Garden Almanac: What to Do in the Garden This Month by Zone

Not sure what to do in the garden right now? Pick your USDA hardiness zone group and a month to see the key tasks for that time of year. Your choice is remembered in this browser, so next visit the page opens on your zone.

Your zone: Month:

January

Cold zones (USDA 1 to 4): Order seeds and plan your crop rotation; Clean, oil and sharpen tools; Brush heavy snow off shrubs and evergreens

Mild zones (USDA 5 to 7): Order seeds and test old seed for germination; Check stored bulbs, tubers and squash for rot; Mulch beds where freeze-thaw cycles can heave plants

Warm zones (USDA 8 to 11): Plant bare-root fruit trees, berries and roses; Sow peas, spinach, lettuce and radishes outdoors; Start tomatoes and peppers indoors late in the month

February

Cold zones (USDA 1 to 4): Start onions and leeks indoors under lights; Plan your bed layout with the garden planner; Buy seed before popular varieties sell out

Mild zones (USDA 5 to 7): Start onions, leeks and celery indoors; Prune dormant apple and pear trees on dry days; Start peppers and eggplant indoors late in the month

Warm zones (USDA 8 to 11): Start tomatoes, peppers and eggplant indoors; Direct sow peas, carrots, beets and greens; Prune roses and fruit trees before buds swell

March

Cold zones (USDA 1 to 4): Start peppers and eggplant indoors; Set up a cold frame or low tunnel; Order bare-root plants for spring delivery

Mild zones (USDA 5 to 7): Start tomatoes indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost; Sow peas, spinach and radishes as soon as soil can be worked; Plant onion sets and seed potatoes late in the month

Warm zones (USDA 8 to 11): Transplant tomatoes and peppers after the last frost; Direct sow beans, corn and squash once soil is warm; Plant sweet potato slips late in the month

April

Cold zones (USDA 1 to 4): Start tomatoes indoors; Sow peas and spinach when the soil thaws; Spread compost on beds

Mild zones (USDA 5 to 7): Transplant broccoli, cabbage and kale; Plant potatoes and onions; Begin hardening off seedlings

Warm zones (USDA 8 to 11): Plant tomatoes, peppers and squash; Sow beans, cucumbers and melons; Mulch to conserve moisture before heat arrives

May

Cold zones (USDA 1 to 4): Plant cool-season crops outdoors; Harden off warm-season transplants; Plant tender crops only after the last frost

Mild zones (USDA 5 to 7): Transplant tomatoes, peppers and eggplant after the last frost; Direct sow beans, cucumbers, squash and corn; Mulch and put up trellises and stakes

Warm zones (USDA 8 to 11): Harvest spring greens before heat arrives; Water deeply and mulch against rising heat; Sow okra, southern peas and sweet potato slips

June

Cold zones (USDA 1 to 4): Plant warm-season crops now that frost has passed; Thin seedlings and keep weeds down; Succession sow carrots, beans and lettuce

Mild zones (USDA 5 to 7): Succession sow beans, carrots and beets; Water about an inch a week in the morning; Scout for cucumber beetles, squash bugs and hornworms

Warm zones (USDA 8 to 11): Water early in the day and mulch; Use shade cloth for heat-sensitive crops; Harvest often to keep plants producing

July

Cold zones (USDA 1 to 4): Harvest peas, greens and early potatoes; Sow quick crops such as radishes and lettuce; Water deeply and mulch

Mild zones (USDA 5 to 7): Start broccoli, cabbage and kale seed indoors for fall; Harvest zucchini and beans every day or two; Water deeply during dry spells

Warm zones (USDA 8 to 11): Sow fall brassica seed in a shaded spot; Shade and water crops during heat waves; Harvest tomatoes, peppers and okra regularly

August

Cold zones (USDA 1 to 4): Sow fast fall crops such as spinach, radishes and lettuce; Harvest storage onions when tops fall over; Order garlic bulbs for fall planting

Mild zones (USDA 5 to 7): Sow carrots, beets, lettuce and spinach for fall; Transplant broccoli, cabbage and kale; Order garlic and spring bulbs

Warm zones (USDA 8 to 11): Transplant fall brassicas late in the month; Sow bush beans and cucumbers for a fall crop; Keep mulch topped up and water deeply

September

Cold zones (USDA 1 to 4): Harvest tender crops before the first frost; Save seed from open-pollinated plants; Plant garlic at the end of the month

Mild zones (USDA 5 to 7): Sow spinach, lettuce and radishes for fall; Plant cover crops in empty beds; Dig and cure potatoes and winter squash

Warm zones (USDA 8 to 11): Plant lettuce, carrots, peas and kale; Divide and replant perennials; Prepare beds with compost

October

Cold zones (USDA 1 to 4): Plant garlic and spring-flowering bulbs; Mulch strawberries and perennials once the ground chills; Clean up diseased plant debris

Mild zones (USDA 5 to 7): Plant garlic and spring-flowering bulbs; Cover tender crops on frost nights; Rake leaves for compost or mulch

Warm zones (USDA 8 to 11): Plant cool-season vegetables; Plant trees and shrubs while soil is warm; Chill tulip bulbs before planting

November

Cold zones (USDA 1 to 4): Mulch garlic, strawberries and perennials; Drain and store hoses; Wrap young tree trunks against rodents

Mild zones (USDA 5 to 7): Finish planting garlic in colder areas; Protect fruit trees from rodents and deer; Clean and store tools

Warm zones (USDA 8 to 11): Sow lettuce, spinach and peas under cover; Plant bare-root trees late in the month; Cover crops with row cover on frost nights

December

Cold zones (USDA 1 to 4): Plan next year with the garden planner; Check stored produce and bulbs; Feed birds and keep a water source thawed

Mild zones (USDA 5 to 7): Review your garden notes and plan rotations; Check stored produce and tubers; Order seed catalogs and plan beds

Warm zones (USDA 8 to 11): Plant bare-root fruit trees and roses; Harvest greens under protection; Review season notes and plan spring

How to use this almanac

These tasks are general guides for the Northern Hemisphere and are grouped into three zone ranges. Cold zones (1 to 4) have short seasons and late last frosts, mild zones (5 to 7) cover most of the central and eastern US and much of Europe, and warm zones (8 to 11) have long seasons and mild winters. Your exact dates depend on local weather, so confirm with your own frost dates.

Find your zone with the growing zone finder.
Look up your last and first frost dates with the frost dates by ZIP code tool.
Get a personal list with what to plant now by ZIP code.
Plan sowing dates with the planting calendar and the seed starting calculator.

The garden year at a glance

Winter is for planning, ordering seed, pruning dormant fruit trees and starting slow crops such as onions indoors. Spring brings sowing peas and spinach, transplanting after the last frost, and building soil with compost. Summer is about steady watering, mulching, harvesting often and sowing again for fall. Fall is the time for planting garlic and bulbs, protecting plants from frost and preparing beds for winter.

Frequently asked questions

What if I live in the Southern Hemisphere?

Shift the months by six months: for example, use the July tasks in January. The zone groups still apply, but check local frost dates.

What is the difference between my zone and my frost date?

Your hardiness zone describes average winter lows and tells you which perennials survive. Your frost dates tell you when it is safe to plant tender crops. You need both.

Why does the list change by zone?

Warm zones can plant outdoors earlier and must protect crops from summer heat, while cold zones need to start seeds indoors and plant later.