It’s important not to plante seedlings outdoors too early. Photo: www.diynetwork.com
You started your vegetable and flower seeds indoors with great care, lovingly sowing and watering each little plant, and now you want to know when to plant them out. Surely there is a specific date when you can plant them all out.
Well, that isn’t quite that simple. Some hate any kind of cold and you need to wait until both the ground and the air have thoroughly warmed up. Others dislike the heat and will do best if you move them into their out home while it’s still fairly chilly. There are even a few that are fine with a bit of frost!
What follows is a list of vegetables and flowers commonly started indoors as to when to plant them out, based on the frost-free date* in your area.
*Read The Real Spring Frost-Free Date for Your Seeds to find out your frost-free date.
When to Plant Out Relative to the Frost-Free Date
Vegetables
- Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus scolymus) — on frost-free date
- Aubergine (Solanum melongena) — 2 to 3 weeks after
- Basil (Ocimum basilicum) — 1 week after
- Beets** (Beta vulgaris conditiva) — 2 weeks before
- Bok choy (Brassica rapa chinensis) — on frost-free date
- Broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica) — 2 weeks before
- Cabbage (Brassica oleracea capitata) — 4 weeks before
- Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) — on frost-free date
- Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea botrytis) — 2 weeks before
- Celeriac (Apium graveolens graveolens) — 1 week after
- Celery (Apium graveolens rapaceum) — 1 week after
- Chicory (Cichorum intybus) — 2 to 3 weeks before
- Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa pekinensis) — on frost-free date
- Collards (Brassica oleracea acephala) — 4 weeks before
- Corn salad/mache (Valerianella locusta) — 3 to 6 weeks before
- Corn** (Zea mays saccharata) — 0 to 2 weeks after
- Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) — 1 to 2 weeks after
- Eggplant (Solanum melongena) — 2 to 3 weeks after
- Endive (Cichorum endivias) — 2 to 3 weeks before
- Ground cherry (Physalis pruinosa) — 1 to 2 weeks after
- Kale (Brassica oleracea acephala) — 4 weeks before
- Kohlrabi** (Brassica oleracea gongylodes) — 4 weeks before
- Leek (Allium ampeloprasum porrum) — 2 weeks before
- Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) — 3 to 4 weeks before
- Melon (Cucumis melo) — 2 weeks after
- Mustard** (Brassica juncea and B. rapa niposinica) — 4 weeks before
- Okra** (Abelmoschus esculentus) — 2 to 4 weeks after
- Onions (Allium cepa) — 4 weeks before
- Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) — 2 to 3 weeks before
- Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) — 3 weeks after
- Pea** (Piscum sativum) — 2 to 4 weeks before
- Peppers (Capsicum annuum) — 2 weeks after
- Pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) — 2 weeks after
- Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) — 3 to 6 weeks before
- Squash (Cucurbita pepo and others) — 2 weeks after
- Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris flavescens) — 2 weeks before
- Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) — 1 to 2 weeks after
- Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) — 2 weeks after
Flowers
- Ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum) — on frost-free date
- Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) — 1 week after
- Angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia) — on frost-free date
- Annual flower mixes** — on frost-free date
- Annual phlox** (Phlox drummondii) 1 to 2 weeks before
- Bachelor’s button** (Centaurea cyanus) — on frost-free date
- Bacopa (Sutera cordata) — on frost-free date
- Balsam (Impatiens balsamina) — 2 weeks after
- Bee balm or monarda (Monarda didyma) — on frost-free date
- Begonia (Begonia × semperflorens-cultorum and B. × tuberhybrida) — 2 weeks after
- Bells of Ireland** (Moluccella laevis) — on frost-free date
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) — on frost-free date
- Black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) — on frost-free date
- Butterfly weed (Asclepias spp.) — on frost-free date
- California poppy** (Eschscholzia californica) — on frost-free date
- Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) — 1 to 2 weeks before
- Castor bean (Ricinus communis) — 1 week after
- Celosia or cock’s comb (Celosia argentea) — 1 week after
- China aster (Callistephus chinensis) — on frost-free date
- China pink (Dianthus chinensis) — 1 to 2 weeks before
- Chinese lantern (Physalis alkekengi) — on frost-free date
- Cleome or spider flower (Cleome hasslerana) — on frost-free date
- Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides) — 1 week after
- Corn cockle** (Agrostemma githago) — on frost-free date
- Corn poppy or Shirley poppy** (Papaver rhoeas) — on frost-free date
- Cosmos** (Cosmos bipinnatus) — on frost-free date
- Creeping zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens) — on frost-free date
- Dahlia (Dahlia pinnata) — 2 weeks after
- Datura or angel’s trumpet (Datura metel and others) — 2 to 3 weeks after
- Delphinium (Delphinium elatum) — on frost-free date
- Drumstick Flower (Craspedia globosa) — on frost-free date
- Dusty miller (Senecio cineraria) — 2 weeks before
- Edging lobelia (Lobelia erinus) — on frost-free date
- Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus cinerea) — on frost-free date
- False Queen Anne’s lace** (Ammi majus) — on frost-free date
- Flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata, N. sylvestris and others) — on frost-free date
- Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) — on frost-free date
- Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) — on frost-free date
- Gaillardia or blanket flower (Gaillardia × grandiflora) — on frost-free date
- Geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum and others) — on frost-free date
- Globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa) — on frost-free date
- Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) — 1 week after
- Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) — on frost-free date
- Hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus) — 1 week after
- Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule) — on frost-free date
- Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) — 1 week after
- Larkspur** (Consolida ajacis) — on frost-free date
- Lisianthus (Eustoma russellianum) — on frost-free date
- Love-in-a-mist** (Nigella damascena) — on frost-free date
- Lupine (Lupinus perennis) — 2 weeks before
- Madagascar periwinkle or vinca (Catharanthus roseus) — 2 to 4 weeks after
- Marigold (Tagetes erecta and T. patula) — 1 week after
- Mexican sunflower** (Tithonia rotundifolia) — 1 week after
- Morning glory (Ipomoea nil, I. purpurea and I. tricolor) — 3 to 4 weeks after
- Mulla mulla (Ptilotus exaltatus) — on frost-free date
- Nasturtium** (Tropaeolum majus) — 2 weeks after
- Ornamental cabbage and kale (Brassica oleracea) — on frost-free date
- Ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum) — 1 week after
- Painted tongue (Salpiglossis sinuata) — on frost-free date
- Pansy (Viola tricolor hortensis, syn. V. × wittrockiana) — 3 to 4 weeks before
- Pelargonium (Pelargonium × hortorum and others) — on frost-free date
- Petunia (Petunia × atkinsiana) — on frost-free date
- Pincushion flower (Scabiosa atropurpurea) — on frost-free date
- Pot marigold** (Calendula officinalis) — on frost-free date
- Prince’s feather or kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate (Polygonum orientale) — on frost-free date
- Purple alteranthera (Alternanthera brasiliana) — on frost-free date
- Safflower** (Carthamnus tinctorium) — on frost-free date
- Salvia (Salvia spp.) — on frost-free date
- Scarlet runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus) — 2 weeks after
- Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) — 1 to 2 weeks before
- Snow-on-the-mountain** (Euphorbia marginata) — on frost-free date
- Statice (Limonium sinuatum) — on frost-free date
- Stock (Matthiola incana) — on frost-free date
- Strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum) — on frost-free date
- Sunflower** (Helianthus annuus) — on frost-free date
- Sweet Annie (Artemisia annua) — on frost-free date
- Sweet pea** (Lathyrus odoratus) — 1 to 2 weeks before
- Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) — 1 to 2 weeks before
- Tall vervain (Verbena bonariensis) — on frost-free date
- Torenia or wishbone flower (Torenia fournieri) — on frost-free date
- Vervain (Verbena × hybrida) — on frost-free date
- Viola (Viola spp.) — 3 to 4 weeks before
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) — on frost-free date
- Yellow cosmos** (Cosmos sulphureus) — on frost-free date
- Zinnia (Zinnia elegans and others) — 1 week after
**Indicates a plant that is usually sown directly outdoors, but occasionally started indoors.
Some of the mildest climates of Southern California lack a frost date. It is weird.
Since we have wet snow forecast for Mother’s Day, I don’t think I’ll be putting plants out any time soon. And I have to find a place to shelter the hanging baskets and flats that the scouts will be delivering on Sat.
Nor will I. We’re to get our snow the day before Mother’s Day.