Zones 3-4 Planting Schedule

WHEN TO PLANT VEGETABLES FOR ZONES 3-4

Each USDA planting zone has its own schedule for sowing seeds. If you're new to vegetable gardening, you'll want
to know that there is a right time to sow each variety of vegetable seed. By following our zone chart for both cool
and warm season vegetables, you'll be sure to sow your seeds in the correct window of time, enabling optimum
sprouting and yield. And don't forget, the seeds you pick are also of the greatest importance. Even if you are an
old hand in the vegetable garden, we hope that our USDA zone planting chart will be a useful tool for organizing
your spring and summer vegetable planting.

Not sure what your USDA Zone is? Use our USDA hardiness zone finder.
A Garden Planting Chart
Planting distances (in
Planting dates
inches)
Amount to
order
per 20 feet of
row
Start Plant seed Between Depth of
Between
Vegetable seed or plant rows, hand seeding
plants "Packet" refers
indoors outdoors cultivated (inches)
to average
commercially-
packaged seed
packet.
April 15 -
6-8
Asparagus May 1 36 12 - 18 15 crowns
(crowns)
(crowns)
Beans, snap May 15 -
18 - 24 3-4 1½ - 2 3 - 4 oz
(bush) July 1
Beans, May 15 -
36 4-6 1½ - 2 2 - 3 oz
snap(pole) July 1
Beans, dry
May 15 18 - 24 3-4 1½ 3 - 4 oz
shell
May 15 -
Beans, lima 18 - 24 4-6 1½ 3 - 4 oz
June 10
April 15 -
Beets 12 - 18 2-4 ½-1 1 packet
July 1
March 1 April 15 ¼ 1 packet or
Broccoli 24 - 30 24
- 15 or June 1 (indoors) 9 plants
Brussels March 1 April 15 ¼ 1 packet or
24 - 30 24
sprouts - 15 or June 1 (indoors) 9 plants
Cabbage, March 1 April 1 - ¼ 1 packet or
24 - 30 18
early - 15 May 1 (indoors) 12 plants
Cabbage, April 15 ¼ 1 packet or
June 1 24 - 30 24
late - May 1 (seedbed) 9 plants
Cabbage,
July 1 24 - 30 18 ½ 1 packet
Chinese
April 15 -
Carrots 18 - 24 2-3 ¼ 1 packet
June 15
March 1 April 15 ¼ 1 packet or
Cauliflower 24 - 30 18 - 24
- 15 or June 1 (indoors) 12 plants
Celery Feb. 15 May 15 18 - 24 8 1/8 1 packet or
 - March (indoors) 24 plants
1
Chard,
May 1 18 - 24 6-8 1 1 packet
Swiss
Collards April 15 24 - 36 6 ¼ 1 packet
12
between
single
May 1 - plants;
Cucumbers 48 - 60 1 1 packet
June 15 36
between
hills of
three
March
¼ 1 packet or
Eggplant 15 - June 1 24 - 30 24
(indoors) 9 plants
April 1
Endive April 15 18 - 24 8 - 12 ½ 1 packet
Oct. 1 -
Garlic 18 - 24 4-6 3-4 1 lb of cloves
Nov. 1
April 15 -
Horseradish 24 - 30 12 - 18 6 (roots) 18 roots
May 1
April 15 -
Kale 18 - 24 12 - 18 ½ 1 packet
July 15
April 15 -
June 1 or
Kohlrabi 18 - 24 6 ½ 1 packet
Aug. 1 -
15
April 15 -
June 1 or
Lettuce, leaf 12 - 18 4-6 ¼ 1 packet
Aug. 1 -
15
Lettuce, March 1 April 15 - ¼ 1 packet or
18 - 24 12
head - 15 May 1 (indoors) 18 plants
May 15 -
Muskmelon 60 - 72 18 1 1 packet
June 1
March
½
Okra 15 - June 1 24 - 36 12 - 15 1 packet
(indoors)
April 1
Onion seeds April 15 12 - 24 2 ½ 1 packet
Onion, Feb. 1 - ½
April 15 12 - 24 2-3 1 packet
transplants 15 (indoors)
Onion, sets April 15 12 - 24 2-3 1-2 ½ lb
April 15 -
Parsley 12 - 24 4-6 ¼ 1 packet
May 1
May 1 -
Parsnips 18 - 24 3-4 ½ 1 packet
15
April 10 -
Peas 18 - 24 2 1½ 1 packet
May 15
March
½ 1 packet or
Pepper 15 - June 1 24 - 36 18 - 24
(indoors) 12 plants
April 1
Potatoes, April 15 - 24 - 30 12 - 18 4 (each 3 lb seed
Irish June 1 piece) potatoes
Potatoes, April 15
June 1 36 - 48 18 - 24 9 - 12 plants
sweet (roots)
24 - 36
between
single
May 10 - plants;
Pumpkin 72 - 96 1-2 1 packet
June 1 60 - 72
between
hills of
three
April 10 -
June 1 or
Radish 6 - 12 1-2 ½ 1 packet
Aug. 1 -
15
April 15 -
Rhubarb 36 - 48 36 - 48 5 or 6 plants
May 1
May 15 -
Rutabaga 18 - 24 8 - 12 ½ 1 packet
June 15
April 15
Spinach or Aug. 1 - 12 - 18 3-4 ½ 1 packet
15
Squash, May 10 -
24 - 36 24 - 36 1 1 packet
summer June 1
24 - 36
between
single
Squash, May 10 - plants;
72 - 96 1 1 packet
winter June 1 60 - 72
between
hills of
three
May 10 -
Sweet corn 30 12 1-2 1 packet
July 1
April 1 - May 15 - ¼ 1 packet or
Tomato 24 - 36 36 - 48
15 June 1 (indoors) 6 - 8 plants
April 15
Turnip 15 - 18 3-4 ½ 1 packet
or Aug. 1
24 - 36
between
single
May 15 - plants;
Watermelon 60 - 72 ½ 1 packet
June 1 60 - 72
between
hills of
three

This schedule is a general guide for the zone, please check with your local extension office for precise information
for your specific area. Copyright © www.thevegetablegarden.info 2012.