How to use the planting schedule from frost dates
- Enter your last spring frost date. Use the date you trust for your own garden. The tool does not look dates up.
- Optionally enter a first fall frost date so late harvests can be flagged.
- For each crop, enter the weeks before the last frost to start seeds indoors (leave it blank to skip), the weeks after the last frost to plant outside (a minus sign means before), and the days to harvest if you want a harvest date.
- Read the dates by crop and the combined calendar in date order. Copy, print or download the table.
Formula
Indoor start = last frost date - (weeks before x 7 days)
Outdoor planting = last frost date + (weeks after x 7 days)
Harvest = outdoor planting date + days to harvest
Weeks are whole numbers, counted as 7 calendar days. A minus sign on the outdoor weeks means that many weeks before the last frost.
Last frost on April 15, 2027
With a last frost date of April 15, 2027 and the example row for tomatoes (start indoors 6 weeks before, plant out 2 weeks after, 70 days to harvest), the indoor start is March 4, 2027. Planting outdoors is April 29, 2027 and the harvest date is July 8, 2027.
A second example crop with no indoor start, planted 4 weeks before the last frost with 45 days to harvest, gives an outdoor date of March 18, 2027 and a harvest on May 2, 2027. A third, planted 1 week after the last frost with 55 days, gives April 22 and June 16. The calendar lists all seven dates in order, starting with the tomatoes on March 4.
Where the numbers come from
The weeks and days in the starting rows are examples only. They are there so you can see how the table works. Seed packets, local garden advice and your own records are better sources, and every crop differs. The tool adds your weeks to your frost date and nothing more, so it makes no claim about any crop or place.
Frost dates change from year to year and from one yard to the next, because of slope, cold air pockets and nearby buildings. Treat the output as a plan to adjust, and check your own forecast before putting tender plants outside.
Using the calendar
The second table puts every task in date order, so you can print it and tick items off. If a harvest date lands after your fall frost date, the table says so, which is a sign to choose a faster crop or plant earlier.
For planning beds and soil, the raised bed soil calculator and the mulch and gravel calculator help with quantities.
Assumptions and limits
- Weeks and days per crop are numbers you enter. The ones shown are examples.
- Dates are plain calendar dates with no time zone or daylight saving effects.
- No frost, climate or planting advice for any region is included.
- The default last frost date is a stand-in date 90 days from today. Replace it with your own.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my last frost date?
This tool does not look it up. Use a date from your own records, a local garden source or an extension service for your area, and remember that it is an estimate that changes from year to year.
What does a minus sign mean in the outdoor weeks?
A minus sign means before the last frost. Minus 4 plants four weeks before the last frost date, which suits crops that tolerate cool weather.
Can I plan a fall garden with this?
You can enter weeks that make sense for your plan and compare harvest dates with your first fall frost date. The tool will flag any harvest that falls after it.
Why is the harvest date only an estimate?
It is the planting date plus the days you typed. Weather, variety and care change how fast a plant matures, so the real date can move.