Zone 6b planting calendar

What to plant in April: zone 6b

Zone 6b averages its last spring frost around April 25 and its first fall frost around October 15. Everything below is timed from those two dates, so it stays useful whether you're planting for summer or for a fall harvest.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.
Last frost: April 25
First frost: October 15
Winter lows: -5 to 0 °F
Zone 6b Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Direct sow

  • Carrotaround Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Kalearound Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Beetaround Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Onionaround Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Broccoliaround Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Chivesaround Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Kohlrabiaround Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Bok Choyaround Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Scallion (Green Onion)around Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Parsniparound Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Salsifyaround Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Lentilaround Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Sorrelaround Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Flax (Seed)around Apr 4

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Potatoaround Apr 11

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Cilantroaround Apr 11

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Parsleyaround Apr 11

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Swiss Chardaround Apr 11

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Collardsaround Apr 11

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Burdock (Gobo)around Apr 11

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Watercressaround Apr 11

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Apr 11

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Chamomile (German)around Apr 11

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Carawayaround Apr 11

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Chickpea (Garbanzo)around Apr 18

    Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.

  • Quinoaaround Apr 18

    Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.

  • Dillaround Apr 25

    Soil is ready 0 weeks after last frost.

Start indoors

  • Cucumberaround Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Trellis vertically to double yield in the same footprint and cut mildew.

  • Zucchiniaround Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). One plant feeds a family. Pick at 6-8 in for the sweetest fruit.

  • Winter squasharound Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Cure 10 days in a warm dry spot after harvest. The skin toughens and storage doubles.

  • Watermelonaround Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Ripe = tendril nearest the fruit is brown and the ground spot has turned buttery yellow.

  • Cantaloupe / Melonaround Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Ripe fruit slips off the vine with a gentle tug. The smell alone tells you.

  • Pumpkinaround Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). 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.

  • Honeydew Melonaround Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Unlike cantaloupe, honeydew doesn't slip from the vine when ripe; judge by a faint sweet smell and a slight give at the blossom end.

  • Butternut Squasharound Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). One of the best keepers: cure in the sun 10 days, then store at 55F and it holds for 3-6 months.

  • Acorn Squasharound Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Ripe rind resists a fingernail poke and the ground spot has turned orange; harvest before frost damages the skin.

  • Spaghetti Squasharound Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Rind should be uniformly pale yellow, not white or green, before harvest; underripe fruit shreds mushy instead of stringy.

  • Hubbard Squasharound Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Needs the most space of any winter squash; give it a full corner of the garden or let it run into the lawn edge.

  • Kabocha Squasharound Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Cure 1-2 weeks after harvest; the starchy flesh actually sweetens in storage over the following month.

  • Delicata Squasharound Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). The skin is thin enough to eat, so skip the long cure other winter squash need; use it within a month or two of harvest.

  • Patty Pan Squasharound Apr 4

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-25). Pick at 2-3 in across, like a baby zucchini: past golf-ball size the skin toughens fast.

Transplant out

  • Kalearound Apr 4

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Broccoliaround Apr 4

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Chivesaround Apr 4

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Strawberryaround Apr 4

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Kohlrabiaround Apr 4

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Bok Choyaround Apr 4

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Scallion (Green Onion)around Apr 4

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Lettucearound Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Onionaround Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Parsleyaround Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Mintaround Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Cabbagearound Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Caulifloweraround Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Swiss Chardaround Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Collardsaround Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Leekaround Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Napa Cabbagearound Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Romanescoaround Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Endivearound Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Escarolearound Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Radicchioaround Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Sorrelaround Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Chamomile (German)around Apr 11

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

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