Countdown to the Last Frost:
Seeds to Sow Now for a Plentiful Season

The countdown begins! Things are ramping up as the last frost date approaches, with more overlap between indoor and outdoor sowings. It’s a frenetic part of the growing season, as we get cool-loving crops in the ground and tender crops started indoors. The weather is fickle–with frosty nights and warmer, sometimes rainy days; row cover comes in handy for sudden dips in temperature, giving these early direct-sown crops a head start. Indoors, we're busy sowing all kinds of tender vegetables, flowers, and herbs! With so much going on, it's easy to miscalculate timings, but a planting guide or sowing schedule can help keep us on track.

Here in Accord, NY, where the Hudson Valley Seed Co farm is located, the frost-free date generally arrives in mid-May. Using this date, we've created a sowing schedule that should work for most growers in the Northeast. Find the schedule here.

Growers in any region can consult our Spring Planting Guide Poster (above right). Designed in collaboration with artist Cynthia Cliff, this beautiful wall poster is organized around seasonal shifts, rather than dates, so that the information remains relevant no matter where you live. Find the 11x14" version here. Read on for a quick overview of what to sow in the coming weeks.

Four weeks before the last frost

  • Sow Outdoors (keep row cover handy): Chard, Lettuce, Early Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Broccoli, Tatsoi, Bok Choy, Arugula, Spring Raab, Parsley, Scallions, Chives, Garlic Chives, Radishes, Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, Peas, Spinach, Spring/Summer Onions. 
  • Transplant (keep row cover handy): Lettuce, Spring Raab, Parsley, Scallions, Chives, Garlic Chives.
  • Start Indoors: Peppers, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Strawflower, Zinnia, Tithonia, and Cosmos.

Three weeks before the last frost

  • Sow Outdoors  (keep row cover handy): Chard, Lettuce, Early Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Broccoli, Tatsoi, Bok Choy, Arugula, Spring Raab, Parsley, Scallions, Chives, Garlic Chives,  Radishes, Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, Peas, Spinach, Spring/Summer Onions, Borage, Calendula, Morning Glory, Spider Flower.
  • Transplant (keep row cover handy): Early Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Kohlrabi, Broccoli, Tatsoi, Bok Choy, Arugula, Lettuce, Spring Raab, Parsley, Sccalions, Chives, Garlic Chives. 
  • Start Indoors: Peppers, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Strawflower, Zinnia, Tithonia, Cosmos, Ruby Moon Hyacinth Bean, Borage.

Two weeks before the last frost

  • Sow Outdoors (keep row cover handy): Chard, Lettuce, Early Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Broccoli, Tatsoi, Bok Choy, Arugula, Spring Raab, Parsley, Scallions, Chives, Garlic Chives, Radishes, Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, Peas, Spinach, Spring/Summer Onions, Borage, Calendula, Morning Glory, Spider Flower.
  • Transplant (keep row cover handy): Early Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Kohlrabi, Broccoli, Tatsoi, Bok Choy, Arugula, Lettuce, Spring Raab, Parsley, Scalions, Chives, Garlic Chives, Celery, Celeriac.
  • Start Indoors: Okra, Cucumbers, Melons, and Squash.

One week before the last frost 

  • Direct Sow: Radishes, Beets, Chard, Carrots, Parsnips, Peas, Spinach, Arugula, Spring/Summer Onions, Borage, Calendula, Morning Glory, Spider Flower.
  • Transplant (keep row cover handy): Early Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Kohlrabi, Broccoli, Tatsoi, Bok Choy, Arugula, Lettuce, Spring Raab, Parsley, Scallions, Chives, Garlic Chives, Celery, Celeriac.
  • Start Indoors: Okra, Cucumbers, Melons, and Squash.

Week of the last frost 

  • Transplant (keep row cover handy): Tomatoes, Okra, Cucumbers, Melons, and Squash, Zinnias and other tender flowers.
  • Transplant: Early Cabbage, Kale, Kohlrabi, Collards, Broccoli, Tatsoi, Arugula, Parsley, Scallions, Lettuce, Chives, and Garlic Chives.  

Once we're safely within the frost-free zone, planting opportunities really open up! There would be too many varieties to list here, so just read the sowing instructions featured under the seed listings on our website. And don't forget, varieties that mature quickly are great candidates for succession sowing. The last frost never means it's the last chance to sow!