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Garden Planning, Succession & Crop RotationSpring Garden Planning Calendar
Spring planting goes best when you watch the soil as closely as the calendar. Here is how to sequence the first sowings and the tender crops that follow.
Key points
- Judge readiness by soil workability and soil temperature, not just the date.
- Cool-season crops can go in before the last frost, tender crops wait.
- Count back from transplant date to start seeds, and harden seedlings off.
- Test soil and follow local recommendations for amendments.
How do you know when spring planting can begin?
Check soil workability first. Pick up a handful and squeeze it. If it crumbles when poked, it is ready. If it forms a sticky ball, it is too wet, and working it can damage structure for the season.
Then check soil temperature with a thermometer set a few inches deep. Each crop has a range for germination, and extension offices publish them. Soil temperature is a better guide than air temperature or the date.
A simple jar test or squeeze test costs nothing and prevents compaction damage that can last for the entire season. Many gardeners keep a cheap probe thermometer in the shed and check the bed at the same time each morning, since soil temperature swings through the day. A few days of readings give a better picture than a single check, and the habit takes only a minute.
What goes in before the last spring frost?
Cool-season crops tolerate cold. Peas, spinach, lettuce, radish, onion sets, and many brassica transplants can often go in before the last frost, with the exact timing depending on your area. Protect early plantings with row cover when a hard freeze is forecast.
Your last frost date is an average, so some years it comes later. Be ready with cover.
Soil temperature thresholds for germination are listed in many extension guides for common vegetables. Look up the ones for your crops rather than relying on a general rule.
- Peas and spinach: sow as soon as soil is workable
- Lettuce and radish: sow early, repeat every couple of weeks
- Onion sets and brassica transplants: set out in cool weather
- Potatoes: follow local guidance on timing
What waits until after the last frost?
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, squash, cucumbers, corn and melons are tender. They need frost danger to be over and, for many, warm soil. Planting them too early risks losses and stunted plants.
For example, if your average last frost falls around the middle of April, you might set tender transplants out a couple of weeks later, once nights are reliably mild. This is an illustration, so use your local data and guidance.
Rain and flooding can set the pace of spring in many regions. If beds are wet for weeks, consider raised beds, drainage ditches or planting in the driest areas first, and keep seed in storage until the soil is ready.
How do you plan seed starting and hardening off?
Count backward from your transplant date to find when to start seeds indoors. Seed packets and extension guides give the weeks needed for each crop. Starting too early produces leggy, root-bound seedlings.
Harden seedlings off by moving them outside for longer periods over about a week or two, starting in shade and sheltered spots, before transplanting. This toughens them against wind, sun and temperature swings.
If a late frost damages young plants, do not rush to pull them. Some plants recover, and others can be replaced. Wait a few days to judge damage, then replant what is needed, using any spare seedlings you kept.
How should you prepare the beds?
Take a soil test, and follow local recommendations for lime and fertilizer. Nutrient management rules vary by state, so check what applies to you, especially for manure. Loosen compacted soil gently, add compost, and rake the bed smooth.
Clear winter debris, but leave some leaf litter in places to shelter beneficial insects when practical.
What are common spring mistakes?
Planting tender crops during the first warm spell, working wet soil, overcrowding seedlings and forgetting to have row cover ready before a late frost top the list. Another is planting everything on one weekend, which leads to a flood of harvests.
Stagger plantings, keep protection handy and write down what you did.
Mulching after soil has warmed helps hold moisture and reduce weeds, but mulching too early can slow soil warming for tender crops.
How do you use the spring record?
Keep a log of sowing and transplant dates, weather and results. Next year it will show the earliest planting that worked and the week frost surprised you.
After a few seasons you will have a local calendar that is better than a generic chart.
Also keep a list of questions to ask your extension office, such as the best varieties for your area and the typical pest problems that appear in the first weeks.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 2026. Educational information, ranges only. Confirm timing with your county extension office.