip.
Timing: 4 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost. For example Anaheim, Augusta, Austin, Bakersfield.
This week by hardiness zone
Zones measure winter cold, not season length, so frost dates still vary inside a zone. Pick your zone for the cities in it and what each can plant now.
| Zone | Cities | In a planting window this week |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3b | 1 | Nothing this week |
| Zone 4a | 3 | Nothing this week |
| Zone 4b | 6 | Nothing this week |
| Zone 5a | 12 | Nothing this week |
| Zone 5b | 21 | Nothing this week |
| Zone 6a | 57 | Nothing this week |
| Zone 6b | 49 | Nothing this week |
| Zone 7a | 63 | Nothing this week |
| Zone 7b | 63 | Cool-season crops for fall 1 |
| Zone 8a | 47 | Nothing this week |
| Zone 8b | 60 | Cool-season crops for fall 8 |
| Zone 9a | 38 | Cool-season crops for fall 31 |
| Zone 9b | 53 | Cool-season crops for fall 38 |
| Zone 10a | 56 | Cool-season crops for fall 16 |
| Zone 10b | 32 | Cool-season crops for fall 10 |
| Zone 11a | 7 | Cool-season crops for fall 1 |
Coming up
- Hardy crops open for 46 cities in the next four weeks.
How we work it out
Each city has a median last spring frost and first fall frost from NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 climate normals. Purdue Extension’s planting calendar times hardy crops 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost, semi-hardy crops 2 to 4 weeks before, tender crops from the last frost and very tender crops from 2 weeks after it. For fall, it says to plant cool-season crops at least 4 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost. We show the tender groups as in season for the six weeks after their window opens.
Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020 (median 32°F freeze dates at the weather station nearest each city); Purdue Extension, Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar (HO-186-W, December 2020) (spring groups and fall planting 4 to 8 weeks before the first frost). Purdue wrote the rules for Indiana; because they count from your own frost dates they are a starting point anywhere with a frost season. Check each seed packet for days to maturity, and watch the forecast.
Frequently asked questions
What should I plant this week?
This week the most common window is cool-season crops for fall, open in 105 of 568 cities. Your answer depends on your frost dates: enter your ZIP code in what to plant now.
When do you plant a fall garden?
Purdue Extension advises planting cool-season crops such as lettuce, spinach, kale, radish and turnip at least 4 to 8 weeks before your average first fall frost. Choose faster-maturing varieties for late plantings and water often until seedlings are established.