Zone 6 Planting Schedule: Spring, August, and Fall Dates
Zone 6 spring planting runs April to May. August is for fall greens, carrots, and kale. Plant garlic in October. See month-by-month crops.
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Zone 6 zone 6 planting schedule vegetable calendar
Zone 6 Planting Schedule
Zone 6 has a real winter, a workable spring, and enough summer heat for tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, and melons. Exact timing still depends on your local last frost and first frost dates. Use the ThriveThyme zone 6 planting calendar as the crop-specific reference, then adjust by weather and soil temperature.
Cool-season crops can start before warm-season crops. Warm-season crops should wait until frost danger has passed and the soil is warm. Fall crops need to be started early enough that they mature before short days and hard freezes slow growth.
Early Spring
- Peas: Direct sow as soon as soil can be worked and is not waterlogged.
- Lettuce: Sow or transplant in cool weather.
- Bok choy: Plant in cool conditions to keep it from bolting (flowering early and turning bitter).
- Parsley: Start indoors early or transplant after hard freezes ease.
After Frost
- Jalapenos: Transplant around the zone 6 warm-season window, often April to May.
- Tomatoes: Transplant after nights are reliably mild.
- Squash: Direct sow or transplant after soil warms.
- Watermelon: Plant late enough for warm soil, usually late April to May for zone 6.
Late Summer and Fall
Start fall crops while the weather is still warm enough for seeds to sprout. Lettuce, bok choy, peas, and some herbs can return as temperatures cool. For fruit, fall can be a good time to plant June-bearing strawberries if the crowns (the base of the plant where roots meet leaves) have time to root before winter.
What to Plant in August in Zone 6
August is fall-crop month: lettuce, kale, spinach, carrots, beets, turnips, and broccoli transplants. Skip new tomatoes and melons from seed. Full list: what to plant in August in zone 6.
Next Steps
Write down your local frost dates, then back up from them for seed starting. If spring is cold and wet, wait. If summer heat arrives early, prioritize warm-season transplants and irrigate deeply.