Zone 6a planting calendar

What to plant in July: zone 6a

A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 6a: last spring frost around April 30, first fall frost around October 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: April 30
Typical first frost: October 10
Winter lows: -10 to -5 °F
Zone 6a Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Succession sow

  • Winter squash2 sowings: Jul 2 and Jul 23

    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.

  • Beet2 sowings: Jul 9 and Jul 30

    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.

  • Carrotaround Jul 9

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

  • Cucumberaround Jul 16

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

  • Zucchiniaround Jul 16

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

  • Basilaround Jul 16

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

Garden care

  • Scout for pests weeklyaround Jul 2

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

Start indoors for fall

  • Kale2 sowings: Jul 2 and Jul 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 Jul 13

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

Direct sow for fall

  • Parsleyaround Jul 4

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

  • Bush beanaround Jul 9

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

  • Lettuce2 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.

  • Peaaround Jul 14

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

  • Cilantroaround Jul 15

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

  • Carrotaround Jul 15

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

  • Beetaround Jul 19

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

  • Dillaround Jul 19

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

  • Spinacharound Jul 31

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

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