When to Plant Which Edibles?
One of the tricky parts about vegetable gardening is knowing exactly when to plant each crop.
Some plants are best direct-seeded into the garden, others are best grown from transplants.
Some need to go in the garden early so they’re done and ready by the time the weather gets hot.
Others will croak if you plant too soon.
Still others have two different planting windows, and a few can be planted successively throughout the season.
Also important is knowing which crops do best when direct-seeded into the ground vs. being started from a store-bought transplant or a young plant you’ve started inside from seed over winter.
Here’s a crop-by-crop calendar – geared to the Harrisburg area and based on my 40 years of veggie-growing experience – to help you know the ideal timing and seed/plant preferences of our most popular edibles:
Basil: Direct-seed or plant transplants from mid-May through end of July.
Beans, dill: Direct-seed from mid-May to end of July.
Beets: Direct-seed from early April to end of July.
Broccoli: Plant transplants in April early-summer harvest and again from mid-July to mid-August for fall harvest.
Brussels sprouts, cauliflower: Plant transplants in April for early-summer harvest and in July for fall harvest.
Cabbage: Plant transplants from third week of March through April for summer harvest and mid-July through mid-August for fall harvest.
This transplant is nicely rooted and ready to go in the ground.
Cantaloupes, watermelon, pumpkins: Direct-seed or plant transplants from mid-May through mid-June.
Carrots: Direct-seed between early April and end of July.
Chard: Direct-seed between mid-April and mid-July.
Collards: Direct-seed April through May for summer harvest and again in July for fall harvest.
Corn: Direct-seed from early May through end of June.
Cucumbers: Direct-seed or plant transplants between mid-May and mid-July.
Eggplants, peppers: Plant transplants between mid-May and mid-June.
Garlic: Plant cloves in mid-October to overwinter and harvest the following July.
Kale, turnips: Direct-seed in April for summer harvest and again in July for fall harvest.
Kolhrabi: Direct-seed from April through early May.
Leeks: Direct-seed or plant transplants in April.
Lettuce: Direct-seed or plant transplants in April through mid-May and again in mid-July through August for fall harvest. Heat-tolerant varieties can be direct-seeded throughout summer if kept watered and given some afternoon shade.
Okra: Direct-seed between mid-May and end of June.
Onions, shallots: Plant young “sets” between late March and April.
Parsley: Plant transplants in April.
Parsnips: Direct-seed in April.
Peas: Direct-seed from mid-March through end of April.
Potatoes: Plant seed pieces from late March and end of April for summer harvest and again from mid-June to mid-July for fall harvest.
Radishes: Direct-seed from late March through April for spring harvest and again from late July through August for fall harvest.
Spinach, arugula: Direct-seed from mid-March through mid-April for spring harvest and again in August for fall harvest.
Squash: Direct-seed from mid-May through end of June.
Sweet potatoes: Plant “slips” (rooted stems) from mid-May through mid-June.
Tomatoes: Plant transplants from mid-May through June.