SowByZipgarden planner

Gardening guides

Practical how-tos to go with your frost dates: what to plant when, how to start and harden off seedlings, and how to protect them from frost.

  • How frost dates work
    What last and first frost dates mean, how NOAA calculates the probabilities, and how to adjust for your garden.
  • Cool-season vs. warm-season crops: what to plant when
    Which vegetables and herbs tolerate frost and which need warm soil, how to sequence a garden through spring, summer and fall around your frost dates, and a table of frost tolerance for 40+ crops.
  • Soil temperature for planting
    Why soil temperature matters more than the calendar for germination, how and when to measure it, how to warm cold soil, and a table of minimum soil temperatures for common crops.
  • How to protect plants from a late spring frost
    What to do when frost is forecast after you have planted: which plants are at risk, how row covers, cloches and cold frames work, watering, what not to do, and how to check for damage afterwards.
  • Hardening off seedlings: a day-by-day schedule
    Why indoor seedlings need hardening off before transplanting, a simple 7–10 day schedule for sun, wind and cold, signs of trouble, and how to plant out with minimal transplant shock.
  • Starting seeds indoors
    How to time indoor seed starting from your last frost date, which crops are worth starting indoors, light and temperature for sturdy seedlings, watering, potting up and avoiding damping-off and leggy plants.
  • Planning a fall garden
    How to time fall vegetable plantings from your first fall frost date, the fall factor, which crops do best in fall, sowing in summer heat, and stretching the harvest with covers.
  • Crop timing guide
    Week-by-week timings for 43 crops relative to your frost dates.