Planting windows for Benton 5E
Computed from Benton 5E's own frost dates. Click any crop for the full zone-8 growing guide — varieties, spacing, fall plantings, and more.
| Crop | Start seeds indoors | Transplant | Direct sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍅 Tomatoes | Jan 17 – Jan 31 | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | — |
| 🫑 Peppers | Jan 3 – Jan 17 | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | — |
| 🥬 Lettuce | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Feb 14 – Mar 14 |
| 🫛 Peas | — | — | Jan 31 – Feb 14 |
| 🥕 Carrots | — | — | Feb 21 – Mar 14 |
| 🥦 Broccoli | Jan 24 – Feb 7 | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | — |
| 🥬 Kale | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Feb 14 – Feb 28 |
| 🥒 Cucumbers | Feb 14 – Feb 21 | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | Mar 21 – Mar 28 |
| 🥒 Zucchini | Feb 14 – Feb 21 | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | Mar 21 – Mar 28 |
| 🫘 Green Beans (Bush) | — | — | Mar 21 – Mar 28 |
| 🌽 Sweet Corn | — | — | Mar 21 – Mar 28 |
| 🌿 Basil | Jan 31 – Feb 14 | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 4 |
| 🧄 Garlic | — | — | Fall: Oct 3 – Oct 31 |
Want this for all 50 crops, or as a printable seed-shelf schedule? Use the planting calendar and the seed starting scheduler — both can use Benton 5E's dates automatically after a lookup.
Reading the season in Benton 5E
With roughly 245 frost-free days, Benton 5E gardens fit long-season crops — melons, winter squash, sweet potatoes — with room left for spring and fall rounds of greens and roots. The first frost around Nov 14 is late enough that fall planting is a full second season, not an afterthought.