Zone 5 vegetable planting calendar
Average frost dates and when to start, transplant and sow common vegetables in USDA zone 5 (5a and 5b) for the 2027 season.
Last spring frost (avg.)
Apr 25
First fall frost (avg.)
Oct 10
Growing season
~168 days
frost-free
Month by month in zone 5
January
- Start indoors: Onion
February
- Start indoors: Tomato
- Start indoors: Pepper
- Start indoors: Eggplant
- Start indoors: Broccoli
- Start indoors: Cabbage
March
- Transplant out: Cabbage
- Transplant out: Onion
- Start indoors: Lettuce
- Sow outdoors: Lettuce
- Sow outdoors: Spinach
- Sow outdoors: Peas
- Sow outdoors: Radish
- Start indoors: Cucumber
- Start indoors: Squash & zucchini
- Start indoors: Basil
April
- Transplant out: Broccoli
- Sow outdoors: Carrot
- Sow outdoors: Potato
May
- Transplant out: Tomato
- Transplant out: Pepper
- Transplant out: Eggplant
- Sow outdoors: Bush beans
- Sow outdoors: Sweet corn
- Sow outdoors: Cucumber
- Sow outdoors: Squash & zucchini
- Transplant out: Basil
Planting dates by crop
Tomato
- Start indoors
- Feb 28 – Mar 14
- Transplant out
- May 2 – May 16
Pepper
- Start indoors
- Feb 14 – Feb 28
- Transplant out
- May 9 – May 23
Eggplant
- Start indoors
- Feb 14 – Feb 28
- Transplant out
- May 9 – May 23
Broccoli
- Start indoors
- Feb 28 – Mar 14
- Transplant out
- Apr 4 – Apr 18
Cabbage
- Start indoors
- Feb 28 – Mar 14
- Transplant out
- Mar 28 – Apr 11
Onion
- Start indoors
- Jan 31 – Feb 14
- Transplant out
- Mar 28 – Apr 11
Lettuce
- Start indoors
- Mar 14 – Mar 28
- Sow outdoors
- Mar 28 – Apr 18
Spinach
- Sow outdoors
- Mar 14 – Apr 4
Peas
- Sow outdoors
- Mar 14 – Mar 28
Radish
- Sow outdoors
- Mar 28 – Apr 18
Carrot
- Sow outdoors
- Apr 4 – Apr 25
Potato
- Sow outdoors
- Apr 4 – Apr 18
Bush beans
- Sow outdoors
- May 2 – May 16
Sweet corn
- Sow outdoors
- May 2 – May 16
Cucumber
- Start indoors
- Mar 28 – Apr 4
- Sow outdoors
- May 2 – May 16
Squash & zucchini
- Start indoors
- Mar 28 – Apr 4
- Sow outdoors
- May 2 – May 16
Basil
- Start indoors
- Mar 14 – Mar 28
- Transplant out
- May 2 – May 16
Other zones
Turn these dates into reminders
Smart Garden Planner keeps your seed-starting, transplant and harvest dates on one calendar with morning reminders.
Frost dates are broad averages for zone 5 and can differ by several weeks locally. Planting windows follow common extension seed-starting guidance. Check your local extension office for exact dates.