Zone 3a planting calendar

What to plant in June: zone 3a

A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 3a: last spring frost around May 30, first fall frost around September 10. Zones are set by winter lows, not frost dates, so two gardens in the same zone can be weeks apart. Measure your ZIP below for dates from your area's own 30-year record.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.
Typical last frost: May 30
Typical first frost: September 10
Winter lows: -40 to -35 °F
Zone 3a Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Start indoors for fall

  • Kale2 sowings: Jun 2 and Jun 30

    Fall kale window opens. Sow trays any time in the next four weeks. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Broccoliaround Jun 13

    Seedlings need 5 weeks before they go out for a fall harvest.

Direct sow for fall

  • Parsleyaround Jun 4

    Fall parsley window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Bush beanaround Jun 9

    Fall bush bean window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Lettucearound Jun 10

    Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut.

  • Peaaround Jun 14

    Fall pea window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Cilantroaround Jun 15

    Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut.

  • Carrotaround Jun 15

    Fall carrot window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Beetaround Jun 19

    Fall beet window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

  • Dillaround Jun 19

    Fall dill window opens. Sowing now beats the last-minute date by a month of growth.

Direct sow

  • Bush bean2 sowings: Jun 6 and Jun 13

    Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Dry Bush Beanaround Jun 6

    Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

  • Sunflower (Seed)around Jun 6

    Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

  • Summer Savoryaround Jun 6

    Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

  • Boragearound Jun 6

    Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

  • Basil2 sowings: Jun 13 and Jun 13

    Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Pumpkinaround Jun 13

    Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

  • Buckwheataround Jun 13

    Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

  • Beetaround Jun 27

    Warm soil: first summer sowing of beet.

Transplant out

  • Tomatoaround Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Bury 2/3 of the transplant stem. Roots form along the buried stem for a stronger plant.

  • Basilaround Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Pinch flower spikes the moment you see them: leaves stay sweet all season.

  • Brussels Sproutsaround Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. This is a fall crop: frost is what turns the sprouts sweet. Around 4 weeks before harvest, top the growing tip so the plant pushes size into the sprouts.

  • Pumpkinaround Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Count back 100 days from your first frost to time a Halloween harvest. Cure cut pumpkins in the sun for 10 days and leave 3 in of stem so they store for months.

  • Summer Savoryaround Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Harvest just before flowering for the best flavor, then shear the whole plant back for a second flush.

  • Lovagearound Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Grows 4-6 ft tall once established; give it the back of the bed and divide the crown every few years to keep it productive.

  • Catniparound Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Fence it off if cats roam the neighborhood: they'll flatten the plant and any seedlings around it rolling in the scent.

  • Elderberryaround Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Plant two different cultivars for better fruit set; cut clusters when berries turn deep purple-black and cook before eating, never raw.

  • Black Currantaround Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Check state rules before planting: currants can be restricted near white pine stands due to blister rust; resistant cultivars exist where it's allowed.

  • Gooseberryaround Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Prune to an open vase shape each dormant season; good airflow through the center is the best defense against mildew.

  • Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Fruit looks ripe well before it's ready; wait until berries turn nearly black and soften slightly to avoid the sharp astringency of early picking.

  • Honeyberry (Haskap)around Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Plant two different cultivars for pollination; it flowers and fruits earlier than almost any other berry, often before strawberries.

  • Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Needs one male plant for every 6-8 females to fruit; the branches are thorny, so many growers cut whole fruited branches to harvest rather than pick berry by berry.

  • Cranberryaround Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Needs boggy, acidic soil, pH 4-5; without a naturally wet, peaty spot, grow it in a lined bed you can flood periodically.

  • Lingonberryaround Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Mulch with pine needles or peat to hold the acidic soil pH it needs; it can produce two crops a year in longer seasons.

  • Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Netting is close to mandatory: birds often strip a tree bare within a day or two of the berries ripening.

  • Chokecherryaround Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Leaves, twigs, and pits contain cyanogenic compounds and are toxic to people and livestock. Use only the cooked, strained pulp, and keep wilted prunings away from animals.

  • Highbush Cranberryaround Jun 13

    Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Fruit is sour and best after frost; buy the American species rather than the European lookalike, whose fruit is bitter and far less useful.

  • Sweet Potatoaround Jun 20

    Safe to set out 3 weeks after last frost. Plant rooted slips, not seed. Wait until soil holds 65F, then let vines sprawl and cure roots at 80F for 10 days before storage: that curing step is what makes them sweet.

Garden care

  • Mulch every bed2 sowings: Jun 20 and Jun 27

    3-4 in of straw or leaves now holds water, blocks weeds, and cools roots for the whole summer. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

Succession sow

  • Bush beanaround Jun 27

    Sowing 2: replant every 14 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

Turn this into your own calendar

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