What to plant this week in Pittsburgh, PA
With the last frost date in Pittsburgh set for April 3, this week marks your final window to harden off heat-loving transplants like Malabar Spinach and Shiso before any lingering chill risks damage. Focus immediately on sowing or planting your summer harvest list, including Corn, Watermelon, and Bush Beans, as soil temperatures are finally consistent enough for robust growth.
The next 7 days
Pittsburgh, PAGrowing in Pittsburgh right now
- Pittsburgh's 'Rust Belt' clay-loam soils retain moisture well but can become compacted; aerate heavily before digging in heavy feeders like Squash and Pumpkins to prevent root rot during our humid summers.
- Our unique urban heat island effect allows you to start sowing warm-season crops like Okra and Edamame a week earlier than the rural valleys, but watch for sudden cold snaps if you delay until late April.
- With rainfall often concentrated in heavy afternoon storms, ensure raised beds or amended garden soil drains quickly to protect root systems from waterlogging during our wet spring shoulder.
- Be mindful of the steep topography common in neighborhoods like Squirrel Hill and Oakland; use terracing or heavy-duty retaining walls when building permanent structures on slopes.
Sow this week
No direct sowing windows open this week.
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
37 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Potato
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Thin out overcrowded seedlings to give remaining plants room for air circulation and sun.
- Apply a light layer of straw mulch around warm-weather crops to retain soil moisture during heat waves.
- Practice succession sowing with fast-maturing beans or radishes every two weeks to extend your harvest window.
Pest & disease watch
- Spider Mites are likely returning as temperatures climb above 60°F, especially on the dusty leaves of Fennel and Zinnia in our dry summer pockets.
- Early season aphid infestations often target the tender new growth of Pole Beans and Sweet Corn before natural predators fully arrive.
- Watch for slugs and snails feasting on young Garlic seedlings and Basil leaves after overnight rains, as they thrive in Pittsburgh's damp microclimates.
Watering this week
Water deeply at the base of plants in the early morning to reduce evaporation and prevent fungal diseases on wet foliage.
Harvest basil leaves regularly by pinching off stems just above a leaf pair to encourage bushier growth rather than flowering.
Pittsburgh gardening questions
3When is the absolute latest I can plant Garlic cloves in my Pittsburgh garden?
You should have your Garlic planted by now given our Nov 6 first frost date, but if you missed it, try to get them in immediately while soil is workable. Late-planted cloves may produce smaller bulbs or fail to establish before winter dormancy sets in.
Which plants from this week's list are best for containers on my balcony?
Compact varieties like Bush Beans, French Marigolds, and Nasturtiums thrive in pots where Pittsburgh's clay-heavy soil might otherwise become waterlogged. Ensure your container mix is amended with perlite to mimic our local drainage needs.
How do I protect my Watermelon and Cantaloupe from the strong winds common on the Allegheny River side?
Stake tall trellis-trained plants or use heavy-duty plant ties to secure sprawling vines against gusts that can snap stems during storms. Mulching heavily around the base also helps stabilize root systems against wind-driven moisture loss.
Other cities in zone 7a
12See the full zone 7a guide → · Plan your Pittsburgh garden in SproutGuide →