What to plant this week in Zone 5a

Week of 2026-W36

Last frost May 8
First frost Oct 8
0 to sow
46 nearing harvest

Welcome to Zone 5a, where the average last frost is May 8 and the first frost arrives around October 8. This week offers a busy harvest window for your late-season crops like Beefsteak Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Sweet Corn as you prepare for cooler weather.

Sow
Transplant
Harvest
Tips
Pests
Water
Calendar
Cities

The next 7 days

Sample: Minneapolis, MN

Today

9/6

☀️

82° 68°

Mon

9/7

🌦️

83° 68° 💧29%

Tue

9/8

🌧️

89° 65° 💧91%

Wed

9/9

☀️

81° 67° 💧16%

Thu

9/10

☀️

83° 60°

Fri

9/11

☀️

92° 69° 💧13%

Sat

9/12

☀️

83° 62° 💧19%

Avg high 85°F Rain total 0.6" Humidity 50% Wind 7.5 mph

In the ground

Sow this week

No direct sowing windows open this week.

Move out

Transplant this week

Nothing is due to go out this week.

Coming ripe

Harvest soon

46 crops

Basil
Beefsteak Tomato
Bell Pepper
Borage
Brussels Sprouts
Bush Bean
Cantaloupe
Celery
Cleome (Spider Flower)
Cosmos
Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
Cucumber
Dahlia
Edamame
Fennel
Flour Corn
French Marigold
Garden Verbena
Garlic
Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)
Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
Habanero Pepper
Honeydew Melon
Leek
Lima Bean
Lisianthus (Prairie Gentian)
Loofah (Luffa)
Nasturtium
Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine
Parsnip
Pole Bean
Potato
Pumpkin
Scarlet Runner Bean
Shiso (Japanese Basil)
Summer Savory
Sunflower
Sweet Corn
Thai Basil
Tomatillo
Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
Watermelon
Winter Squash
Yellow Summer Squash
Zinnia
Zucchini

Do this now

Seasonal tips

Begin succession sowing quick-maturing crops like Bush Beans or Lettuce to extend your harvest before the first frost on October 8.
Apply a thick layer of straw or leaf mulch around perennial roots and Brassicas like Brussels Sprouts to protect them from early cold snaps.
Prune back any leggy Summer Savory or Garden Verbena now to encourage fresh growth once temperatures stabilize after the frost.
Start planning your spring garden by ordering seeds for crops that need a long head start, such as Garlic for next fall planting.

Keep watch

Pest & disease watch

Monitor Cucumber and Melon plants (Cantaloupe, Honeydew) for cucumber beetles which can transmit wilt disease in early autumn.
Check Zinnia and Sunflower stems for Japanese beetle larvae feeding on leaves as the season winds down.
Inspect Pole Beans and Lima Beans for aphids or spider mites that thrive in cooler, humid conditions.

Water

Watering this week

Reduce watering frequency but increase volume deeply to help plants build frost resistance before the October chill sets in.

One more thing

Harvest Garlic now if it has finished curing to ensure you get a full bulb before the ground freezes hard.

All year

Zone 5a planting calendar

147 crops

Average planting and harvest windows for everything that grows in zone 5a — dates shift a week or two with the season, so treat them as a starting point and check the weekly guide above for what's open right now.

Start indoors
Sow outdoors
Transplant
Harvest

Vegetables 67

Vegetable planting and harvest windows for USDA zone 5a
Crop	Start indoors	Sow outdoors	Transplant	Harvest	Maturity
Anaheim (New Mexico) Pepper	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Aug 5 – Aug 24	78d
Artichoke	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 8 – May 22	—	165d
Arugula	—	Apr 10 – May 22	—	May 10 – Jul 1	35d
Asparagus	—	—	Apr 10 – May 8	—	2.5 yr
Banana Pepper	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 26 – Aug 24	73d
Beefsteak Tomato	Mar 27 – Apr 10	—	May 15 – May 29	Aug 3 – Sep 1	88d
Beet	—	Apr 10 – Jun 5	—	May 30 – Aug 14	60d
Bell Pepper	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 21 – Sep 3	75d
Bok Choy	—	Apr 24 – May 22	—	Jun 3 – Jul 11	45d
Broccoli	Mar 20 – Apr 3	—	Apr 24 – May 8	Jun 18 – Jul 17	63d
Brussels Sprouts	Mar 27 – Apr 10	—	May 8 – May 22	Aug 6 – Sep 9	100d
Bush Bean	—	May 15 – Jul 26	—	Jul 4 – Sep 24	55d
Cabbage	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	Apr 24 – May 8	Jul 3 – Aug 6	80d
Carrot	—	Apr 17 – Jun 5	—	Jun 16 – Aug 24	70d
Cauliflower	Mar 20 – Apr 3	—	May 8 – May 22	Jul 2 – Aug 5	65d
Cayenne Pepper	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 31 – Aug 24	75d
Celery	Feb 27 – Mar 13	—	May 8 – May 22	Aug 16 – Sep 29	115d
Cherry Tomato	Mar 27 – Apr 10	—	May 15 – May 29	Jul 9 – Aug 7	63d
Collard Greens	—	Apr 24 – May 22	May 8 – May 22	Jun 18 – Aug 5	65d
Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)	—	May 22 – Jul 3	—	Jul 21 – Oct 1	75d
Cucumber	—	May 22 – Jul 21	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 11 – Sep 24	58d
Edamame	—	May 22 – Jun 26	—	Aug 5 – Sep 24	83d
Eggplant	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 26 – Aug 29	75d
Fava (Broad) Bean	—	Mar 27 – Apr 24	—	Jun 5 – Aug 2	85d
Flour Corn	—	May 15 – Jun 19	—	Aug 13 – Oct 17	105d
Garden Pea	—	Mar 27 – Apr 24	—	May 21 – Jul 3	63d
Garlic	—	Sep 10 – Oct 22	—	May 8 – Oct 29	255d
Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)	Feb 27 – Mar 13	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Aug 30 – Oct 3	110d
Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)	—	May 22 – Jun 5	—	Aug 30 – Oct 3	110d
Habanero Pepper	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Aug 20 – Sep 13	95d
Jalapeño	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 26 – Aug 29	75d
Kale	Mar 27 – Apr 10	Apr 24 – May 22	Apr 24 – May 8	Jun 13 – Jul 26	58d
Kohlrabi	—	Apr 10 – May 8	—	May 20 – Jul 2	48d
Leek	Feb 27 – Mar 13	—	May 8 – May 22	Aug 16 – Sep 19	110d
Lettuce	Mar 27 – Apr 10	Apr 10 – May 22	Apr 24 – May 8	May 25 – Jul 21	53d
Lima Bean	—	May 22 – Jul 3	—	Jul 26 – Oct 1	78d
Loofah (Luffa)	—	May 22 – Jun 19	May 22 – Jun 5	Aug 20 – Oct 29	120d
Marconi Pepper	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Aug 5 – Aug 29	80d
Mustard Greens	—	Apr 10 – May 22	—	May 15 – Jul 6	40d
Napa Cabbage	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	Apr 24 – May 8	Jun 13 – Jul 27	65d
Onion	Feb 27 – Mar 13	—	Apr 10 – Apr 24	Jul 9 – Aug 12	100d
Parsnip	—	Apr 24 – May 22	—	Aug 2 – Sep 19	110d
Poblano Pepper	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 26 – Aug 24	73d
Pole Bean	—	May 15 – Jul 16	—	Jul 14 – Sep 24	65d
Potato	—	Apr 24 – May 22	—	Jul 3 – Sep 19	95d
Pumpkin	—	May 22 – Jun 5	—	Aug 25 – Oct 3	108d
Radish	—	Apr 10 – Jun 5	—	May 2 – Jul 5	26d
Rhubarb	—	—	Apr 10 – May 8	—	1.5 yr
Roma Tomato	Mar 27 – Apr 10	—	May 15 – May 29	Jul 24 – Aug 17	75d
Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)	—	May 29 – Jun 19	May 29 – Jun 12	Sep 6 – Oct 29	125d
Rutabaga	—	Apr 24 – May 22	—	Jul 23 – Aug 30	95d
Scallion (Bunching Onion)	—	Apr 10 – Jun 5	—	Jun 9 – Aug 14	65d
Scarlet Runner Bean	—	May 15 – Jul 16	—	Jul 14 – Sep 24	65d
Serrano Pepper	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Aug 5 – Aug 24	78d
Shallot	—	—	Apr 10 – Apr 24	Jul 9 – Aug 2	95d
Shishito Pepper	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 16 – Aug 9	60d
Snow Pea	—	Mar 27 – Apr 24	—	May 26 – Jul 3	65d
Spinach	—	Mar 27 – May 8	—	May 1 – Jun 22	40d
Sugar Snap Pea	—	Mar 27 – Apr 24	—	May 21 – Jun 28	60d
Sweet Corn	—	May 15 – Jun 26	—	Jul 19 – Sep 24	78d
Swiss Chard	—	Apr 24 – Jun 5	—	Jun 13 – Aug 4	55d
Tomatillo	Mar 27 – Apr 10	—	May 15 – May 29	Jul 29 – Sep 6	88d
Tomato	Mar 27 – Apr 10	—	May 15 – May 29	Jul 14 – Aug 22	73d
Turnip	—	Apr 10 – May 22	—	May 20 – Jul 21	50d
Winter Squash	—	May 22 – Jun 6	—	Aug 20 – Sep 24	100d
Yellow Summer Squash	Apr 17 – Apr 24	May 22 – Jul 31	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 6 – Sep 24	50d
Zucchini	Apr 17 – Apr 24	May 22 – Jul 31	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 6 – Sep 24	50d

Herbs 20

Herb planting and harvest windows for USDA zone 5a
Crop	Start indoors	Sow outdoors	Transplant	Harvest	Maturity
Anise Hyssop	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
Basil	Mar 27 – Apr 10	May 22 – Jul 16	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 11 – Sep 24	60d
Chervil	—	Apr 24 – May 22	—	Jun 8 – Jul 21	53d
Chives	—	Apr 10 – May 8	Apr 24 – May 22	—	75d
Cilantro	—	Apr 24 – May 22	—	Jun 3 – Jul 16	48d
Dill	—	Apr 24 – Jun 5	—	Jun 3 – Jul 30	48d
Fennel	—	May 8 – Jun 26	—	Jul 12 – Sep 24	78d
French Tarragon	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	85d
German Chamomile	—	Apr 24 – May 22	—	Jun 23 – Jul 26	63d
Ginger	—	—	Jun 5 – Jul 3	—	270d
Lemon Balm	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	80d
Lemongrass	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	105d
Mint	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	75d
Oregano	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	85d
Parsley	Feb 27 – Mar 13	—	Apr 24 – May 22	Jul 3 – Aug 20	80d
Sage	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	83d
Shiso (Japanese Basil)	Mar 27 – Apr 10	May 15 – Jul 1	May 15 – May 29	Jul 24 – Sep 24	78d
Summer Savory	Mar 27 – Apr 10	May 22 – Jul 16	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 21 – Sep 24	65d
Thai Basil	Mar 27 – Apr 10	May 22 – Jul 11	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 21 – Sep 24	68d
Thyme	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	135d

Fruits 23

Fruit planting and harvest windows for USDA zone 5a
Crop	Start indoors	Sow outdoors	Transplant	Harvest	Maturity
Apple	—	—	Apr 10 – May 22	—	3.5 yr
Apricot	—	—	Apr 10 – May 22	—	3.5 yr
Black Walnut	—	—	Apr 24 – Jun 5	—	4.5 yr
Blackberry	—	—	Apr 10 – May 8	—	1.2 yr
Blueberry	—	—	Apr 24 – Jun 5	—	2.5 yr
Cantaloupe	Apr 17 – Apr 24	May 22 – Jun 26	May 22 – Jun 5	Jul 31 – Sep 24	80d
Cranberry	—	—	Apr 24 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
Elderberry	—	—	Apr 24 – Jun 5	—	2.5 yr
English (Persian) Walnut	—	—	Apr 24 – Jun 5	—	4.5 yr
Gooseberry	—	—	Apr 24 – Jun 5	—	2.5 yr
Grape	—	—	Apr 24 – May 22	—	2.5 yr
Ground Cherry	Mar 27 – Apr 10	—	May 15 – May 29	Jul 19 – Aug 12	70d
Honeyberry (Haskap)	—	—	Apr 24 – Jun 5	—	2.5 yr
Honeydew Melon	Apr 17 – Apr 24	May 22 – Jun 16	May 22 – Jun 5	Aug 10 – Sep 24	90d
Pear	—	—	Apr 10 – May 22	—	3.5 yr
Pecan	—	—	Apr 24 – Jun 5	—	4.5 yr
Plum	—	—	Apr 10 – May 22	—	3.5 yr
Raspberry	—	—	Apr 10 – May 8	—	1.2 yr
Red/Black Currant	—	—	Apr 24 – Jun 5	—	2.5 yr
Strawberry	—	—	Apr 10 – May 8	—	243d
Sweet Cherry	—	—	Apr 10 – May 22	—	3.5 yr
Tart (Pie) Cherry	—	—	Apr 10 – May 22	—	3.5 yr
Watermelon	Apr 17 – Apr 24	May 22 – Jun 21	May 22 – Jun 5	Aug 5 – Sep 24	85d

Flowers 37

Flower planting and harvest windows for USDA zone 5a
Crop	Start indoors	Sow outdoors	Transplant	Harvest	Maturity
Bachelor's Button (Cornflower)	—	Apr 10 – May 22	—	Jun 14 – Jul 31	68d
Bee Balm	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
Black-Eyed Susan	—	May 8 – Jun 5	May 8 – Jun 5	—	110d
Borage	—	May 8 – Jul 16	—	Jul 2 – Sep 24	63d
Butterfly Milkweed	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
Calendula	—	Apr 24 – May 22	—	Jun 8 – Jul 21	53d
Cleome (Spider Flower)	—	May 15 – Jul 11	—	Jul 9 – Sep 24	65d
Cosmos	—	May 15 – Jun 26	—	Jul 14 – Sep 24	75d
Dahlia	—	—	May 15 – May 29	Aug 13 – Sep 26	105d
Delphinium	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
French Marigold	Apr 3 – Apr 17	May 15 – Jul 26	May 15 – May 29	Jun 29 – Sep 24	53d
Garden Geranium (Zonal)	Feb 27 – Mar 13	—	May 15 – May 29	Jul 24 – Aug 27	80d
Garden Phlox	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
Garden Rose (Shrub)	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
Garden Verbena	Mar 13 – Mar 27	May 15 – Jun 26	May 15 – May 29	Jul 24 – Sep 24	80d
Hardy Hibiscus	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
Hearts & Flowers (Heartleaf Iceplant)	—	—	May 15 – Jun 5	—	75d
Hollyhock	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	Apr 24 – May 8	—	1.5 yr
Lantana	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	May 15 – May 29	Jul 24 – Aug 27	80d
Lavender	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
Lisianthus (Prairie Gentian)	Feb 13 – Feb 27	—	May 22 – Jun 5	Aug 30 – Oct 3	110d
Nasturtium	—	May 15 – Jul 21	—	Jul 4 – Sep 24	58d
New England Aster	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
Oriental Poppy	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine	—	—	May 22 – Jun 19	Jul 21 – Sep 17	75d
Panicle Hydrangea	—	—	Apr 24 – Jun 5	—	2.5 yr
Pansy	Feb 27 – Mar 13	—	Apr 10 – Apr 24	Jun 19 – Jul 23	80d
Petunia	Feb 27 – Mar 13	—	May 15 – May 29	Jul 24 – Aug 27	80d
Purple Coneflower	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
Salvia	—	—	May 15 – May 29	—	110d
Sedum ('Autumn Joy'-type)	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	1.5 yr
Snapdragon	Mar 13 – Mar 27	—	Apr 24 – May 8	Jul 13 – Aug 16	90d
Sunflower	—	May 15 – Jun 19	—	Jul 24 – Sep 27	85d
Sweet Alyssum	—	Apr 24 – May 22	May 8 – May 22	Jun 13 – Jul 21	55d
Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)	Apr 10 – Apr 24	May 15 – Jul 11	May 15 – May 29	Jul 14 – Sep 24	68d
Yarrow	—	—	May 8 – Jun 5	—	135d
Zinnia	Apr 10 – Apr 24	May 15 – Jul 11	May 15 – May 29	Jul 14 – Sep 24	68d

Local pages

Cities in zone 5a

Minneapolis, MN · St. Paul, MN · Sioux Falls, SD · Billings, MT · Anchorage, AK · Ottawa, ON · Fredericton, NB

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