Zone 7b planting calendar

What to plant in October: zone 7b

Zone 7b averages its last spring frost around April 5 and its first fall frost around November 5. 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 5

First frost: November 5

Winter lows: 5 to 10 °F

Zone 7b Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Direct sow for fall

Radisharound Oct 3
Succession sowing 2 of 3. Sow every 14 days for a steady cut.
Spinacharound Oct 7
Counts back 40 days from your first frost. Frost-hardy: light freezes sweeten it.
Radisharound Oct 17
Counts back 30 days from your first frost. Frost-hardy: light freezes sweeten it.

Sow cover crop

Cover crop (cereal rye + crimson clover)around Oct 6
Sown a month before frost it germinates, holds your soil all winter, and feeds it in spring.

Plant to overwinter

Onionaround Oct 8
In zone 7+ onion sets planted before frost overwinter for an early summer bulb.
Garlicaround Oct 22
Cloves go in about two weeks before first frost. They root now, sleep, then bulb next summer.

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