I’m Planning on Growing a Vegetable Garden. What Should I Do to Prepare and When Is the Best Time to Start Planting?

Do you plan on growing cool-season vegetables with edible leaves like lettuce, spinach, arugula, coriander, mustard greens, cabbage, collard, kale or Brussels sprouts?

Can you provide the necessary conditions to sow seeds indoors?

Do you plan on growing cool-season vegetables with edible roots or modified underground stems like carrots, radishes, beets, onions, fennels, potatoes, and sweet potatoes?

Do you plan to grow cool-season vegetables with edible stems or flowers like ginger, broccoli, and cauliflower?

Do you plan on growing cool-season vegetables with edible seeds like peas and broad beans?

Do you plan on growing warm-season vegetables with edible fruit like beans, corn, cucumbers, edamame, eggplant, muskmelons, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomato, watermelon, and zucchini?

Can you provide the necessary conditions to sow the seeds indoors?

Do you plan on growing biennial and perennial vegetables like artichokes, asparagus, chive, garlic, leek, parsley and turnip?

Start growing lettuce, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kale by sawing them indoors, 4 - 6 weeks before the last frost day of the winter (depending on hardiness zone). Move them outside when they sprout and develop leaves. All cool-season vegetables can be planted as soon as the ground can be tilled. Depending on the hardiness zone, this could be from late March to late April in mild-climate regions.

Cool-season vegetables can be planted as soon as the ground can be tilled, but some vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kale have more chance to grow healthy if sawn indoors before moving them outside. Depending on the hardiness zone, this could be from late March to late April in mild-climate regions.

Start growing onions and sweet potatoes by sawing them indoors, 4 - 6 weeks before the last frost day of the winter (depending on hardiness zone). Move them outside when they sprout and develop leaves. All cool-season vegetables can be planted as soon as the ground can be tilled. Depending on the hardiness zone, this could be from late March to late April in mild-climate regions.

Cool-season vegetables can be planted as soon as the ground can be tilled, but some vegetables like onions and sweet potatoes have a better chance of growing to be healthy if sawn indoors before they are moved outside. Depending on the hardiness zone, this could be from late March to late April in mild-climate regions.

Start growing broccoli and cauliflower by sawing them indoors, 4 - 6 weeks before the last frost day of the winter (depending on hardiness zone). Move them outside when they sprout and develop leaves. All cool-season vegetables can be planted as soon as the ground can be tilled. Depending on the hardiness zone, this could be from late March to late April in mild-climate regions.

Cool-season vegetables can be planted as soon as the ground can be tilled, but some vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower have more chance of growing to be healthy if sawn indoors before they are moved outside. Depending on the hardiness zone, this could be from late March to late April in mild-climate regions.

Cool-season vegetables can be planted as soon as the ground can be tilled. Depending on the hardiness zone, this could be from late March to late April in mild-climate regions. Some vegetables like peas can be sawn indoors, 4-6 weeks before moving them outside.

Start growing cucumbers, eggplants, peppers and tomato by sawing them indoors when spring comes and soil temperature rises at around 60°F. Depending on the hardiness zone, this could be from late April to late May in mild-climate regions. Move them outside 4-6 weeks later, when they sprout and develop leaves.

Warm-season vegetables can be planted when soil temperature rises to around 60°F. Depending on the hardiness zone, this could be from late April to late May in mild-climate regions. Some vegetables like cucumbers, eggplants, peppers and tomatoes have a better chance of growing to be healthy if sawn indoors before moving them outside.

In mild climates plant artichokes in fall for spring harvest, asparagus in fall or winter, chive in fall or spring, garlic and leek in fall, parsley and turnip in fall or early spring.

First find out what the hardiness zone of your region is and then research how and when a specific vegetable should be planted.