Zone 5a planting calendar

What to plant in June: 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.

Plan & order

  • Order fall seedaround Jun 3

    Fall brassicas and greens get sown in the heat of summer. Have the seed on hand before that window opens.

Start indoors for fall

  • Broccoliaround Jun 6

    Fall broccoli window opens. Sow trays any time in the next four weeks.

  • Kalearound Jun 23

    Fall kale window opens. Sow trays any time in the next four weeks.

Succession sow

  • Bush bean2 sowings: Jun 7 and Jun 21

    Sowing 2: replant every 14 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 corn2 sowings: Jun 7 and Jun 21

    Sowing 2: replant every 14 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.

  • Cucumberaround Jun 14

    Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

  • Zucchiniaround Jun 14

    Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

  • Basilaround Jun 14

    Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

  • Winter squasharound Jun 21

    Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

  • Beetaround Jun 28

    Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

  • Carrotaround Jun 28

    Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

Direct sow

  • Beetaround Jun 7

    Warm soil: first summer sowing of beet.

  • Carrotaround Jun 7

    Warm soil: first summer sowing of carrot.

Garden care

  • Set up deep watering3 sowings: Jun 7 and Jun 21 and Jun 28

    Switch to fewer, longer soaks (1-1.5 in/week at the root) instead of daily sprinkles. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

Direct sow for fall

  • Parsleyaround Jun 25

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

  • Bush beanaround Jun 30

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

Turn this into your own calendar

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