Zone 4a Planting Schedule

All Zones Zone 4a Save Garden

Last spring frost: May 15th

First fall frost: Sep 24th

Growing season: 132 days

Action Plan: May in Zone 4a

Expert Note

May in Zone 4a brings warming soil; plant when beds are workable and frost risk is past. Keep transplants well-watered, mulch to stabilize moisture, and watch for flea beetles and early aphids on tender growth.

Seed & Soil

Direct sow and transplant warm-season favorites now: Tomato and Bell Pepper for steady summer harvests, plus Zucchini and Cucumber for quick, high-yield production. Add Basil once soil is warm to boost flavor and pollinator activity.

The Harvest

Harvest apples and berries as they ripen, starting with Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, and Red Delicious, then keep picking Boysenberry and Marionberry regularly for best flavor. Refrigerate fruit promptly to slow softening.

Planting Schedule

Add crops from the list below to build your planting schedule.

Crop	Indoor Start	Transplant / Direct Sow	Harvest Window
Alvaro	May 1st	May 29th	Aug 7th – Sep 24th
Arancino	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 3rd – Sep 24th
Armenian	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 19th – Sep 24th
Athena	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 29th – Sep 24th
Beit Alpha	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 4th – Sep 24th
Bennings Green Tint	May 1st	May 15th	Jun 29th – Sep 24th
Big Max	May 1st	May 15th	Sep 2nd – Sep 24th
Birdhouse	May 1st	May 15th	Sep 12th – Sep 24th
Boule d'Or	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 13th – Sep 24th
Calabash	May 1st	May 29th	Aug 27th – Sep 24th
Canary Yellow	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 3rd – Sep 24th
Candy Roaster	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 23rd – Sep 24th
Caveman's Club	May 1st	May 15th	Sep 2nd – Sep 24th
Celebration	Mar 6th	May 1st	Jul 20th – Sep 24th
Climbing Gourd	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 13th – Sep 24th
Collective Farm Woman	Apr 17th	May 1st	Jul 20th – Sep 24th
Common	May 1st	Jun 26th	Aug 25th – Sep 24th
Copra	Mar 6th	May 1st	Aug 9th – Sep 24th
Costata Romanesco	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 4th – Sep 24th
Crane Melon	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 3rd – Sep 24th
Crenshaw	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 8th – Sep 24th
Diva	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 9th – Sep 24th
Eight Ball Hybrid	May 1st	May 15th	Jun 29th – Sep 24th
Encore	Direct Sow	May 1st	Jul 30th – Sep 24th
French Chervil	May 1st	May 29th	Jul 13th – Sep 24th
Galeux d'Eysines	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 18th – Sep 24th
Galia	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 29th – Sep 24th
Giant Of Italy	May 1st	May 22nd	Jul 31st – Sep 24th
Gold Rush	May 1st	May 15th	Jun 29th – Sep 24th
Golden Lemon Thyme	May 1st	Jun 26th	Aug 25th – Sep 24th
Golden Oregano	May 1st	Jun 26th	Aug 25th – Sep 24th
Greenflesh	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 3rd – Sep 24th
Halona	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 24th – Sep 24th
Hearts of Gold	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 3rd – Sep 24th
Heritage F1	May 1st	May 29th	Aug 17th – Sep 24th
Ibis	Mar 6th	May 1st	Aug 29th – Sep 24th
Ilas	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 9th – Sep 24th
Italian Flat Leaf	May 1st	Jun 26th	Sep 4th – Sep 24th
Jersey Giant	Mar 6th	May 1st	Apr 30th – Sep 24th
Jester	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 8th – Sep 24th
Jubilee	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 11th – Sep 24th
Kajari	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 19th – Sep 24th
Kaliteri Oregano	May 1st	May 22nd	Jul 21st – Sep 24th
Kojak	Feb 20th	May 1st	Aug 29th – Sep 24th
Lancelot	Mar 6th	May 1st	Aug 19th – Sep 24th
Lettuce Leaf Basil	May 1st	Jun 26th	Aug 15th – Sep 24th
Lilly Crenshaw	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 8th – Sep 24th
Long Island Cheese	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 18th – Sep 24th
Longissimo di Sicilia	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 13th – Sep 24th
Maharani	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 18th – Sep 24th
Minerva	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 24th – Sep 24th
Monarch	Mar 6th	May 1st	Aug 14th – Sep 24th
Muncher	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 4th – Sep 24th
Navajo Melon	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 8th – Sep 24th
Ngo Gai	May 1st	May 29th	Jul 13th – Sep 24th
Orange Flesh Honeydew	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 29th – Sep 24th
Pascal	Mar 6th	May 1st	Aug 9th – Sep 24th
Passport	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 24th – Sep 24th
Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 18th – Sep 24th
Peppermint Stick	Mar 6th	May 1st	Jul 25th – Sep 24th
Peter Pan	May 1st	May 15th	Jun 29th – Sep 24th
Piel de Sapo	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 3rd – Sep 24th
Pink Chintz Creeping Thyme	May 1st	Jun 26th	Jul 26th – Sep 24th
Pistou	May 1st	Jun 26th	Aug 15th – Sep 24th
Planters Jumbo	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 8th – Sep 24th
Polyvit	May 1st	Jun 26th	Aug 10th – Sep 24th
Prescott Fond Blanc	Apr 17th	May 1st	Jul 18th – Sep 24th
Prospera	May 1st	Jun 26th	Aug 25th – Sep 24th
Racer	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 13th – Sep 24th
Rampart	Mar 6th	May 1st	Aug 29th – Sep 24th
Red Marble	Apr 3rd	May 1st	Jul 30th – Sep 24th
Rich Sweetness 132	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 3rd – Sep 24th
Rouge Vif d'Etampes	May 1st	May 15th	Sep 2nd – Sep 24th
Salt and Pepper	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 4th – Sep 24th
Sarah's Choice	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 29th – Sep 24th
Silver-Edged Lemon Thyme	May 1st	Jun 26th	Aug 25th – Sep 24th
Soleil	May 1st	May 15th	Jun 29th – Sep 24th
Straight Eight	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 10th – Sep 24th
Sugar Loaf	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 13th – Sep 24th
Sultana	May 1st	Jun 26th	Aug 10th – Sep 24th
Summer Dance	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 9th – Sep 24th
Sunshine F1	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 28th – Sep 24th
Sweet Dumpling	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 13th – Sep 24th
Sweet Mama	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 18th – Sep 24th
Table Queen	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 13th – Sep 24th
Table Queen Acorn	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 8th – Sep 24th
Tall Utah 52-70	Mar 6th	May 1st	Jul 25th – Sep 24th
Tokiwa	May 1st	May 15th	Jul 4th – Sep 24th
Tondo di Nizza	May 1st	May 15th	Jun 29th – Sep 24th
Triamble	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 18th – Sep 24th
Victoria	Mar 6th	May 1st	Jul 25th – Sep 24th
Wee-Be-Little	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 18th – Sep 24th
Westlandia	Mar 6th	May 1st	Aug 29th – Sep 24th
White Grano	Mar 6th	May 1st	Aug 4th – Sep 24th
Winter Bloomsdale	Direct Sow	May 1st	Jun 10th – Sep 24th
Winter Luxury	May 1st	May 29th	Sep 1st – Sep 24th
Winter Sweet	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 18th – Sep 24th
Yellow Jubilee	May 1st	May 15th	Aug 8th – Sep 24th
Ailsa Craig	Direct Sow	May 8th	Aug 11th – Sep 24th
Alabaster	Mar 6th	May 8th	Sep 5th – Sep 24th