Zone 4a planting guide

A short, bright summer. Frost-free weeks are the whole argument. Indoor starting is how fruit happens.

The trap

Buying 80-day heirlooms because they look like a garden. They will not finish.

Early Girl, Provider beans, kale, garlic. A heat mat in March is worth more than a fifth tomato variety.

This week in Zone 4a

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.

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

Seasonal, not daily. We will send what to start in your zone, and skip the rest of the year.

No spam. Unsubscribe any time. Partner links may appear in letters.