When to Plant Vegetables For Zones 5-6

Each USDA planting zone has its own schedule for sowing seeds. If you're new to vegetable gardening, you'll want to know that there is a right time to sow each variety of vegetable seed. By following our zone chart for both cool and warm season vegetables, you'll be sure to sow your seeds in the correct window of time, enabling optimum sprouting and yield. And don't forget, the seeds you pick are also of the greatest importance. Even if you are an old hand in the vegetable garden, we hope that our USDA zone planting chart will be a useful tool for organizing your spring and summer vegetable planting.

Not sure what your USDA Zone is? Use our USDA hardiness zone finder.

A Garden Planting Chart
Crop	Days to Maturity	Spring Planting Dates	Fall Planting Dates	Seed/Plants 100 ft.	Distance Between Rows	Distance Between Plants	Depth to Plant
Asparagus	2nd season	Apr 5 - 25		50 roots	3 to 5 ft.	1½ to 2 ft.	6 in.
Bean, bush	50-60	Apr 25 - May 30	July 25-Aug 5	½ lb.	3 ft.	2 to 4 in.	1-1½ in.
Bean, pole	65-75	May 10 - 20		½ lb.	3 ft.	6 to 12 in.	1-1½ in.
Bean, lima	65-75	May 10 -25		1 lb.	2 to 2½ ft.	3 to 4 in.	1-1½ in.
Beet	55-65	Apr 1 - 15	Aug 1 - Sept 25	1 oz.	2 to 2½ ft.	2 in.	1 in.
Broccoli	60-80	Mar 25 - Apr 5	Sept. 25 - 30	100 plants	2½ ft.	14 to 18 in.	-
Cabbage	65-80	Apr 1 - 20	Sept 20 -30	100 plants	2½ ft.	12 in.	-
Cantaloupe	80-90	May 10 - 20		1 oz.	4 to 6 ft.	3½ to 4 ft.	1½ in
Carrot	70-80	Mar 25 - Apr 10	Sept 20 -30	½ oz.	2 ft.	2 to 3 in.	½ in.
Cauliflower	55-60	Apr 1 - 20	Sept 20 - 30	100 plants	3 ft.	12 to 18 in.	-
Collard	55-70	Mar 20 - Apr 10		½ oz.	2½ ft.	8 to 16 in.	½ in.
Corn	80-100	May 1 - July 20		¼ lb.	3 to 3½ ft.	12 to 18 in.	2 in.
Cucumber	60-65	May 10 - 30		1 oz.	3½ to 5 ft.	3 to 4 ft.	1½ in.
Eggplant	75-90	May 15 - 25		50 plants	3 ft.	2½ to 3 ft.	-
Kale	50-70	Mar 25 - Apr 5		½ oz.	3 ft.	10 in.	½ in.
Kohlrabi	50-70	Apr 1 - 15	Sept 20 - 25	½ oz.	3 ft.	10 in.	½ in.
Lettuce	60-85	Apr 1 - May 15	Sept 1 - 15	½ oz.	2 to 2½ ft.	10 to 12 in.	½ in.
Mustard	40-50	Mar 25 - May 1	Aug 1 - 30	½ oz.	2 ft.	1 in.	½ in.
Okra	55-60	May 10 - 25		1 oz.	3 to 3½ ft.	6 in.	1 in.
Onion (mature)	100-120	Mar 25 - Apr 15	Sept. 1-Dec. 31	300 plants or ½ gal. sets	1 to 2 ft.	3 to 4 in.	¾ in.
Peas, garden	60-80	Mar 25 - Apr 10		1 lb.	2½ ft.	1 in.	1½-2 in.
Peas, southern	60-70	May 1 - 15	-	½ lb.	3 ft.	4 to 6 in.	1½-2 in.
Pepper	65-80	May 15 - 30	-	50 plants	2½ ft.	1½ to 2 ft.	-
Potato, Irish	70-90	Apr 1 - 15		1 peck	2½ to 3 ft.	10 to 14 in.	5 in.
Potato, sweet	90-150	May 15-June 5	-	100 plants	3½ ft.	12 in.	-
Radish	25-30	Mar 25 - May 1	Aug 1- 20	1 oz.	1½ ft.	1 in.	½ in.
Spinach	40-45	Apr 1 - 20	Aug 10 - Sept 20	1 oz.	1½ to 2 ft.	1 to 2 in.	¾ in.
Squash, bush	50-55	May 15 - 30		1 oz.	3 to 4 ft.	2 ft.	1½-2 in.
squash, winter	85-90	May 15 - 30	-	½ oz.	5 ft.	3 ft.	1½-2 in.
Tomato	70-85	May 15 - 30		50 plants	3 to 4 ft.	2½ to 3 ft.	-
Turnip	45-65	Mar 25 - May 1	Aug 5 - Sept 20	½ oz.	1 to 2 ft.	1 to 2 in.	½ in.
Watermelon	80-90	May 10 - 20		1 oz.	10 ft.	8 to 10 ft.	1½ in.
Note: Planting dates in this chart are approximate for North Missouri. Southern plantings should vary around two weeks earlier in the spring and later in the fall and plantings may have to be delayed due to cold weather..

This schedule is a general guide for the zone, please check with your local extension office for precise information for your specific area. Copyright © thevegetablegarden.info 2012.