What to Plant in October — Zone 7

October is the closing stretch of zone 7's season — the average first frost (Nov 3) is only weeks past month's end, so this is fall-sowing and garlic-planting territory.

Fall planting — Counted back from the first fall frost.

🥬 Lettuce Sep 8 – Oct 6 45–60 days to maturity
🌿 Arugula Sep 22 – Oct 6 30–40 days to maturity
🌶️ Radishes Sep 22 – Oct 6 22–30 days to maturity
🧄 Garlic Sep 22 – Oct 20 plant cloves; harvest next summer

Windows use zone 7's typical frost dates (Mar 30 / Nov 3). For your own city's dates, run the frost lookup — the planting calendar then localizes everything automatically.

Frequently asked questions

What can I plant outside in October in zone 7?

4 crops can go in the ground: lettuce, arugula, radishes, garlic. Exact windows are in the tables above — early and late in the month can differ by a full frost date.

Is October the right time for tomatoes in zone 7?

The spring window has passed; tomatoes set out this late won't beat the Nov 3 average first frost to ripeness. Plan for next spring's seed-starting instead.

October in other zones

Zone 1Zone 2Zone 3Zone 4Zone 5Zone 6Zone 7Zone 8Zone 9Zone 10Zone 11Zone 12Zone 13

Zone 7, month by month

← September November → All months

Zone 7 frost dates near you

Huntsville, ALFayetteville, ARGrand Junction, CONew Haven, CTWilmington, DEDover, DEWashington, DCBoise, ID