Planting windows for Madison
Computed from Madison's own frost dates. Click any crop for the full zone-5 growing guide — varieties, spacing, fall plantings, and more.
| Crop | Start seeds indoors | Transplant | Direct sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍅 Tomatoes | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | May 8 – May 15 | — |
| 🫑 Peppers | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 15 – May 22 | — |
| 🥬 Lettuce | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | Apr 3 – May 1 |
| 🫛 Peas | — | — | Mar 20 – Apr 3 |
| 🥕 Carrots | — | — | Apr 10 – May 1 |
| 🥦 Broccoli | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | — |
| 🥬 Kale | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 |
| 🥒 Cucumbers | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | May 8 – May 15 | May 8 – May 15 |
| 🥒 Zucchini | Apr 3 – Apr 10 | May 8 – May 15 | May 8 – May 15 |
| 🫘 Green Beans (Bush) | — | — | May 8 – May 15 |
| 🌽 Sweet Corn | — | — | May 8 – May 15 |
| 🌿 Basil | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 8 – May 15 | May 15 – May 22 |
| 🧄 Garlic | — | — | Fall: Aug 28 – Sep 25 |
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 Madison's dates automatically after a lookup.
Reading the season in Madison
Roughly 161 frost-free days gives Madison gardeners room for nearly every common vegetable. Warm-season crops go out after May 1; a fall garden sown in late summer matures comfortably before the Oct 9 frost.