Zone 3b planting guide
Still a counted northern season. A few more days than 3a, not a different strategy.
- Last spring frost
- May 18
- First fall frost
- Sep 18
- Winter low
- −35 to −30°F
The trap
Transplanting tomatoes because a packet said May.
What actually finishes
Short-season fruit started indoors, two sowings of greens, garlic if you mulch hard.
This week in Zone 3b
Plan, don't sow
Order seed. Sketch the bed. Indoor starts are still weeks out.
Nothing urgent this week in this zone. Use the calendar for the year view, or browse crops to plan.
Crops for this zone
- Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Zucchini
- Beans
- Kale
- Spinach
- Radish
- Carrots
- Peas
- Cilantro
- Sunflower
- Zinnia
- Garlic
- Arugula
- Broccoli
- Swiss chard
- Beets
- Dill
- Marigold
- Onions
- Potatoes
Year at a glance
January
Rest. Inventory leftover seed. Do not buy 40 tomato varieties.
February
Plan, order, or rest — match the frost dates at the top of this page.
March
Start peppers indoors. Order the last of the seed. Do not sow outdoors.
April
Start tomatoes indoors. Cool crops can be sown under cover or in a cold frame.
May
Typical last-frost month. Harden off. Direct-sow radish, lettuce, peas if you have not.
June
Warm soil. Beans, squash, basil, zinnias, cucumbers. Transplant tomatoes.
July
Fall greens in now if you have not. Count days. Skip new long-season fruit.
August
Last radish and spinach. Prep garlic ground. Harvest the tender things.
September
Typical first-frost month. Plant garlic. Mulch. Take notes while you remember the year.
October
Plan, order, or rest — match the frost dates at the top of this page.
November · now
Plan, order, or rest — match the frost dates at the top of this page.
December
Rest. Inventory leftover seed. Do not buy 40 tomato varieties.
The sow list
A note when it is time to sow
Seasonal, not daily. We will send what to start in your zone, and skip the rest of the year.
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