What to Plant Each Month: Northeast PA Garden Calendar

If you live in Northeast Pennsylvania (Zone 6a–6b), timing is everything when it comes to gardening. Use this month-by-month guide to know what to start indoors, direct sow outside, and harvest throughout the year. Whether you're a first-time grower or looking to expand your beds, this local calendar will help you grow with confidence.

January

• Plan your garden layout and order seeds

• Clean tools and prep seed-starting supplies

February

• Start slow-growers indoors: onions, leeks, celery

• Begin seed trays under grow lights

March

• Start peppers, eggplant, tomatoes indoors

• Sow cool crops outside (weather permitting): spinach, peas

• Prune fruit trees

April

• Direct sow: lettuce, kale, radishes, carrots, beets

• Transplant hardened-off brassicas

• Start squash, cucumbers, and melons indoors

May

• Last frost: around May 10–20 (watch weather)

• Plant tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, herbs

• Sow sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds

• Harden off all indoor starts before transplanting

June

• Successive sowing of beans, carrots, lettuce

• Mulch to retain water and block weeds

• Direct sow pumpkins, okra, basil

July

• Sow fall crops: kale, broccoli, cauliflower

• Harvest: zucchini, cucumbers, green beans

• Keep up with weeding and watering

August

• Start fall lettuce, spinach, turnips, radishes

• Harvest tomatoes, eggplant, melons

• Save seeds from early crops

September

• Last plantings of fast crops: arugula, lettuce, radishes

• Harvest winter squash

• Cover crops: plant clover, rye, or oats to feed the soil

October

• Final harvests before frost

• Clean up beds and compost old plants

• Garlic planting month!

November

• Mulch beds for winter protection

• Organize saved seeds

• Reflect and plan for next season

December

• Dream, plan, and gift seeds to friends and family

• Read up on new varieties

• Build raised beds or compost bins indoors

Gardening Tips for NEPA

• Keep an eye on frost dates—weather can swing fast

• Use row covers or cold frames for season extension

• Mulch early and often to conserve water

• Amend soil with compost every fall and spring

Love and Vegetables: Rooted in Northeast PA—growing one season at a time.