Zone 8a planting calendar

What to plant in October: zone 8a

A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 8a: last spring frost around March 30, first fall frost around November 15. 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: March 30
Typical first frost: November 15
Winter lows: 10 to 15 °F
Zone 8a Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Direct sow for fall

  • Cilantroaround Oct 1

    Counts back 45 days from your first frost. Takes a light frost with cover.

  • Radish2 sowings: Oct 13 and Oct 27

    Succession sowing 2 of 3. Sow every 14 days for a steady cut. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Spinacharound Oct 17

    Counts back 40 days from your first frost. Frost-hardy: light freezes sweeten it.

Transplant for fall

  • Kalearound Oct 2

    Last safe transplant date to mature (55 days) before frost on 11-15.

Sow cover crop

Plant to overwinter

  • Onionaround Oct 18

    In zone 7+ onion sets planted before frost overwinter for an early summer bulb.

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