Zone 5a planting calendar

What to plant in July: zone 5a

A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 5a: last spring frost around May 10, first fall frost around October 1. 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 10
Typical first frost: October 1
Winter lows: -20 to -15 °F
Zone 5a Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Direct sow for fall

  • Lettuce2 sowings: Jul 1 and Jul 22

    Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Peaaround Jul 5

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

  • Cilantro2 sowings: Jul 6 and Jul 27

    Succession sowing 3 of 3. Sow every 21 days for a steady cut. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Carrotaround Jul 6

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

  • Beetaround Jul 10

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

  • Dillaround Jul 10

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

  • Spinacharound Jul 22

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

  • Parsleyaround Jul 23

    Counts back 70 days from your first frost. Takes a light frost with cover.

  • Bush beanaround Jul 28

    Counts back 55 days from your first frost. Frost-tender: must finish before frost.

Start indoors for fall

  • Broccoliaround Jul 4

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

  • Kalearound Jul 21

    Seedlings need 4 weeks before they go out for a fall harvest.

Succession sow

  • Bush beanaround Jul 5

    Sowing 4: replant every 14 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

  • Cucumber2 sowings: Jul 5 and Jul 26

    Sowing 3: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Zucchini2 sowings: Jul 5 and Jul 26

    Sowing 3: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Sweet cornaround Jul 5

    Sowing 4: replant every 14 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

  • Basil2 sowings: Jul 5 and Jul 26

    Sowing 3: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Winter squasharound Jul 12

    Sowing 3: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

  • Beetaround Jul 19

    Sowing 3: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

Garden care

  • Shade the cool-season bed2 sowings: Jul 5 and Jul 12

    30-40% shade cloth keeps lettuce, cilantro and spinach from bolting in peak heat. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

Turn this into your own calendar

Want this calendar emailed to you?

Get the full 12-month version for your ZIP area. Every sowing, transplant, and harvest window, with reminders you can add to your calendar.

Build my free plan Find my zone & frost dates