Cold Climate Planting Calendar: What to Plant Each Month
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This is your month-by-month guide to what to plant in a cold climate garden – Zone 3–5 (USA/Canada) and H6–H8 (Nordic countries and Northern Europe).
At a glance – cold climate planting calendar:
| Month | Outdoors | Indoors |
| February–March | — | Leeks, peppers, celeriac, onions from seed |
| April | Spinach, peas, radishes, lettuce, arugula | Tomatoes, brassicas |
| May | Carrots, beets, turnips, hardy herbs | Basil, remaining warm-season crops |
| June | Fast-growing greens, succession sowing | — |
| July | Succession sowing, kale, autumn roots | — |
| August | Spinach, arugula, lettuce for autumn harvest | — |
| September | Cold-tolerant greens under protection | — |
Use this calendar as a starting point. Adjust 1–2 weeks based on your last frost date and whether your soil has reached the minimum temperature for each crop.
Whether you garden in the northern US, Canada, Scandinavia, or northern Europe, this calendar gives you a practical month-by-month guide to the growing season. New to cold climate gardening? Start with our overview of Cold Climate Gardening basics in our guide to growing food in northern regions.
You can see examples of reliable crops in our guide to leafy greens for cold climate gardens and root vegetables that grow well in cool soil.
Understanding Your Growing Season
Most cold climate gardens have:
- short summers
- late spring frosts
- early fall frost
A typical northern growing season lasts 90–120 days.
Because of this, many gardeners rely on:
- seed starting indoors
- cold-tolerant crops
- fast-growing vegetables
If you want to start plants earlier, see our guide to seed starting in cold climates, which explains how to start vegetables indoors before the outdoor season begins.
Early Spring: Preparing the Garden
Early spring is often too cold for most crops, but it is the perfect time to prepare the garden.
Typical early-season tasks include:
- preparing soil
- improving drainage
- adding compost
- planning planting beds
You can learn more about preparing garden soil in our guide to soil preparation for cold climate gardening.
Once the soil warms slightly, a few vegetables can already be planted.
These early crops are usually cold-tolerant vegetables.
Mid Spring: Planting Cool Season Crops
As temperatures begin to rise, cool-season vegetables can be planted.
Common crops planted in mid spring include:
- spinach
- peas
- radish
- lettuce
- carrots
These vegetables grow well in cool soil and often tolerate light frost. Many of these vegetables grow especially well in raised beds, where soil warms faster in spring. Vegetables for raised beds.
Many gardeners start with leafy greens because they grow quickly and perform well in cool temperatures.
See our detailed guide to leafy greens in a cold climate garden to learn which varieties perform best.
Late Spring: Transplanting and Fast Crops
Late spring is when the garden begins to grow rapidly.
At this stage you can:
- transplant seedlings started indoors
- plant fast growing vegetables
- begin succession planting
Fast-growing vegetables are especially valuable in cold climates because they produce harvests before the end of the short season.
Examples include:
- radish
- spinach
- arugula
- turnips
You can explore these crops in our guide to fast growing vegetables for cold climates.
Summer: Maximizing the Harvest
During the short summer, growth is at its fastest.
This is the time to:
- maintain soil moisture
- harvest regularly
- plant additional fast crops
Many gardeners plant a second round of quick vegetables during summer to extend harvests.
Root vegetables such as carrots and beets often grow especially well in these conditions.
For a complete overview, see our guide to growing root vegetables in cold climates.
Late Summer: Planning for Fall Harvests
In cold climates, fall gardening begins surprisingly early.
Late summer is the time to plant:
- leafy greens
- turnips
- radishes
- spinach
These crops mature quickly and tolerate cool temperatures.
Many of these crops actually develop better flavor after light frost. Late summer planting is one of the most overlooked strategies for extending your harvest in a short growing season. See our guides to what to plant in August and what to plant in September for detailed advice on late-season planting.
Extending the Season
Cold climate gardeners often extend the growing season using simple techniques such as:
- row covers
- cold frames
- low tunnels
These methods protect plants from frost and allow vegetables to grow longer into fall.
You can learn how these systems work in our guide to season extension for cold climate gardening.
Cold Climate Planting Calendar Overview
Below is a simplified overview of the growing season.
Early spring
prepare soil and plan beds
Mid spring
plant cold tolerant crops
Late spring
transplant seedlings and fast crops
Summer
maintain and harvest vegetables
Late summer
plant fast crops for fall harvest
Season extension techniques can extend harvests even further.
Next Step: Month-by-Month Planting Guides
If you want detailed planting advice, continue with the monthly guides below.
Each guide covers exactly what to plant that month, which crops perform best, and how to make the most of the short growing season.
Month-by-Month Planting Guides for Cold Climate Gardens
- What to Plant in April in Cold Climates
- What to Plant in May in Cold Climates
- What to Plant in June in Cold Climates
- What to Plant in July in Cold Climates
- What to Plant in August in Cold Climates
- What to Plant in September in Cold Climates
Each guide includes crop suggestions, timing advice, and practical tips for getting the most out of a short growing season. Add your internal links to each month above.
