Zone 5a Planting Calendar 2026Complete Seed Starting Schedule
Zone 5a enjoys a comfortable 175-day growing season with mild summers. This zone supports a wide variety of vegetables from cold-hardy greens to warm-season staples like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. Includes Chicago suburbs, Des Moines, central Nebraska, and eastern Oregon.
Last Frost
April 15
First Fall Frost
October 7
Growing Season
175 days
2026 Monthly Planting Schedule
Your month-by-month guide for Zone 5a
1January
🌱 Indoors: Start early crops indoors
☀️ Notes: Plan garden, order seeds
2February
🌱 Indoors: Start main season crops
🌍 Direct: Cold hardy crops direct sow
☀️ Notes: Prepare soil when workable
3March
🌱 Indoors: Continue seed starting
🌍 Direct: Direct sow cool season
☀️ Notes: Prepare beds
4April
🌱 Indoors: Finish warm season indoors
🌍 Direct: Direct sow beans, corn
☀️ Notes: Main transplant month
5May
🌍 Direct: Succession plant
☀️ Notes: Plant out all seedlings
6June
🌱 Indoors: Start fall crops
🌍 Direct: Plant fall vegetables
☀️ Notes: Maintain and water
7July
🌱 Indoors: Fall transplant seedlings
🌍 Direct: Plant fall crops
☀️ Notes: Begin fall planning
8August
🌍 Direct: Plant fall greens
☀️ Notes: Fall garden planting
9September
🌍 Direct: Plant garlic
☀️ Notes: Fall planting continues
10October
🌱 Indoors: Order seeds
☀️ Notes: Clean up, prepare winter
Recommended Varieties for Zone 5a
Top-performing varieties adapted to your zone
tomato
pepper
lettuce
cucumber
squash
Best Crops for Zone 5a
Top performers in your zone's climate
💡 Zone Tip: Succession sow fast-maturing crops like lettuce and radishes every 2 weeks for continuous harvests. Start peppers 10 weeks before April 15.
Major Cities in Zone 5a
These areas share your hardiness zone
Zone 5a on the Map
Cities in your zone are highlighted. Click any marker to explore neighboring zone calendars.
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