Understanding Your Frost Dates
Before planting anything in spring, you need to know two dates: your last average frost date in spring and your first average frost date in autumn. Everything else — when to start seeds, when to transplant, when to direct sow — is calculated from these anchors.
You can find your local frost dates through your country's meteorological service or cooperative extension resources. Once you know them, write them somewhere visible in your garden journal or shed.
Early Spring: Cool-Season Crops (4–6 Weeks Before Last Frost)
Many vegetables actually prefer cool weather and can tolerate light frost. These are your earliest opportunities to get something in the ground:
- Peas — direct sow as soon as soil can be worked; they need the cold
- Spinach — direct sow; handles frost well and bolts in summer heat
- Lettuce — direct sow or transplant; protect with row cover if a hard freeze threatens
- Radishes — fast-growing; sow every 2 weeks for continuous harvest
- Kale and chard — hardy and productive; transplant or direct sow
- Onion sets and garlic — plant as soon as ground thaws if not already in from autumn
Mid-Spring: Transitional Planting (2–4 Weeks Before Last Frost)
As temperatures stabilize, you can expand your range. Crops with a little more cold-sensitivity can go out with some protection:
- Broccoli and cabbage transplants — harden off and plant out; use cloches if frost threatens
- Carrots and beets — direct sow into prepared, loose soil
- Chard and Asian greens — direct sow; fast to establish
- Potatoes — plant seed potatoes once soil reaches about 45°F (7°C)
This is also the time to be starting your warm-season crops indoors if you haven't already — tomatoes, peppers, and basil all need 6–8 weeks of indoor growing before they go outside.
Late Spring: Warm-Season Crops (After Last Frost)
Once your last frost date has passed and soil temperatures have warmed (at least 60°F / 15°C for most warm-season crops), the main event begins:
- Tomatoes — transplant hardened-off seedlings; stake or cage at planting time
- Peppers and eggplant — wait until nights are reliably above 50°F (10°C)
- Courgettes and squash — direct sow or transplant; they grow fast once soil is warm
- Cucumbers — direct sow in hills; loves warmth and moisture
- Beans (French and runner) — direct sow after last frost; don't transplant
- Basil — transplant or direct sow; a single cold night can set it back severely
Succession Planting: Keep Harvests Coming
One of the most valuable spring habits is succession planting — sowing the same crop every 2–3 weeks instead of all at once. This is especially effective for:
- Lettuce and salad greens
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Beans
- Coriander and dill
Instead of a glut followed by nothing, you get a steady, manageable harvest across the whole season.
A Simple Spring Planting Timeline
| Timing | Outdoor Direct Sow | Start Indoors |
|---|---|---|
| 6 weeks before last frost | Peas, spinach, onion sets | Tomatoes, peppers |
| 4 weeks before last frost | Lettuce, kale, radishes | Cucumbers, basil |
| 2 weeks before last frost | Carrots, beets, potatoes | Squash, courgettes |
| After last frost | Beans, squash, cucumbers | Transplant everything out |
Spring gardening rewards the patient and the prepared. Plan a little, observe often, and don't be afraid to start small and build from there.