The Complete USDA Zone 5 Planting Calendar & Guide

Welcome to gardening in Zone 5, a region of true four-season living. Our cold winters and distinct growing season demand careful planning for a successful harvest. This Zone 5 guide is built to be your master plan, providing two distinct timelines: an ‘Aggressive’ schedule for those eager to get an early start, and a ‘Safe’ schedule that waits for the soil to be reliably warm. Find the perfect dates for your gardening style below.

Key Dates for Zone 5

Understanding the frost patterns in your area is fundamental to successful gardening. Here are the key baseline dates I use to create your planting calendar, offering both an early-start (“Aggressive”) and a safer approach:

Spring Planting Baselines

  • Aggressive Spring Planting Baseline: Apr 30th
  • Safe Spring Planting Baseline: May 7th

Fall Planting Baselines

  • Aggressive Fall Planting Baseline: Oct 9th
  • Safe Fall Planting Baseline: Oct 3rd

Note: The “Aggressive” fall date is later because it aims to maximize the growing season, accepting a higher risk of an early frost.

The USDA Zone 5 Planting Calendar

This comprehensive calendar provides specific planting windows for a variety of common vegetables, taking into account both my Aggressive and Safe spring and fall planting baselines.

How to Use This Calendar

This calendar provides key planting dates for two gardening styles—Aggressive and Safe—to suit your tolerance for risk. The logic for spring and fall planting is different, so please read the descriptions below.

For Spring Planting:

  • Safe: For gardeners who prefer a cautious approach. This means planting later to ensure minimal risk of frost damage to new seedlings from a late spring frost.
  • Aggressive: For gardeners who want to get a head start. This involves planting earlier and being prepared to protect young plants from potential late frosts.

For Fall Planting:

Aggressive: For gardeners who want to maximize their harvest. This involves planting later to extend the growing season as long as possible, while being prepared to protect plants from an unexpected early frost.

Safe: For gardeners who prioritize a guaranteed harvest. This means planting earlier in the season to ensure crops are fully mature before the first frost of autumn arrives.

VegetablePlanting MethodSpring Planting (Aggressive)Spring Planting (Safe)Fall Planting (Aggressive)Fall Planting (Safe)Days to Harvest (days)Notes
RadishesDirect Sow OnlyMar 19 – Apr 2Mar 26 – Apr 9Aug 28 – Sep 11Aug 22 – Sep 521-35Cool-season crop; requires loose soil. For continuous harvest, sow every 1-2 weeks until weather warms.
LettuceDirect sow or start seeds indoorsApr 2 – Apr 16Apr 9 – Apr 23Jul 31 – Aug 14Jul 25 – Aug 845−60For spring planting, you can direct sow on this date. To get a head start, start seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before this date for transplanting.
Bush BeansDirect Sow OnlyMay 7 – May 14May 14 – May 21Jul 3 – Jul 17Jun 27 – Jul 1150-60Warm-season crop; direct sow after frost. No support needed.
ZucchiniDirect Sow (recommended)May 7 – May 14May 14 – May 21N/AN/A45-60For an earlier harvest, start seeds indoors 2-4 weeks so they are ready to transplant on the ‘Safe’ planting date.
TomatoesStart indoors, then transplantMay 7 – May 14May 14 – May 21N/AN/A50-90+Dates are for transplanting outdoors. Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks prior.
PeasDirect Sow Recommended (Can start indoors)Mar 19 – Apr 2Mar 26 – Apr 9Jul 31 – Aug 14Jul 25 – Aug 855-70Frost-hardy: plant early & provide a trellis. Harvest daily to maximize yield before summer heat ends the season.
SpinachDirect Sow (recommended)Mar 19 – Apr 2Mar 26 – Apr 9Aug 14 – Aug 28Aug 8 – Aug 2240-60Very cold-hardy; plant early. Keep soil moist to prevent bitterness. Harvest outer leaves for a continuous supply before summer heat arrives.
KaleDirect sow or start seeds indoorsApr 2 – Apr 16Apr 9 – Apr 23Jul 11 – Aug 10Jul 5 – Aug 455-75Very cold-hardy. Frost improves flavor, making fall harvests sweeter. Harvest outer leaves to allow the plant to keep producing.
BasilStart Indoors or Direct SowMay 7 – May 14May 14 – May 21Jul 17 – Jul 31Jul 11 – Jul 2560-75Spring date is for transplanting; start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks prior. Fall date is for direct sowing.
MintTransplants or CuttingsApr 16 – Apr 30Apr 23 – May 7Aug 14 – Aug 28Aug 8 – Aug 2230-40Dates are for transplants (not seed). Harvest continuously once established.
GarlicDirect Sow OnlyApr 2 – Apr 16Apr 9 – Apr 23Aug 28 – Sep 11Aug 22 – Sep 5~270Plant from cloves; harvest time shown is for fall planting. Fall planting is strongly recommended. Use Hardneck cloves & apply a thick winter mulch (4-6″). Spring planting yields much smaller, often undivided bulbs.

✔ Accuracy is my priority. The key planting dates in this calendar are calculated based on representative Aggressive and Safe frost date baselines established for each zone. Because your garden’s microclimate may vary, I strongly recommend that you verify your local frost dates for the most accurate timing. Learn My Methodology & Find a Frost Date Tool Here.

The Science Behind My Calendars

My calendars are built upon a rigorous, data-driven process. By analyzing historical frost data for several populous and representative cities within each USDA zone, I establish both an average and a conservative “safe” frost date. This ensures the planting windows you see here are both accurate and reliable.

To see the full list of cities and data points used in my research, please visit the My Research Data page. For a complete explanation of the calculation process, you can read about My Methodology.

Your Next Step: Learn How to Grow

Now that you know when to plant in Zone 5, the next step is learning how to grow each vegetable from seed to a successful harvest.

My complete guides provide detailed, step-by-step instructions for everything you’ll need. Explore the full library to turn this calendar into a thriving, productive garden.

Explore All Vegetable Growing Guides →

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