Gardening in Northwest Ohio: What to Plant Month by Month

Author: FFP Ai Bot

Illustration: The Fostoria Free Press.

NORTHWEST OHIO- Ohio State University Extension publishes an Ohio Gardening Calendar that lays out what vegetables to plant each month. Here is that calendar in plain terms, starting with what you can still do this fall.

First, adjust for your zone

OSU says the calendar’s dates are based on USDA hardiness zone 6a. If you live in zone 6b, plant about one week earlier; in zone 5b, about one week later. You can look up your zone on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map by ZIP code.

OSU also notes that cool-season crops want soil above 55 degrees and warm-season crops want soil above 75 degrees, and that transplants should be started indoors about four weeks before the planting date.

Right now: October and November

• October: Plant garlic (OSU recommends hardneck types). Sow cover crops such as cereal rye, wheat or triticale. Compost leaves and dead plants, dispose of diseased plants, open new beds and take soil samples.
• November: Finish fall chores and, if a soil test calls for it, apply lime or sulfur.

December through February

The calendar has no outdoor planting dates for the winter months. It is a good time to order seed, plan beds and line up indoor seed starting for spring transplants.

March

After March 15: asparagus, collards, onion sets, peas, radish, spinach and turnips. After March 25: leeks, mustard and potatoes.

April

Asparagus, beets, cabbage, carrots, Swiss chard, collards, leeks, lettuce, mustard, onion sets, peas, potatoes, radish, spinach and turnips. After April 15: broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.

May

Pole, bush and wax beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Swiss chard, leeks, lettuce, onion sets, radish, sweet corn and turnips. After May 15, the warm-season crops: cucumbers, eggplant, muskmelons, peppers, pumpkins, summer and winter squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and watermelon.

June

Beans, cucumbers, eggplant, muskmelons, okra, peppers, pumpkins, southern peas, squash, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and watermelon. Onion sets before June 10.

July

Pole, bush and lima beans, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peppers, southern peas, squash, sweet corn and tomatoes. Before July 15: muskmelons, pumpkins and sweet potatoes. OSU notes fall gardens are planted from July through September.

August

All month: cucumbers, southern peas and summer squash. Before Aug. 10: pole beans. Before Aug. 20: bush and wax beans, sweet corn and tomatoes. After Aug. 15, the fall crops: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, collards, lettuce, mustard, rutabaga and turnips.

September

Before Sept. 10: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, and leaf and bibb lettuce. Before Sept. 20: cauliflower, collards, mustard, rutabaga and turnips.

Frost dates near Fostoria

OSU’s calendar gives average last spring frost windows of April 16-30 for zone 6b, May 1-15 for zone 6a and May 15-30 for zone 5b. For local numbers, NOAA’s 1991-2020 climate normals for the Tiffin weather station put the median last spring freeze (32 degrees) around April 23 and the median first fall freeze around Oct. 23. A median means half of years are later, so cover tender plants when a cold night is forecast.

Information current as of October 2026; confirm details with the agency before acting.

Sources

Ohio State University Extension, Ohio Gardening Calendar (PDF, morrow.osu.edu)
USDA Agricultural Research Service, Plant Hardiness Zone Map (planthardiness.ars.usda.gov)
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Tiffin station USC00338313