Zone 6 Planting Schedule – What to Start Each Month
Follow along each month to see what seeds to start indoors and what to sow directly in the garden. This is your ultimate Zone 6 planting guide.
No matter where you live in the country, there will be good times for planting and bad times for planting. This is particularly true in cooler zones, like zone 6, where there is a significant difference between summer and winter temperatures. A planting calendar can help you keep organized about what to plant when in your region.
If you live in USDA zone 6, you’ll be starting seeds in Zone 6. That means that a zone 6 planting schedule will come in handy. This type of calendar presents a list of the seeds you can start indoors and those you can start outdoors in every month of the year.
If you are ready to get ready, we’ve got you covered.
Welcome to Zone 6
Before we leap into a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6 planting schedule, let’s get an overview of the weather in this zone. Zone 6 includes those sections of the country where the average annual low temperature falls between -10 degrees F to 0 degrees F (-23.3 degrees C to -17.8 degrees C).
It would be neater if each hardiness zone applied to one or more full states. This, however, is not the case in any zone, and is certainly not true for Zone 6. Zone 6 includes parts of 36 different states in this country, running from the Appalachian Mountains to the Great Plains, then snaking up into the Northeast and into the West.
While Zone 6 temperatures can dip into cold territory in winter, this is not extreme cold. The zone has a moderate growing season of between 150 and 170 days. While winters can be cold and snowy, summers are warm or hot with occasional humidity.
Remember that USDA hardiness zones are determined by the average low temperature in the area. In Zone 6, the average minimum winter temperature ranges down to -10 degrees F, meaning that some days will be even colder than these averages. Summer high temperatures are not factored into the hardiness zone determination.
Given that the other 35 states range from Maine to California, it’s easy to see that the summer temperatures in the Zone 6 states will vary enormously. Keep this in mind when you decide what to plant in your own garden. Not every one of the plants listed in this Zone 6 planting guide can be grown in every one of the 36 states in the Zone 6 belt.
Planting Calendar Zone 6
Follow along each month to see what plants you should be planting.
January
In January, Zone 6 is deep into winter and you can’t plant anything in the garden. How about indoors? Nothing indoors either until eight weeks before the last spring frost date, May 1. This is a cold month with some snow.
February
February is still too cold for outdoor or indoor planting, but you can see occasional warming trends. The snow and rain add moisture and nutrients to the soil.
March
March is between 8 and 10 weeks before the last spring frost date and a warming trend begins. Many seeds can be started indoors in March, including herbs and flowers. There are a few products that can help you grow seedlings that will be strong and healthy for transplanting later. Our editors like the AC Infinity humidity dome, Vivosun heat mat, and Barrina grow lights which are available from Amazon.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Start Indoors |
Perennial Herbs | |
Perennial Flowers | |
Vegetables |
April
April showers are a thing in Zone 6. The days are considerably warmer but there is still a chance of frost.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Start Indoors |
Biennial Flowers | |
Annual Flowers | |
Vegetables | Tomatoes, Eggplant, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale, Swiss chard |
May
The last frost date is over as of the first date of the month. Warm weather arrives, with more rain.
June
June is summer, in Zone 6, and hotter weather arrives. You can still get some rain, but be on the watch for possible drought, which means you’ll need to irrigate.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Sow Outdoors | Transplant Outdoors |
Flowers | Row 1 - Cell 1 | All biennial flowers and annual flowers |
Vegetables | Tomatoes, Eggplant, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kale, Swiss chard |
July
July is the heart of summer and the hottest month in Zone 6. Plant those warm season crops and keep the watering-can handy - although thunderstorms may arrive.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Sow Outdoors | Transplant Outdoors |
Vegetables | Beans, Corn, Squash, Kale, Spinach, Lettuce, Radishes | Tomatoes, Eggplant, Peppers |
August
August is another hot month and may be drier than July. You may see real heat waves and less rainfall.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Start Indoors | Sow Outdoors |
Vegetables | Broccoli, Cabbage, Lettuce, Spinach | Kale, Radishes |
September
Ah, September, and cooler weather is welcome. This month sees more rain and less heat, plus the fiery show of leaves turning. It’s time to plant the cool weather crops and spend happy days in the garden.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Sow Outdoors |
Vegetables | Garlic, Greens, Kale, Lettuce, Peas, Radishes, Spinach, Brussels Sprouts |
October
First frost is just around the corner, so spend some time in October cleaning up the beds and preparing the garden for winter. The first frost may come this month, although November 1 is the official date.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Sow Outdoors |
Vegetables | Broccoli, Cabbage, Lettuce, Spinach, Radishes, Beets |
November
Cold and frost. Rain and snow. November won’t see much action in the garden other than continuing to clean up and mulching perennials.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Sow Outdoors |
Vegetables | Garlic, Shallots |
December
Happy holidays. In these cold days and long nights, it’s a great time to start planning your garden for the coming year.
