Sagely Sprout
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Zone 5A Vegetable Planting Calendar
Scored per crop from your zone's frost dates, each crop's days-to-maturity, and typical soil temperatures — honestly, including when not to plant.
A zone caveat: USDA zones reflect winter lows, not summer heat — this calendar is a zone-level guide. For timing tuned to your exact zip code, sun, and soil, get your free AI garden plan.
A single frost date is a coin flip dressed up as a fact: these are the 50/50 dates, and about half of years see frost past them. Across 4,330 NOAA stations, frost odds typically stay near 1 in 3 for about a week past the date and don't drop below 1 in 10 until roughly 16 days past it — cautious growers wait those two-plus weeks; gamblers plant on the date and keep row cover handy. The free AI plan reads the real percentile dates for your zip and lets you pick your risk.
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Plus a short what-to-plant-now note for Zone 5A each month.
| Crop | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | ||||||||||||
| Lettuce | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Spinach | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Kale | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Risky — possible with care | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Swiss Chard | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Arugula | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Carrot | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Radish | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Risky — possible with care | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Beet | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Broccoli | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Cabbage | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Cauliflower | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Risky — possible with care | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Peas | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Risky — possible with care | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Onion | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Risky — possible with care | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Potato | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Cilantro | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Parsley | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Risky — possible with care | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Fall-planted bulbs | ||||||||||||
| Garlic | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Risky — possible with care | Off-season — wait |
| Warm-season crops | ||||||||||||
| Tomato | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Risky — possible with care | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Pepper | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Eggplant | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Basil | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Risky — possible with care | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Zucchini | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Risky — possible with care | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Cucumber | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Risky — possible with care | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Bean | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Risky — possible with care | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Corn | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Risky — possible with care | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Pumpkin | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Risky — possible with care; Fits only with short-season varieties — choose the fastest days-to-maturity you can find. | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Sunflower | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Risky — possible with care | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Heat lovers | ||||||||||||
| Okra | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Risky — possible with care; Fits only with short-season varieties — choose the fastest days-to-maturity you can find. | Risky — possible with care; Fits only with short-season varieties — choose the fastest days-to-maturity you can find. | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Sweet Potato | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Risky — possible with care; Fits only with short-season varieties — choose the fastest days-to-maturity you can find. | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Watermelon | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Risky — possible with care; Fits only with short-season varieties — choose the fastest days-to-maturity you can find. | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Cantaloupe | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Risky — possible with care; Fits only with short-season varieties — choose the fastest days-to-maturity you can find. | Risky — possible with care; Fits only with short-season varieties — choose the fastest days-to-maturity you can find. | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Perennial herbs | ||||||||||||
| Rosemary | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Thyme | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Oregano | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
| Chives | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Good — plant now | Off-season — wait | Off-season — wait |
Get this calendar in your inbox
Plus a short what-to-plant-now note for Zone 5A each month.