Plant now · October
Fall planting and harvest
VegetablesWhen to Plant GarlicPlant garlic in fall, a few weeks before the ground freezes: about mid-October in zones 4–6 and later in zones 7–10. Dates by zone, depth and mulch.Bulbs & FlowersWhen to Plant Tulip BulbsPlant tulip bulbs once the soil is below 60 °F: Sept–Oct in zones 3–6, Nov–Dec in zones 7–8. Chill them first in zones 8–10. Plant 6–8 inches deep.Bulbs & FlowersWhen to Plant Daffodil BulbsPlant daffodil bulbs in fall: mid-September to October in zones 3–6, October to early December in zones 7–9, 6–8 inches deep. They return every spring.VegetablesWhen to Harvest Sweet PotatoesHarvest sweet potatoes 90–120 days after planting, before frost or soil below 55 °F. Cure them at 80–85 °F for a week, then store at 55–60 °F.LawnBest Time to Plant Grass SeedSow cool-season grass in late summer to early fall, mid-August to mid-October by region, and warm-season grass in late spring. Dates by zone and grass.
Free tools
Calculators
ToolFrost Dates by ZIP CodeAverage last spring and first fall frost dates for your ZIP code, with the odds of a later or earlier frost and your growing season, from NOAA 1991–2020 data.CalculatorMulch CalculatorMulch calculator for beds and tree rings: cubic feet, cubic yards and bags. A cubic yard is 27 cu ft, 13½ bags of 2 cu ft, and covers 108 sq ft 3 in deep.ToolWhat Gardening Zone Am I In?Enter your ZIP code to find your USDA hardiness zone on the 2023 map, your coldest-night range and your frost dates, plus the zones for every state.
Browse
Topics
2 pagesZones & FrostYour USDA hardiness zone and your average first and last frost dates: the two numbers every planting date depends on.2 pagesVegetablesWhen to plant, how deep and when to harvest vegetables, by hardiness zone, from university extension guides.2 pagesBulbs & FlowersWhen and how deep to plant bulbs and flowers in your zone, with the chilling warm-climate gardeners need.1 pageLawnWhen to seed, overseed and feed a lawn, by grass type and region, from university turf programs.1 pageCalculatorsEnter your bed or yard and get how much mulch, soil or seed to buy, in bags and cubic yards.
How we work
Planting dates differ by state, so we take them from the extension service that covers each region (Minnesota’s for zone 4, NC State’s for zone 8, and so on) and name the source next to every date. How we source our dates.