One of the biggest mistakes new gardeners make is not knowing when to plant what. A lot of rookies assume that early Spring is the best time to plant anything, so they plop in their seeds and plants and expect them to thrive when the truth is, precious little survives our summer heat. If, like me, you live in the Greater Houston area your best gardening days are in the fall. You can't trust the big box stores to sell you plants that are appropriate for our seasons, either. They will sell you the same kinds of plants that they will sell my cousin in Seattle and my girl friend in New Mexico. Just because they stock Brussel sprouts seedlings in March doesn't mean you should plant them then. Here's a guide for Gulf Coast planting month by month. I have put in the ideal date for planting each item, but you can nudge a bit in either direction. Note that some plants, such as tomatoes, have two planting dates. The tomatoes I plant in July usually produce better for me than the ones I plant in March. Happy planting!
January 1: Sugar snap peas, leeks
15: beets, broccoli raab, arugula (although you can plant this year round successfully),
potatoes, radishes, green onion, lemon balm, fruit trees
February 15: chicory, Swiss chard, mustard greens, kale, fennel, parsley, radishes
March 1: tomatoes, radishes
15: cucumbers, green beans, eggplant, pole beans, peppers, summer squash/zucchini, watermelon,
cantaloupe, sage, corn, thyme, rosemary, beans for drying - limas, black, pintos, etc.
April 15: basilMay 1: okra
15: sweet potatoes
June Have a beer and harvest your tomatoes!
July 15: tomatoes
August 1: Brussels sprouts, green beans/bush beans, summer squash, winter squash, sweet potatoes
15: broccoli, cabbage
September 1: parsnips
15: cauliflower, beets, dill, carrots
October 15: chicory, garlic, lettuces, nasturtium, onions, fennel, spinach, cilantro, mint, radishes, arugula
November 1: sweet peas, sweet potatoes, radishes
15: strawberries, radishes
If I missed your favorite veggie it either doesn't grow well here, or I don't like it. Do a little research to find out which is the case. Oh, and by the way, the best time to plant any kind of roses is Valentine's Day, February 14!
For more on gardening in the Texas Gulf Coast check out this post: Gardening 101
OK I love This page I have been gardening a long time and always get the wrong information when to plant things .off the planting regions this is a big help and by the way I love the harvesting in June.
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