Zone 5b planting calendar

What to plant in July: zone 5b

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

Direct sow for fall

  • Bush beanaround Jul 4

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

  • Lettuce2 sowings: Jul 5 and Jul 26

    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 9

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

  • Cilantro2 sowings: Jul 10 and Jul 31

    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 10

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

  • Beetaround Jul 14

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

  • Dillaround Jul 14

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

  • Spinacharound Jul 26

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

  • Parsleyaround Jul 27

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

Succession sow

  • Winter squash2 sowings: Jul 7 and Jul 28

    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.

  • Beetaround Jul 14

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

  • Carrotaround Jul 14

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

  • Cucumberaround Jul 21

    Sowing 4: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

  • Zucchiniaround Jul 21

    Sowing 4: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

  • Basilaround Jul 21

    Sowing 4: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

Garden care

  • Scout for pests weeklyaround Jul 7

    Squash bugs, hornworms and cucumber beetles peak now: five minutes of hand-picking beats a rescue spray.

Start indoors for fall

  • Broccoliaround Jul 8

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

  • Kalearound Jul 25

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

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