Gardeners in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 and above enjoy a longer gardening season than gardeners with long, freezing winters. There may be more warm days in the zones, but sometimes the heat can be too much for growing vegetables. This can mean turning your vegetable gardening calendar on end or having 2 separate vegetable growing seasons that may have little to do with the usual gardening calendar. So it can get a little confusing trying to figure out what to plant in the spring, when things are heating up and what to plant in the fall, when the rains come.
If you're new to a warm climate or to vegetable gardening, there is plenty of help for you at your local Cooperative Extension office. The Master Gardeners or an agent will be able to give you ideas for what plants do well in your area and when to plant them. Much of this information is now online. Below are links to planting guidelines for states with idiosyncratic vegetable gardening calendars. Most are from the state's Cooperative Extension Service, except where noted.)
- Alabama (Alabama Cooperative Extension)
Planting Guide For Home Gardening In Alabama - Arizona (Arizona Cooperative Extension)
Vegetable Planting Guide and Recommended Planting Dates - Arkansas (Arkansas Cooperative Extension)
- California (Gardening Coaches)
Southern Californias - Florida (Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida)
Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide1 - Georgia (Fort Valley State University College of Agriculture, Home Economics, & Allied Programs)
- Louisiana (Louisiana Ag Center)
Louisiana Vegetable Planting Guide - Mississippi (Mississippi State University Extension Service)
Fall Planting Guide - Nevada (University of Nevada Cooperative Extension)
- Southern Nevada Fall Vegetable Gardening
- Vegetable Planting Guide for Moapa and Virgin Valleys (Page 17)
- New Mexico (New Mexico State University)
Home Vegetable Gardening in New Mexico - North Carolina (North Carolina State University)
Fall Vegetable Gardening in North Carolina - Oklahoma (Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service)
Oklahoma Garden Planning Guide - Oregon (Oregon State University Cooperative Extension Service)
- Oregon State
- South Carolina (Clemson University Cooperative Extension)
Planning a Vegetable Garden - Texas (AgriLife Communications, The Texas A&M System)
Texas Home Vegetable Gardening Guide - Virginia (Virginia Cooperative Extension)
Vegetable Planting Guide and Recommended Planting Dates - Washington (Washington State University Extension)
