This monthly vegetable gardening calendar for USDA Zones 5-6 is designed to provide Zone5-6 gardeners with a complete month by month guide to their vegetable gardening activity throughout the years.
You should read the guide alongside our vegetable gardening guide for USDA zones 5-6. That guide provides the information you need on sowing, planting and harvesting the vegetables, on a vegetable by vegetable basis, tailored to conditions in USDA Zones 5-6.
This monthly vegetable gardening calendar for USDA Zones 5-6 organizes gardening activities throughout the year:
- Winter months (December-February) focus on planning and preparation
- Early spring (March-April) begins with cool-season crops and indoor seed starting
- Late spring (May) transitions to warm-season planting after frost danger
- Summer (June-August) includes succession planting and fall crop preparation
- Fall (September-November) focuses on harvesting, storage crops, and winterizing
The calendar highlights the balanced approach needed in zones 5-6, with attention to:
- Maximizing the growing season with proper timing
- Using succession planting for continuous harvests
- Taking advantage of both cool-season and warm-season crop windows
- Preparing for winter while extending the season as long as possible
These guides should provide gardeners in zones 5-6 with detailed information to successfully plan and manage their vegetable gardens throughout the year.
January
Indoor Activities:
- Plan garden layout and order seeds
- Inventory and repair tools and equipment
- Clean and sharpen garden tools
- Review previous year’s garden journal for planning improvements
- Set up indoor seed starting area and check grow lights
February
Sow Indoors:
- Cabbage (Spring)
- Celeriac
- Celery
- Leeks
- Onions
- Peppers (late month)
Indoor Activities:
- Begin seed germination tests
- Clean and sanitize seed trays and pots
- Start monitoring soil temperature as snow melts
March
Sow Indoors:
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Broccoli (Calabrese)
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage (Spring) – finish sowing
- Cabbage (Summer)
- Cauliflower (Summer)
- Lettuce (for transplants)
- Onions (finish sowing)
- Peppers (Sweet & Chilli)
- Tomatoes
Sow Outdoors (as soil allows, zones 5-6):
- Broad Beans (late month, when soil workable)
- Peas (under row cover, when soil workable)
- Spinach (under row cover, when soil workable)
Outdoor Activities:
- Set up cold frames
- Test soil temperature and pH
- Apply compost to beds as soil thaws
- Prune fruit trees and bushes before buds break
- Remove winter mulch gradually as weather warms
April
Sow Indoors:
- Broccoli (Calabrese) – final sowings
- Cauliflower (Fall)
- Courgettes/Marrows (Zucchini)
- Cucumbers
- Melons
- Pumpkins/Squash (late month)
Sow Outdoors:
- Beetroot (mid-late month)
- Broad Beans
- Carrots (mid-month onward)
- Chard
- Kale
- Kohl Rabi
- Lettuce
- Onion sets
- Parsnips
- Peas (succession plantings)
- Potatoes (early varieties)
- Radish
- Rocket
- Spinach
- Spring Onions
- Turnips
Transplant:
- Broccoli (early varieties)
- Cabbage (Spring)
- Lettuce (early varieties)
- Onions
Harvest:
- Asparagus (zone 6, late month)
- Rhubarb (early harvest)
- Overwintered spinach
- Spring onions (overwintered)
May
Sow Indoors:
- Broccoli (Purple Sprouting)
- Cabbage (Red/Savoy) – for fall harvest
- Cauliflower (Fall)
Sow Outdoors:
- Beetroot
- Broad Beans (final sowings)
- Broccoli (for fall harvest)
- Carrots (succession sowing)
- Chard
- Courgettes/Marrows (Zucchini) – after frost
- Cucumbers – after frost
- French/Runner Beans (after soil warms)
- Kale
- Kohl Rabi
- Lettuce (succession sowings)
- Peas (succession sowings)
- Potatoes (main crop)
- Pumpkins/Squash (after frost)
- Radish (succession sowings)
- Rocket
- Spinach
- Spring Onions
- Swedes (Rutabaga)
- Sweet Corn (when soil warms to 60°F)
- Turnips
Transplant (after last frost):
- Broccoli (Calabrese)
- Cabbage (Summer)
- Cauliflower (Summer)
- Celeriac
- Celery
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Peppers (Sweet & Chilli) – late month when soil is warm
- Tomatoes – late month
Harvest:
- Asparagus
- Lettuce (early plantings)
- Peas (early varieties in zone 6)
- Radish
- Rhubarb
- Rocket
- Spinach
- Spring Onions
June
Sow Outdoors:
- Beetroot (succession sowings)
- Broccoli (for fall harvest, final sowings)
- Carrots (succession sowings)
- Chard
- Courgettes/Marrows (Zucchini) – final sowings
- Cucumbers – final direct sowings
- French/Runner Beans (succession sowings)
- Kale (for fall/winter)
- Kohl Rabi
- Lettuce (succession sowings, choose heat-tolerant varieties)
- Peas (final sowings, choose heat-tolerant varieties)
- Radish (succession sowings)
- Rocket
- Spring Onions
- Sweet Corn (final sowings)
Transplant:
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Broccoli (Purple Sprouting)
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage (Red/Savoy for fall)
- Cauliflower (Fall)
- Courgettes/Marrows (Zucchini)
- Cucumbers
- Leeks
- Melons
- Peppers (Sweet & Chilli)
- Pumpkins/Squash
- Sweet Corn
- Tomatoes
Harvest:
- Asparagus (final harvests)
- Beetroot (early sowings)
- Broad Beans (early varieties)
- Broccoli (early varieties)
- Cabbage (Spring)
- Carrots (early varieties)
- Cauliflower (early varieties)
- Garlic scapes
- Lettuce
- Peas (early varieties)
- Potatoes (first earlies, late month)
- Radish
- Rocket
- Spinach
- Spring Onions
- Turnips (early sowings)
July
Sow Outdoors:
- Beetroot (final sowings for fall crop)
- Carrots (final sowings for fall crop)
- Chard (final sowings)
- French/Runner Beans (final sowings, early month)
- Kale (final sowings for fall/winter crop)
- Kohl Rabi (final sowings)
- Lettuce (heat-resistant varieties)
- Radish (succession sowings)
- Rocket (in partial shade)
- Spring Onions (final sowings)
- Turnips (for fall crop)
Transplant:
- Broccoli (for fall harvest, final chance)
- Cabbage (fall varieties, final chance)
- Cauliflower (fall varieties, final chance)
Harvest:
- Aubergine (Eggplant) – starting
- Beetroot
- Broad Beans
- Broccoli (Calabrese)
- Cabbage (Summer)
- Carrots
- Cauliflower (Summer)
- Celery (early varieties)
- Courgettes/Marrows (Zucchini)
- Cucumbers
- French/Runner Beans
- Garlic (when tops begin to yellow)
- Kohl Rabi
- Lettuce
- Onions (early varieties)
- Peas
- Potatoes (early varieties)
- Radish
- Rocket
- Spring Onions
- Summer Squash
- Sweet Corn (early varieties in zone 6)
- Tomatoes (beginning to ripen)
August
Sow Outdoors:
- Kale (final sowings for zone 6)
- Lettuce (cold-hardy varieties for fall)
- Radish (fall crop)
- Rocket (fall crop)
- Spinach (for fall and potential overwinter)
- Spring Onions (for fall use)
- Turnips (final sowings for fall crop)
Outdoor Activities:
- Begin fall garden planning
- Order garlic for fall planting
- Begin collecting seeds from open-pollinated varieties
Harvest:
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Beetroot
- Broccoli (Calabrese)
- Cabbage (Summer)
- Carrots
- Cauliflower (Summer)
- Celeriac (early varieties)
- Celery
- Courgettes/Marrows (Zucchini)
- Cucumbers
- French/Runner Beans
- Kohl Rabi
- Leeks (baby leeks)
- Lettuce
- Melons
- Onions (main crop, when tops fall over)
- Peppers
- Potatoes (second earlies and some maincrop)
- Pumpkins/Squash (summer varieties)
- Radish
- Rocket
- Sweet Corn
- Tomatoes
- Turnips
September
Sow Outdoors:
- Garlic (late month, zones 5-6)
- Lettuce (quick-growing varieties, under protection)
- Radish (quick varieties, under protection)
- Rocket (under protection)
- Spinach (under protection, for overwintering in zone 6)
Outdoor Activities:
- Begin preparing beds for next season
- Plant cover crops in harvested areas
- Apply row covers for frost protection on tender crops
- Order spring-flowering bulbs
Harvest:
- Aubergine (Eggplant)
- Beetroot (main harvest, store for winter)
- Broccoli (fall crop)
- Brussels Sprouts (after frost)
- Cabbage (Summer and fall varieties)
- Carrots (main crop, store for winter)
- Cauliflower (Fall)
- Celeriac
- Celery
- Courgettes/Marrows (Zucchini) – until frost
- Cucumbers – until frost
- French/Runner Beans – until frost
- Kale
- Kohl Rabi
- Leeks
- Lettuce
- Onions (cure for storage)
- Peppers
- Potatoes (maincrop, store for winter)
- Pumpkins/Winter Squash (before hard frost)
- Radish
- Rocket
- Spinach
- Spring Onions
- Swedes (Rutabaga)
- Sweet Corn (final harvests)
- Tomatoes (main harvest before frost)
- Turnips
October
Sow Outdoors:
- Garlic (zones 5-6)
- Broad Beans (zone 6 only, hardy varieties for overwintering)
Outdoor Activities:
- Plant garlic and shallots
- Apply compost to beds
- Mulch perennial vegetables
- Clean up garden debris to prevent disease
- Plant cover crops in empty beds
Harvest:
- Beetroot (final harvest, store for winter)
- Broccoli (fall crop, final harvests)
- Brussels Sprouts (improved by frost)
- Cabbage (fall varieties)
- Carrots (final harvest, store or leave some in ground in zone 6)
- Cauliflower (Fall, final harvests)
- Celeriac (main harvest)
- Celery (final harvests)
- Kale (continues after frost)
- Leeks
- Lettuce (cold frames or under protection)
- Parsnips (after frost for best flavor)
- Pumpkins/Winter Squash (cure for storage)
- Rocket (protected plants)
- Spinach (fall crop)
- Swedes (Rutabaga)
- Tomatoes (green tomatoes before frost)
- Turnips (store for winter)
November
Outdoor Activities:
- Final garden cleanup
- Protect perennial vegetables with mulch
- Finish planting garlic (early month)
- Test soil and amend based on results
- Apply winter mulch after ground begins to freeze
- Protect young fruit trees from rodents with guards
Harvest:
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage (fall varieties, final harvests)
- Carrots (under mulch, zone 6)
- Kale (until heavy freeze)
- Leeks (until ground freezes)
- Parsnips (sweeter after frost, can be left in ground with mulch in zone 6)
- Swedes (Rutabaga, final harvest)
December
Indoor Activities:
- Review garden journal
- Plan next year’s garden layout and crop rotation
- Inventory seeds and place orders for next season
- Check stored vegetables and remove any showing signs of rot
- Research new varieties and techniques
Harvest:
- Brussels Sprouts (until covered by snow)
- Kale (protected plants)
- Leeks (protected plants in zone 6)
- Root vegetables (from storage)
- Winter squash (from storage)
Vegetable Gardening Guide Resources
Martin Cole has been an avid plant lover and gardener for more than 20 years and loves to talk and write about gardening. In 2006 he was a finalist in the BBC Gardener of the Year competition. He is a member of the National dahlia Society.
He previously lived in London and Sydney, Australia, where he took a diploma course in Horticultural studies and is now based in North Berwick in Scotland. He founded GardeningStepbyStep.com in 2012. The website is aimed at everybody who loves plants or has been bitten by the gardening bug and wants to know more.
Gardening Step by Step has been cited by Thompson and Morgan, the UK’s largest mail order plant retailer, as a website that publishes expert gardening content.