Monthly Planting Guide for Pennsylvania

Here’s the short version: Pennsylvania’s planting season runs from March through October, with the heaviest action happening in April, May, and August. But if you’re only planting during those peak months, you’re leaving a lot on the table.

This guide covers every month of the year — what to plant, what to prep, and what to harvest — adjusted for the real differences between Eastern, Central, and Western PA. I keep a version of this pinned to my shed wall, and it’s the most-referenced thing I own.

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January

Not much happening outside, but January is when you set up your season for success.

Do this month: – Order seeds early. Popular tomato, pepper, and herb varieties sell out by February. I’ve missed out on my favorite cherry tomato seed more than once by waiting too long. – Review last year’s garden notes. What worked? What flopped? Rotate your crops — don’t plant tomatoes where you grew tomatoes last year. – Set up your indoor seed starting station. Get your grow lights, heat mats, and seed trays ready now so you’re not scrambling in February. – Start planning your garden layout on paper. – Start onion seeds indoors (all zones). Onions need a 10–12 week head start.

Zone 7a (Philadelphia area): You can start leek seeds indoors this month too.

February

February is when indoor seed starting kicks into high gear, especially for warm-season crops that need a long runway.

Start indoors (all zones): – Onion seeds (if not started in January) – Leeks – Peppers — they need 8–10 weeks before transplant, so February is the sweet spot – Early celery

Start indoors (zones 6b–7a only): – Tomatoes (late February for zone 7a gardeners) – Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage starts

Zone 7a bonus: By late February, you can start peas and spinach in cold frames outdoors. The soil is still cold, but these crops can handle it.

Prep tasks: – Test your soil if you haven’t in the last 2–3 years. Penn State Extension offers affordable soil testing that tells you exactly what amendments your PA clay needs. – Sharpen tools, clean pots, inventory supplies. – Prune fruit trees and grape vines while they’re still dormant — before buds break.

March

March is where the season starts to split by region. Eastern PA wakes up 2–3 weeks before Western PA.

Start indoors (all zones): – Tomatoes (6–8 weeks before your last frost — that’s now for most of PA) – Eggplant – Basil, parsley, cilantro – Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower (if not started in February)

Direct sow outdoors (zones 6b–7a, late March): – Peas – Spinach – Lettuce – Radishes – Arugula

Zone 5a–5b: March is still indoor season for you. Don’t rush it — your last frost isn’t until May.

Trees and shrubs: Late March is a good time to plant bare-root fruit trees in zones 6b–7a, before they break dormancy. Bare-root trees are cheaper than container trees and establish just as well when planted at the right time.

April

April is the biggest planting month for most of PA. The soil is warming up, the frost risk is dropping, and there’s plenty to do.

Direct sow outdoors (all zones by mid-to-late April): – Carrots – Beets – Swiss chard – Kale – Potatoes — St. Patrick’s Day is the folk tradition, but soil temperature matters more. Wait until soil hits 45°F. – Onion sets – Peas (if not planted in March)

Transplant outdoors (zones 6a–7a, after last frost): – Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower starts – Lettuce transplants

Still keep indoors (zones 5a–5b): Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant stay inside until May. Your frost date hasn’t passed yet.

Lawn care: April is prime time to apply pre-emergent crabgrass preventer across all PA zones. Timing matters — you want it down before soil temps hit 55°F consistently, which is when crabgrass germinates.

Trees: April is the ideal month to plant fruit trees, shade trees, and berry bushes> across all PA zones. The soil is thawed, moist, and warming.

May

May is green light month statewide. Even zones 5a–5b are past frost risk by mid-May.

Transplant outdoors (all zones after last frost): – Tomatoes — wait until soil is 60°F – Peppers – Eggplant – Cucumbers – Squash and zucchini

Direct sow outdoors (all zones): – Beans (bush and pole) – Sweet corn – Sunflowers – Pumpkins (for October harvest) – Melons (zones 6b–7a do best — they need a long, warm season)

Fruit: May is your last good window for planting strawberries, blueberries, and raspberry canes before summer heat stresses new transplants. Blueberries need acidic soil (pH 4.5–5.5) — most PA soil is close but test first.

Important: Don’t rush tomatoes and peppers out just because it feels warm. I’ve watched neighbors plant tomatoes May 1 in Central PA, only to cover them with buckets three nights running. Wait for your frost date plus the two-week buffer.

June

The planting frenzy is over. June shifts to maintenance and succession planting.

Still planting: – Succession plant bush beans every 2–3 weeks for continuous harvest through fall – Second round of cucumbers – Herb transplants — basil loves PA’s humid June weather – Sweet potato slips (zones 6b–7a)

Maintenance priorities: – Mulch everything. A 2–3 inch layer of organic mulch around all plants retains moisture and suppresses weeds. PA summers bring decent rain, but July dry spells are common. – Watch for tomato hornworms and squash vine borers — both active in PA by late June. – Train tomato plants to stakes or cages before they get unruly. – Start fertilizing heavy feeders (tomatoes, peppers, corn).

July

The hottest month in PA and the hardest on your garden. Focus shifts to keeping things alive and planning for fall.

Do this month: – Water deeply during dry spells — 1 inch per week minimum, more for containers. Deep watering beats frequent shallow watering. – Harvest garlic when the lower 3–4 leaves brown (if you planted last October). – Start fall crop seeds indoors: broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage for August transplanting. – Side-dress tomatoes and peppers with compost or balanced fertilizer. – Remove spent pea plants and replace with a fall crop.

Succession planting: Keep planting bush beans and cucumbers through mid-July.

According to Penn State Extension’s vegetable guide, many PA gardeners underestimate how much July’s heat stress affects tomato fruit set — temperatures consistently above 90°F can cause blossom drop. If your tomatoes stop setting fruit in a heat wave, they’ll resume once temps cool down.

August

August is secretly one of the most important planting months in Pennsylvania. Fall gardening starts now.

Direct sow outdoors for fall harvest: – Lettuce, spinach, arugula — these do better in fall than spring in PA because the cooling temps prevent bolting – Radishes – Turnips – Kale — one of the best fall crops for PA. Frost actually improves the flavor. – Beets – Cilantro (bolts in spring heat but thrives in fall)

Transplant outdoors: Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage starts from your July indoor sowing.

Lawn care (critical timing): Late August through mid-September is the #1 best window for overseeding and planting grass seed in PA. The soil is warm, the air is cooling, and fall rains help establishment. Don’t wait until October — that’s too late for good root development before winter.

Order garlic bulbs now for October planting. Good seed garlic sells out fast.

September

Fall’s best-kept secret: September is one of the best planting months in Pennsylvania for trees, shrubs, and perennials. The soil is still warm for root growth, but the air is cooling off, which means less transplant shock.

Plant now: – Trees and shrubs — September through mid-October is an excellent window. Trees planted in fall establish roots all winter and explode with growth in spring. – Spring-flowering bulbs: tulips, daffodils, crocuses, alliums – Garlic cloves (plant 4–6 weeks before ground freezes, so mid-October to early November for most of PA) – Cool-season grass seed (first half of September is ideal)

Still harvesting: – Tomatoes, peppers, and squash — keep picking until frost threatens – Apples — PA is one of the top apple-producing states. Harvest runs September through October depending on variety.

Start planning: Order next year’s seed catalogs. Take notes on what worked this season while it’s fresh.

October

The garden is winding down, but there’s still critical work to do before winter.

Finish planting: – Garlic (if not done in September) — this is your last chance – Remaining spring bulbs – Cover crops like winter rye or crimson clover on bare garden beds — they prevent erosion, suppress weeds, and add organic matter when you turn them under in spring

Garden closeout: – Pull spent annual plants and compost them (unless diseased — toss those in the trash, not the compost pile) – Cut back perennials after the first hard frost – Apply a 3–4 inch layer of mulch over perennial beds and around tree bases for winter insulation – Harvest remaining root crops (carrots, beets, parsnips) before the ground freezes — or mulch them heavily and harvest through December

November

Closeout month. The growing season is done across all of PA, but a few final tasks set you up for spring.

• Finish mulching all perennial beds, garlic beds, and tree bases
• Drain and store garden hoses before hard freezes — frozen water in a hose will crack it
• Clean, oil, and store tools. Five minutes now saves you from buying new ones in March.
• Empty and flip pots and rain barrels — PA’s freeze-thaw cycles will crack them.
• Take detailed garden notes — what varieties worked, what spacing you used, what you’d change.

Zone 7a: You might still have kale, spinach, and lettuce going under row covers. Keep harvesting as long as the plants produce.

December

Nothing’s going in the ground. This is planning and dreaming season.

• Browse seed catalogs and make your wishlist. Order in January before the best varieties sell out.
• Sketch your garden layout for next year. Rotate crop families — don’t put tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant in the same spot as last year (they’re all nightshades and share diseases).
• Research new varieties you want to try. PA gardeners in zones 5a–5b especially benefit from choosing cold-hardy and short-season varieties.
• Give or receive gardening books and tools for the holidays. An Old Farmer’s Almanac makes a solid stocking stuffer for any PA gardener.
• If you have a cold frame or unheated greenhouse, you can still harvest overwintered spinach and lettuce in zones 6b–7a.

Quick-Reference: What to Plant Each Month

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