When can you plant outside in Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh is USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6, so the average last frost date in spring is around May 15, and first frost date in fall is around October 15. The dates listed below are for earliest harvests, but many can also be planted or re-planted later in the season.
Warm-weather veggies like beans, corn, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, cantaloupe, and watermelons are all sown directly into the ground.
A majority of veggies that can be grown in central-Pennsylvania home gardens prefer to grow in cooler weather, which means starting them in April or even late March. Plant them in May or later, and they'll get bitter, woody, or fail to mature in the searing heat of summer.
You can plant trees, shrubs, perennials, and cool-season annuals, vegetables, and herbs now, as long as the ground is not too wet. But you should typically wait to plant warm-season flowers and vegetable plants until May 1st or Mother's day.
First Date | Plants | Last Date |
---|---|---|
Mid March | Peas, Fava Beans, Onions, Leeks, Garlic, Greens (Collards, Kale, Mustard, Turnip, Etc.) Turnips, White Potatoes, Cabbage | Mid April |
Late March | Lettuce*, Radishes*, Beets*, Carrots* | Mid May |
The Pittsburgh area is considered Zone 6B.
In Pennsylvania, you can sow most annual seeds outdoors after the last frost date since the growing season is long enough for them to germinate, grow to maturity, and blossom before temperatures drop to near-freezing levels.
There are a number of factors to consider when deciding when to plant, but you can always use your growing zone's average last frost date as a general rule of thumb. For Pennsylvania, planting outside around Mother's Day (the second Sunday in May) is the best time to plant annuals.
Botanical Name | Common Name | Bloom time |
---|---|---|
Dicentra eximia | Wild bleeding heart | April-September |
Eupatorium fistulosum | Joe-pye weed | July-Sept. |
Geranium maculatum | Wild geranium, Cranesbill | April to July |
Helenium autumnale | Common sneezeweed | August-September |
According to Witz, late summer or early fall is the perfect time for “tilling the ground and adding organic matter, like compost or manure, to improve soil structure and nutrient levels,” because “the cold winter months provide ample time for the organic matter to break down and mingle with the dirt.”
What is best to plant in March?
Carrot seeds can also be sown, as well as beetroot, kale, leeks, broccoli, horseradish, chicory, and turnips. Spring onions are also great early vegetables to plant in March, as well as spinach (make sure the soil is enriched with organic matter), peas, shallots and parsnips.
In most areas, that's between 2-4 weeks before the last spring frost. Avoid planting in soggy soil that is still full of moisture from snow or spring rains. Wait until the soil dries out a little so your seeds or transplants don't rot.
The best time to plant any plant is during the dormant season – in North America, this is usually late fall through early spring. While it's okay to plant during the rest of the year, it will require more maintenance from you in the form of watering, fertilizers, etc.
Crop | Sow seeds indoors | Direct sow seeds |
---|---|---|
Peppers | Feb 4 - Feb 18 | n/a |
Potatoes | n/a | Feb 14 - Mar 15 |
Radishes | n/a | Feb 29 - Apr 28 |
Spinach | Feb 4 - Feb 18 | Feb 29 - Mar 31 |
Pennsylvania planting zones are mostly in the 5b to 7a range, however there are small snippets of the state that are 5a and 7b, extending the range a bit. Finding out which Pennsylvania growing zones you are in is the first step in successfully planting a thriving garden.
Most annuals should be planted outdoors after the danger of spring frost has passed: May 23 is the date of the average last frost in the Poconos. Plant them in damp soil late in the afternoon on a cloudy day to reduce transplant shock.
Zipcode 15227 - Pittsburgh Pennsylvania is in Hardiness Zones 6a and 6b.
Start such plants indoors about 10 weeks before your location's last average annual spring frost date, and transplant them into the garden four weeks before that last frost date, when the soil temperature is at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Hill District (Pittsburgh)
Hill District | |
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City | Pittsburgh |
Depending on where you are located in PA, you'll want to start planting your tomato plants sometime between late April into May. Keep in mind that anytime that you are planting cold-sensitive plants outside before Mother's Day holds some risk.
When should I plant tomato seeds in PA?
Here in Pennsylvania, tomato seeds should be sown about six weeks before our last expected spring frost. Our last frost date is typically around mid-May, which means tomato seeds shouldn't be sown until the first week of April.
How to Plant and Care for Tomatoes. Tomatoes run on warmth; plant in late spring and early summer except in zone 10, where they are a fall and winter crop. For a head start on growing, plant starter plants instead of seeds.
If you are running late, you can continue to plant hardy vegetables until late May. USDA zone 7: Pre-sow in mid-February; set outdoors or direct sow in late March.
Pennsylvania planting zones are mostly in the 5b to 7a range, however there are small snippets of the state that are 5a and 7b, extending the range a bit. Finding out which Pennsylvania growing zones you are in is the first step in successfully planting a thriving garden.
- Cucumbers. Now is a great time to plant your cucumber seeds in your vegetable garden. ...
- Tomatoes. Tomato plants tend to do very well in the garden from May through August in Pennsylvania. ...
- Peppers. ...
- Green Beans. ...
- Lettuce.
Sow peas directly around August 3. Now, for all the usual hot weather veggies like beans, cowpeas, corn, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, gourds and sunflowers, you should plant those seeds directly into the ground around July 4.
According to Witz, late summer or early fall is the perfect time for “tilling the ground and adding organic matter, like compost or manure, to improve soil structure and nutrient levels,” because “the cold winter months provide ample time for the organic matter to break down and mingle with the dirt.”
For most crops, you should start seeds indoors about six to eight weeks before the last spring frost date. In the Midwest, plant your seeds indoors in the middle to end of April. In the South, the last frost can occur as early as the beginning of February, so plant your indoor seedlines then.
Generally March and April, when the soil begins to warm, are the best months to begin sowing many hardy annual vegetable seeds outdoors including broccoli, cabbage, chard, carrots, peas and parsnips.
Depending on where you are located in PA, you'll want to start planting your tomato plants sometime between late April into May. Keep in mind that anytime that you are planting cold-sensitive plants outside before Mother's Day holds some risk.
Where is Zone 5 PA?
Location | Hardiness Zone |
---|---|
Ashland | Zone 5b: -15°F to -10°F |
Ashley | Zone 5b: -15°F to -10°F |
Ashville | Zone 5b: -15°F to -10°F |
Aspers | Zone 6b: -5°F to 0°F |
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Corn is one of Pennsylvania's most common crops, with more than 1.4 million acres harvested in 2012.
Growing a pineapple is uncommon in Pennsylvania, an expert said. “It's very unusual,” said Sue Putman, owner of Putman Place, a family business near Bakersville that grows blueberries, asparagus, cut flowers and herbs. “Most people don't bother with something that takes more than a year,” she said. “It's kind of cool.”
Crop | Based on Frost Dates | |
---|---|---|
Start Seeds Indoors by... | Start Seeds Outdoors by... | |
Radishes | N/A | Sep 16 |
Spinach | N/A | Sep 26 |
Sweet Potatoes | May 19 | N/A |
Plant annuals in the garden in mid-May; be prepared to cover them on cold nights, especially if you plant earlier. Plant tomatoes and peppers in the garden toward the end of the month.
In general, mid- to late spring is mulching season-that's when the soil is warming up from the freezing temperatures it experienced all winter. Doing it too early will slow down the warming process, which the soil needs to do its job. Morrell also warns against mulching late in the fall.