My Seed Starting and Transplant Calendar
One of my gardening besties in the Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook book group asked if I could share my exact calendar for starting seeds and transplanting into the garden.
Is she in the same area as me? Nope. Even the same USDA Hardiness Zone? Also, no. So, why does she want to know when I do things if it won’t be at the same time she does things?
Because, by her own admission, she is NOT a planner. Total opposite of me, who loves planning.
She said, “Im allergic to planning.
Another podcaster that I follow close to my area and climate shared their entire calendar week by week one time, and it was like getting to copy someone else’s homework instead of having to do it myself. (Also worth noting is that the only style planner I’ve had any loyalty to is a perpetual weekly garden planner.) I know you are trying to teach folks that everything is dependent on their own climate/micro climate- but if you were to also share these dates, I would know I have to be somewhere between the 2, since you are in 6, I’m in 7 and they are in 8– but also because we are in very similar parts of the country, with you being just a bit north of me and them just a bit south.
Ever thought of sharing your calendar? (Do my homework for me!)”
After I mentioned this on the podcast, several others reached out to say they, too, would love to see my calendar and would find it useful. So, after some delay and without further ado, I present my seed starting and transplant dates for your planning pleasure.
Keep in mind, I am in west central Missouri which is USDA Hardiness Zone 6b. Our usual last frost date is around April 20th. I base my dates on both frost dates and historical soil temperatures and only transplant once I know both the air temp and soil temp are conducive to growth for that plant family. The calendar is a guide, Mother Nature has the final say.
Here are the keys:
🏠Start indoors
🌿Direct sow
🌱Transplant hardened off seedlings (start hardening off 7 days prior to this date)
| Date | Method | Crop |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Jan | 🏠 | Onions, Lavender, Rosemary, Celery, Leeks |
| 1-Feb | 🏠 | Parsley, Pansies, Marigolds, Allysum |
| 6-Feb | 🏠 | Large Brassicas - Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, etc. |
| 15-Feb | 🏠 | Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Chives |
| 21-Feb | 🏠 | Peppers, Eggplant, Pac Choi, Chard |
| 1-Mar | 🏠 | Head lettuce |
| 4-Mar | 🏠 | Luffa |
| 9-Mar | FEED | Garlic, Onions (overwintered) |
| 14-Mar | 🏠 | Basil, Tomatoes |
| 15-Mar | 🌿 | Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Loose-leaf lettuce, Arugula |
| 🌱 | Collards, Kale, Onions | |
| 20-Mar | 🌱 | Large Brassicas - Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, etc. |
| 21-Mar | 🏠 | Heat lettuce (succession) |
| 22-Mar | 🌿 | Peas, Spinach, Salad Turnips, Potatoes |
| 29-Mar | 🌱 | Pac Choi, Head lettuce |
| 🌿 | Radishes (succession) | |
| 30-Mar | 🌱 | Celery |
| 1-Apr | 🌱 | Chard, Parsley |
| 4-Apr | 🏠 | Summer squashes |
| 6-Apr | FEED | Garlic, Onions (overwintered) |
| Large Brassicas - Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, etc. | ||
| 12-Apr | 🌿 | Radishes, Salad Turnips (succession) |
| 🌱 | Chives | |
| 14-Apr | 🏠 | Cucumbers |
| 15-Apr | 🌿 | Bush beans, Arugula, Kale, Chard, Loose-leaf (successions) |
| 🌱 | Cilantro | |
| 19-Apr | 🌱 | Head lettuce (succession) |
| 🌿 | Pole beans | |
| 26-Apr | 🌱 | Summer squashes |
| 5-May | 🌱 | Cucumbers, Dill, Rosemary, Lavender |
| 8-May | 🌿 | Bush beans (succession) |
| 9-May | 🌿 | Summer squashes (succession) |
| 10-May | 🌱 | Peppers, Tomatoes, Basil |
| 16-May | 🌿 | Cucumbers (succession) |
| 17-May | 🌿 | Melons, Okra |
| 🌱 | Eggplant | |
| 24-May | 🌿 | Winter squashes |
| 🌱 | Luffa | |
| 30-May | TREAT | Tomatoes (copper spray for fungal diseases) |
| 31-May | 🌿 | Summer squashes (succession) |
| 5-Jun | 🌿 | Cucumbers (succession) |
| 8-Jun | 🏠 | Large Brassicas (Fall Succession) |
| 27-Jun | TREAT | Tomatoes (copper spray for fungal diseases) |
| 5-Jul | 🏠 | Pac Choi, Kohlrabi, Pansies (Fall successions) |
| 6-Jul | 🌿 | Summer squashes (succession) |
| 13-Jul | 🏠 | Head lettuce (Fall succession) |
| 20-Jul | 🌱 | Large Brassicas (Fall Succession) |
| 25-Jul | 🌿 | Carrots, Radishes (fall succession) |
| 2-Aug | 🌿 | Beets, Salad turnips (fall succession) |
| 10-Aug | 🌿 | Loose-leaf lettuce, Kale, Chard, Arugula (baby leaf fall successions) |
| 16-Aug | 🌱 | Pac Choi, Kohlrabi (Fall succession) |
| 🌿 | Radishes (fall succession) | |
| 15-Nov | 🌱 | Garlic, Onions Sets (to overwinter) |
Note that some of the things I start indoors can be direct sown and vice versa, depending on your climate. This calendar changes ever-so-slightly from year to year, based on the previous year’s experiences. I’m always tweaking my processes.
Obviously some of these dates have already passed, but I’m hopeful this will be a handy reference for your future planting endeavors. These dates are all marked in my Grow & Flourish Planner from the Girly Homesteader, Laura Millet. (You can save 10% with code JUSTGROW).
Is there anything I forgot? Reach out and let me know if you need more info! Happy planting!
Your Friend in the Garden,
