Planting calendar
Zone 6 Planting Calendar (6a & 6b): Printable, by Month
Last updated September 14, 2026
Zone 6 runs winter lows of -10 to 0°F, and is conventionally taken to average its last spring frost around April 20 and its first fall frost around October 20 — about 183 frost-free days. Roughly six frost-free months. You can plant a spring crop, a summer crop, and a fall crop of the same bed.
Sow frost-tolerant crops (peas, spinach, radishes, lettuce, kale, carrots) 6 to 2 weeks before April 20. Plant warm-season crops (beans, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers) 1 to 3 weeks after it. Sow a second round of greens and roots about 10 to 12 weeks before October 20.
Typical regions in zone 6: Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and the inland Pacific Northwest.
Zone 6 planting chart
Month by month in zone 6
8 of the 12 months have something to plant in zone 6. Rows marked re-sow are succession sowings — the same crop planted again every 14 days for a continuous harvest, up to the last date it can still mature before October 20.
January
Nothing to sow outdoors in January in zone 6. Crops already in the ground keep growing and keep being harvested.
February
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | Start indoors | February 9 - February 23 |
| Pepper | Start indoors | February 9 - February 23 |
| Tomato | Start indoors | February 23 - March 9 |
March
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Cucumber | Start indoors | March 23 - March 30 |
| Kale | Start indoors | March 9 - March 23 |
| Tomato | Start indoors | February 23 - March 9 |
| Carrot | Direct sow outdoors | March 30 - April 6 |
| Kale | Direct sow outdoors | March 23 - April 6 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Direct sow outdoors | March 23 - April 6 |
| Peas | Direct sow outdoors | March 9 - March 23 |
| Radish | Direct sow outdoors | March 23 - April 6 |
| Spinach | Direct sow outdoors | March 9 - March 23 |
| Onion | Transplant outdoors | March 23 - April 6 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing August 12 |
April
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Direct sow outdoors | April 27 - May 4 |
| Carrot | Direct sow outdoors | March 30 - April 6 |
| Kale | Direct sow outdoors | March 23 - April 6 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Direct sow outdoors | March 23 - April 6 |
| Radish | Direct sow outdoors | March 23 - April 6 |
| Onion | Transplant outdoors | March 23 - April 6 |
| Tomato | Transplant outdoors | April 27 - May 4 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing July 18 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing August 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing August 12 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing September 6 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing August 12 |
May
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Direct sow outdoors | April 27 - May 4 |
| Cucumber | Direct sow outdoors | May 4 - May 11 |
| Zucchini | Direct sow outdoors | May 4 - May 11 |
| Pepper | Transplant outdoors | May 4 - May 11 |
| Tomato | Transplant outdoors | April 27 - May 4 |
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing August 7 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing July 18 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing August 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing August 12 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing September 6 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing August 12 |
June
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing August 7 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing July 18 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing August 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing August 12 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing September 6 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing August 12 |
July
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Carrot | Direct sow for a fall crop | July 4 - July 18 |
| Kale | Direct sow for a fall crop | July 24 - August 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Direct sow for a fall crop | July 29 - August 12 |
| Peas | Direct sow for a fall crop | July 14 - July 28 |
| Spinach | Direct sow for a fall crop | July 29 - August 12 |
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing August 7 |
| Carrot | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing July 18 |
| Kale | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing August 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing August 12 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing September 6 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing August 12 |
August
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Kale | Direct sow for a fall crop | July 24 - August 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Direct sow for a fall crop | July 29 - August 12 |
| Radish | Direct sow for a fall crop | August 23 - September 6 |
| Spinach | Direct sow for a fall crop | July 29 - August 12 |
| Bush beans | Re-sow every 14 days | last sowing August 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing August 12 |
| Radish | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing September 6 |
| Spinach | Re-sow every 14 days may bolt in heat | last sowing August 12 |
September
| Crop | What to do | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Radish | Direct sow for a fall crop | August 23 - September 6 |
October
Nothing to sow outdoors in October in zone 6. Crops already in the ground keep growing and keep being harvested.
November
Nothing to sow outdoors in November in zone 6. Crops already in the ground keep growing and keep being harvested.
December
Nothing to sow outdoors in December in zone 6. Crops already in the ground keep growing and keep being harvested.
Nothing to sow outdoors in January, October, November, December in zone 6. Use the time to plan beds, order seed, build a compost pile, or start long-season crops under a light indoors.
Every crop, sowing to harvest
One row per crop, with the indoor start where it applies, the outdoor planting window, the second fall sowing where the season allows it, and the earliest realistic harvest.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outdoors | Fall sowing | Re-sow until | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radish | - | Direct sow outdoors: March 23 - April 6 | August 23 - September 6 | September 6 | April 14 - April 22 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | - | Direct sow outdoors: March 23 - April 6 | July 29 - August 12 | August 12 | May 2 - May 17 |
| Spinach | - | Direct sow outdoors: March 9 - March 23 | July 29 - August 12 | August 12 | April 23 - May 3 |
| Bush beans | - | Direct sow outdoors: April 27 - May 4 | - | August 7 | June 16 - June 26 |
| Zucchini | - | Direct sow outdoors: May 4 - May 11 | - | - | June 23 - July 3 |
| Kale | March 9 - March 23 | Direct sow outdoors: March 23 - April 6 | July 24 - August 7 | August 7 | May 7 - May 22 |
| Peas | - | Direct sow outdoors: March 9 - March 23 | July 14 - July 28 | - | May 3 - May 18 |
| Carrot | - | Direct sow outdoors: March 30 - April 6 | July 4 - July 18 | July 18 | June 8 - June 18 |
| Cucumber | March 23 - March 30 | Direct sow outdoors: May 4 - May 11 | - | - | June 28 - July 13 |
| Tomato | February 23 - March 9 | Transplant outdoors: April 27 - May 4 | - | - | July 1 - July 21 |
| Pepper | February 9 - February 23 | Transplant outdoors: May 4 - May 11 | - | - | July 13 - August 2 |
| Onion | February 9 - February 23 | Transplant outdoors: March 23 - April 6 | - | - | July 1 - July 21 |
Zone 6a vs 6b: what the letter means
Zone 6 covers places whose coldest night of the year averages -10 to 0°F. USDA splits it into two 5-degree halves: 6a (-10 to -5°F) and 6b (-5 to 0°F).
The letter tells you about winter survival — whether a perennial left in the ground makes it through the coldest night. It says nothing about when your last spring frost arrives, and that date decides every sowing window on this page. Kansas City, MO (6b) and Denver, CO (6a) are both zone 6, yet their typical last frosts are 3 weeks apart: Apr 13 and May 5.
So for vegetables, ignore the letter. Find the frost dates for the weather station nearest you — the table below covers 6 zone 6 cities — and enter them in the interactive calendar. Every window recalculates from your dates.
Frost dates for cities in zone 6
Same zone, frost dates weeks apart — which is why the calendar asks for your own dates rather than trusting the zone.
| City | Zone | Last frost | 30% | 10% | First frost | 30% | 10% | Frost-free days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL chicago ohare intl ap Use these dates | 6a | Apr 16 | Apr 22 | May 1 | Oct 28 | Oct 24 | Oct 15 | 193 |
| Denver, CO denver intl ap Use these dates | 6a | May 5 | May 11 | May 19 | Oct 9 | Oct 4 | Sep 27 | 156 |
| Detroit, MI detroit metro ap Use these dates | 6b | Apr 20 | Apr 28 | May 8 | Oct 27 | Oct 22 | Oct 14 | 188 |
| Kansas City, MO kansas city intl ap Use these dates | 6b | Apr 13 | Apr 20 | Apr 29 | Oct 24 | Oct 18 | Oct 9 | 193 |
| Pittsburgh, PA pittsburgh intl ap Use these dates | 6b | Apr 23 | May 1 | May 12 | Oct 23 | Oct 18 | Oct 9 | 181 |
| Spokane, WA spokane intl ap Use these dates | 6b | Apr 26 | May 2 | May 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 6 | Sep 29 | 168 |
Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual/seasonal ; USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University) . The zone shown is read from the 2023 USDA map at each station's location.
Growing in zone 6
Roughly six frost-free months. You can plant a spring crop, a summer crop, and a fall crop of the same bed.
Soil beats calendar. Extension guidance for the hardiest crops is “as soon as the soil can be worked” or “as soon as the soil thaws” — not a fixed date. If you cannot crumble a handful of soil in your fist, wait, whatever the table says. Warm-season crops have a matching rule: beans want 60°F soil, cucumbers and squash 70°F.
About the bolting warnings. Cool-season crops run to seed and turn bitter in summer heat. The “may bolt in heat” flag above is a rough calendar rule — mid-June to the start of September, the same window across the whole country — because a hardiness zone carries no summer-temperature information at all. In zone 6 treat it as about right, with heat-tolerant varieties and afternoon shade extending it either side.
Where these dates come from. A USDA hardiness zone describes average annual extreme minimum WINTER temperature — it is a winter-survival rating for perennials, not a frost-date band. The frost dates below are widely-used approximations for each zone, not official USDA figures, and a single zone spans hundreds of miles. Treat them as a default guess and replace them with your own local averages wherever you have them.
You can enter your own frost dates in the interactive calendar and every window on it recalculates from your numbers. Look up your local averages on the NOAA last-spring-freeze map. Note that an “average” frost date is the point where the chance of freezing drops below 50 percent, so for tender crops it is worth waiting a week or two past it.
Other zones: zone 3 , zone 4 , zone 5 , zone 7 , zone 8 , zone 9 , zone 10 . Or use the interactive calendar to check a single month.
Zone 6 questions
When is the last frost in zone 6?
Zone 6 is conventionally taken to average its last spring frost around April 20 and its first fall frost around October 20, giving roughly 183 frost-free days. Be aware that a hardiness zone is defined by winter minimum temperature, not by frost dates — these are widely-used approximations, not official USDA figures. Get your real dates from the NOAA freeze-date map or your county cooperative extension office.
What can I plant now in zone 6?
Use the month-by-month table on this page. The pattern is: frost-tolerant crops like peas, spinach and radishes go in 6 to 2 weeks before April 20; warm-season crops like beans, zucchini and tomatoes go in 1 to 3 weeks after it; and cool-season crops get a second sowing about 10 to 12 weeks before October 20.
Can I grow tomatoes in zone 6?
Yes. In zone 6, start tomato seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before April 20 or buy a seedling, then transplant 1 to 2 weeks after the last frost once nights stay above 50°F. With 183 frost-free days there is comfortable room for any variety, including large beefsteak types.
How many harvests can I get in zone 6?
Two full rounds: a spring planting of cool-season crops, a summer planting of warm-season crops, and a fall sowing of greens and roots in the same beds.
Does a raised bed change these dates in zone 6?
Yes, in spring. A raised bed warms 2 to 3 weeks earlier than open ground, so you can bring the early sowings forward by up to two weeks. Autumn dates are unchanged, since the first frost arrives on the same day regardless of your setup.
What is the difference between zone 6a and 6b?
Five degrees in the average coldest night of the year. Zone 6a averages -10 to -5°F at its coldest and zone 6b -5 to 0°F. The letter matters for perennials on the edge of winter hardiness. It does not change vegetable planting dates, which follow your frost dates — the calendar on this page applies to both halves.
Is zone 6a or 6b better for tomatoes?
Neither — the letter does not decide it. 6a and 6b differ only in how cold the coldest winter night gets, and tomatoes grow in summer, long after that night has passed. What matters is the length of your frost-free season. Within zone 6, Kansas City, MO (6b) averages 193 frost-free days and Denver, CO (6a) only 156. Check the city table on this page, or enter your own frost dates in the calendar.
What can I plant in July in zone 6?
In zone 6, July plantings are: sow for a fall crop — carrot, kale, lettuce (leaf), peas and spinach; re-sow every 14 days — bush beans, carrot, kale, lettuce (leaf), radish and spinach. The July table gives the exact window for each. Cool-season sowings in July may bolt in the heat.
When does fall planting start in zone 6?
Sowings for a fall harvest in zone 6 start around July 4 with carrot and run to about September 6 with radish. Each date is counted back from the average first frost (October 20) by the crop's days to harvest plus two weeks, so a crop sown on time matures before the cold arrives.
Is there a printable PDF of the zone 6 planting calendar?
Not as a download yet. The chart and the month-by-month tables on this page print cleanly — use your browser's Print command and the menus, ads and questions are left off the page. A downloadable version is on the way.
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