Zone 6 gardeners face a tight window: last frost lingers until mid-April but tomatoes need 8+ weeks indoors. Miss the timing and you're starting over in July. This calendar eliminates the guesswork.
Understanding Zone 6
USDA Hardiness Zone 6 covers average minimum winter temperatures of -10°F to 0°F. That includes Columbus OH, Philadelphia PA, Kansas City MO, and the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. Average last frost: April 1–15. Average first fall frost: October 15–November 1. Your frost-free growing window: roughly 185 days.
March: Start Indoors
Start peppers, eggplant, and slow-growing herbs in weeks 1–2. Start tomatoes, celery, and leeks in weeks 3–4. Use a seed-starting mix — never outdoor soil — and bottom heat if possible (68–75°F soil temp).
April: Last Frost Window
Direct sow cold-tolerant crops before April 15: peas, spinach, lettuce, arugula, kale, Swiss chard, radishes, carrots, and beets. After April 15: transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant after harden-off. Direct sow beans, squash, cucumbers, and basil outdoors.
May: Full-Throttle Planting
All summer crops go in. Direct sow successive plantings of lettuce and radishes every 2 weeks for a continuous harvest. Side-dress heavy feeders (corn, squash, tomatoes) with compost or balanced fertilizer.
June: Harvesting Early Crops
Radishes, lettuce, and spinach come out. Succession-sow summer crops like beans and beets to fill gaps. Watch for aphids on brassicas and squash vine borer on zucchini.
