Planting windows for Columbus
Computed from Columbus's own frost dates. Click any crop for the full zone-9 growing guide — varieties, spacing, fall plantings, and more.
| Crop | Start seeds indoors | Transplant | Direct sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍅 Tomatoes | Jan 12 – Jan 26 | Mar 16 – Mar 23 | — |
| 🫑 Peppers | Dec 29 – Jan 12 | Mar 23 – Mar 30 | — |
| 🥬 Lettuce | Jan 26 – Feb 9 | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | Feb 9 – Mar 9 |
| 🫛 Peas | — | — | Jan 26 – Feb 9 |
| 🥕 Carrots | — | — | Feb 16 – Mar 9 |
| 🥦 Broccoli | Jan 19 – Feb 2 | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | — |
| 🥬 Kale | Jan 26 – Feb 9 | Feb 9 – Feb 23 | Feb 9 – Feb 23 |
| 🥒 Cucumbers | Feb 9 – Feb 16 | Mar 16 – Mar 23 | Mar 16 – Mar 23 |
| 🥒 Zucchini | Feb 9 – Feb 16 | Mar 16 – Mar 23 | Mar 16 – Mar 23 |
| 🫘 Green Beans (Bush) | — | — | Mar 16 – Mar 23 |
| 🌽 Sweet Corn | — | — | Mar 16 – Mar 23 |
| 🌿 Basil | Jan 26 – Feb 9 | Mar 16 – Mar 23 | Mar 23 – Mar 30 |
| 🧄 Garlic | — | — | Fall: Oct 9 – Nov 6 |
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 Columbus's dates automatically after a lookup.
Reading the season in Columbus
With roughly 256 frost-free days, Columbus 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 20 is late enough that fall planting is a full second season, not an afterthought.