The calendar on the following pages show the plantings and harvestings for a complete year. The garden has been planned, through the types of vegetables grown and the timing of the plantings, to give a long continuous harvest from spring into late fall. Harvesting begins with the overwintered crops, then they are joined by early sown cool-season vegetables, as it gets hot, tomatoes and bush beans enter the procession, producing up into fall in conjunction with the late sowings of cool-season plants.
In the initial planting all sowings are made as early as safely possible. The hardiest going in about as soon as the soil can be worked: The earlier the sowing the earlier the harvest. Sowings both in the initial and succession plantings are grouped together as much as possible, reducing labor and conserving water. It requires less effort and water to make a number of sowings all at the same time than to make many individual sowings.
This calendar represents a typical year. The planting and harvesting times may fluctuate from year to year as there are many variables in gardening. The weather, being the biggest variable, does not always do what we would like it to do.
Planting dates are based on USDA zone 6 guidelines: the spring first frost free date is May 15th. Earliest fall frost date is October 15th, but in my area frost usually comes much later.
If your zone generally corresponds to the above guidelines all plantings and harvesting dates should pretty much apply. If not, adjust the dates to suit your local conditions.
Finish reading seed catalogs.
Finalize selections, order
seeds anytime this month.
Review last season’s
garden diary to avoid
repeating any mistakes.
Get ready for the new season.
Around the end of the
month, weather permitting,
remove mulch from beds.
Pull and eat any carrots,
arugula or endive that have
survived the winter.
Sow outdoors (about March 15)
Group A: fava beans/radishes.
Group B: peas.
Group C: onions.
Harvest:
Overwintered Swiss chard and parsley.
Sow outdoors (about April 1)
Group A: Swiss chard,
parsley/radishes.
Group C: leaf lettuce,
endive, arugula, bibb lettuce.
Sow indoors (about April 1)
Group B: tomato seeds
(for transplants).
Sow outdoors (about April 15)
Group C: beets, carrots.
Harvest:
Overwintered Swiss chard
and parsley, radishes.
Transplant outdoors (about May 15)
Group B: tomato transplants.
Harvest:
Swiss chard, parsley, peas,
radishes, endive, arugula,
leaf lettuce, bibb lettuce.
Sow outdoors (about June 15)
Group A: broccoli seed (in flats).
Group B: carrots, bush beans.
Harvest:
Swiss chard, parsley, peas,
radishes, endive, arugula,
leaf lettuce, bibb lettuce,
fava beans, garlic,
onions/scallions.
Sow and transplant* outdoors
(About July 15 or later)
Group A: endive,
leaf lettuce, bibb lettuce,
arugula, radishes, *broccoli.
(About July 30)
Group C: bush beans.
Harvest:
Swiss chard, parsley, fava
beans, tomatoes, beets,
carrots, endive, leaf lettuce,
bibb lettuce, onions/scallions.
Harvest:
Swiss chard, parsley,
tomatoes, bush beans, endive,
arugula, leaf lettuce, bibb
lettuce, radish, onions.
Harvest:
Swiss chard, parsley,
tomatoes, carrots,
bush beans,
endive, arugula,
leaf lettuce, bibb lettuce.
Plant outdoors (about October 15 or later)
In Group B bed: garlic.
Harvest:
Swiss chard, parsley,
tomatoes, endive,
arugula, leaf lettuce,
bibb lettuce,
carrots, broccoli.
Harvest:
Swiss chard, parsley,
broccoli, carrots,
endive, arugula,
leaf lettuce, bibb lettuce.
Also stored:
green tomatoes
that have turned red.
If you haven’t finished shutting everything down in November, do it now, as soon as practical!
The beds under their cozy blankets of shredded leaves will get a good sleep and be in great shape for next season.
Time to relax so that you too will be in great shape for next season.