← All zones

Zone 7B Vegetable Planting Calendar

When can you plant in Zone 7B? In Zone 7B, outdoor sowing opens with cool-season crops like Lettuce and Spinach in January, and warm-season crops like Tomato follow after the ~March 25 last frost. The season runs about 221 frost-free days, until ~November 1. The calendar below scores all 35 crops month by month.

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 ZIP region, sun, and soil, get your free AI garden plan.

Last frost (50/50 date)

~March 25

First frost (50/50 date)

~November 1

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 region and lets you pick your risk.

Zone 7B Month by Month

The same verdicts as the grid, read as a to-do list. Temperatures are the zone-level model this calendar scores against — your bed's soil thermometer overrules them.

1. January soil ~46°F · highs ~47°F · 20 of 35 crops in a good window
   Opens: Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, Arugula, and Carrot and 10 more. Start indoors: Onion, Pepper, Eggplant, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Chives, and Parsley.
2. February soil ~47°F · highs ~50°F · 20 of 35 crops in a good window
   Start indoors: Lettuce, Kale, Swiss Chard, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Tomato, Basil, Okra, and Sweet Potato. Nothing new opens or closes.
3. March soil ~52°F · highs ~58°F · 20 of 35 crops in a good window
   Start indoors: Zucchini, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Watermelon, and Cantaloupe. Nothing new opens or closes.
4. April soil ~58°F · highs ~69°F · 20 of 35 crops in a good window
   Last good month for: Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Cilantro, and Parsley. Risky: Tomato, Basil, Zucchini, and Cucumber and 3 more (soil still cool (~58°F)).
5. May soil ~65°F · highs ~81°F · 26 of 35 crops in a good window
   Opens: Tomato, Pepper, Eggplant, Basil, Zucchini, and Cucumber and 5 more. Risky: Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, and Cilantro and 1 more (heat bolting risk).
6. June soil ~69°F · highs ~89°F · 29 of 35 crops in a good window
   Opens: Okra, Watermelon, and Cantaloupe. Last good month for: Pumpkin and Sweet Potato.
7. July soil ~71°F · highs ~92°F · 27 of 35 crops in a good window
   Last good month for: Tomato, Pepper, Eggplant, Corn, Sunflower, and Watermelon and 1 more.
8. August soil ~69°F · highs ~89°F · 20 of 35 crops in a good window
   Last good month for: Cauliflower, Onion, Potato, Basil, Zucchini, and Cucumber and 2 more.
9. September soil ~65°F · highs ~81°F · 12 of 35 crops in a good window
   Last good month for: Kale, Swiss Chard, Carrot, Beet, Broccoli, and Cabbage and 1 more. Risky: Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, and Cilantro and 1 more (heat bolting risk); Cauliflower (finishes just ahead of first frost); Garlic (shoulder of the garlic window).
10. October soil ~58°F · highs ~69°F · 6 of 35 crops in a good window
    Opens: Garlic. Last good month for: Radish. Risky: Spinach, Arugula, and Cilantro (last sowing before the window closes).
11. November soil ~52°F · highs ~58°F · 5 of 35 crops in a good window
    Last good month for: Garlic. Risky: Radish (finishes just ahead of first frost).
12. December soil ~47°F · highs ~50°F · 4 of 35 crops in a good window
    Risky: Garlic (shoulder of the garlic window). Nothing new opens or closes.

When to Start Seeds Indoors vs. Direct Sow in Zone 7B

In Zone 7B, start Onion, Rosemary, Eggplant and other transplants indoors 5–10 weeks before your ~March 25 last frost, then set them out once it passes. Arugula, Bean, Beet and the other direct-sow crops go straight into the bed. Exact indoor start dates for every crop are below.

Planting a fall garden? Count the indoor weeks back from your transplant date instead of the spring frost — the free AI plan's prep runway computes that per plant, including hardening-off days.

How Much Fits in a Zone 7B Season

• 24 of 35 crops have four or more good planting months in Zone 7B.
• Widest windows: Chives (12 months), Oregano (12 months), Rosemary (12 months).
• Tightest windows: Cantaloupe (2), Garlic (2), Pumpkin (2), Sweet Potato (2), Watermelon (2) — plant these on the first good month, not the last.
• Good months per crop in Zone 7B: Chives 12 · Oregano 12 · Rosemary 12 · Thyme 12 · Radish 10 · Beet 9 · Broccoli 9 · Cabbage 9 · Carrot 9 · Kale 9 · Peas 9 · Swiss Chard 9 · Cauliflower 8 · Onion 8 · Potato 8 · Arugula 4 · Basil 4 · Bean 4 · Cilantro 4 · Cucumber 4 · Lettuce 4 · Parsley 4 · Spinach 4 · Zucchini 4 · Corn 3 · Eggplant 3 · Okra 3 · Pepper 3 · Sunflower 3 · Tomato 3 · Cantaloupe 2 · Garlic 2 · Pumpkin 2 · Sweet Potato 2 · Watermelon 2

Zone 7B Planting FAQ