Month by Month Vegetable Garden Planting Guide
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It’s hard to keep track of what to plant when in the garden, so check out this zone 7 vegetable garden planting guide to what you grow in the garden when. If you are in a higher zone, you can use it two weeks ahead of the dates listed, and if you are in a lower zone, two behind. If you are a beginning gardener, check this out.
My Little Sprouts and I try our hardest to grow as much of our own food as possible. We like a wide variety of food, so we plant a wide variety of food. It’s hard to keep track of what to plant each month, so here is a guide to what you grow when.
Scroll down to the end of the post and check out the green text for a free printable month by month list.
Oklahoma garden planning guide
We live in Oklahoma in Zone 7a, so you may have to check the USDA planting zones and see where your planting zone may differ. Click to check it out. In most cases, you can use the same list for your garden planning, but adjust it a few weeks one way or the other to find your optimal planting times. Check out all the Oklahoma growing zones here.
If you are north, you will need to do things a few weeks later, and if you are south, you will need to do things a few weeks earlier. It’s a fairly simple adjustment to your garden planning.
This month by month vegetable planting guide will help you keep track of each type of plant and each growing season in your Oklahoma garden. There’s a free printable link at the very end of the post.
Our garden is run by preschoolers. They plant all the plants and harvest most produce. They do have a couple of pretty awesome weed patrol agents and garden prep staff.
We like to practice succession planting, or planting things every few weeks to spread out our harvest and have a continuous supply throughout the growing season. Our average last frost date is April 15, so if you find yours, you can adjust your planting times according to how many weeks away from ours it is.
This is average, so remember, anything can happen. We had a freeze in the middle of May one gardening year. You never know!
Monthly planting calendar
Corn and cucurbits, which include cucumbers, melons, and squashes prefer not to have their roots disturbed and don’t transplant well so you want to direct seed them in the ground when possible. Cruciferous and nightshades such as cabbages, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and tomatoes and peppers don’t germinate in the ground as well and prefer to be started in a controlled environment.
They are finicky germinators. They like constant temperatures when they sprout. In addition, carrots, lettuce, peas, and radishes germinate well in the ground outside. Okra does well direct seeded too. Check out the easiest seeds to grow here.
And don’t forget about herbs! They are great for growing as well. You can grow lavender, sage, marjoram, and so many more!
There are some plants that are replanted to grow a new crop, such as garlic. You just take a head of homegrown garlic or garlic intended for planting and not eating, and break off each clove and plant it in the ground. A new head will grow from that clove.
✔Here’s a link to a great vegetable garden planner you can print right out and use at home! So cute!
Potatoes are cut into individual chunks and cured for two weeks and then planted in the ground. Sweet potatoes are sprouted in water and the “slips” or green parts that grow are planted directly into the ground. Onions do better when you plant a set or tiny onion plant than when you try to grow them from seed. That is our experience anyway, anything is possible.
Here in the deep summer, it’s too hot to plant anything. These months are filled with harvesting and struggling to keep your plants alive and keep them from drying out too fast. You may be able to plant some things during this time, but not usually. Let your instincts guide you in the garden.
Even if you think you can’t garden because you don’t have a yard or live in an apartment, click the highlighted text to see how you can!
And if you have a yard, but your space is small, check out how to garden in small spaces here.
Zone 7 planting schedule
This is the zone 7 planting schedule we use at Little Sprouts. For a free printable copy, scroll to the end and click on the link.
February:
- Cabbage Plant
- Carrots Seed
- Cauliflower Plant
- Swiss Chard Seed
- Kohlrabi Seed
- Lettuce Seed or Plant
- Onion Sets or Plant
- Peas Seed
- Potato Tuber pieces
- Spinach Seed
- Kale Seed
Month by month planting guide
March:
- Cabbage Plant
- Carrots Seed
- Cauliflower Plant
- Swiss Chard Seed
- Kohlrabi Seed
- Lettuce Seed or Plant
- Onion Sets or Plant
- Peas Seed
- Potato Tuber pieces
- Radish Seed
- Spinach Seed
- Broccoli Plant
- Kale Seed
- Herbs Plants
April:
- Radish Seed
- Beans Seed
- Cucumber Seed or Plant
- Pumpkin Seed
- Summer Squash Seed or Plant
- Corn Seed
- Herbs Plants
- Flowers Seed
May:
- Melons Seed
- Cucumber Seed or Plant
- Okra Seed
- Pepper Plant
- Tomato Plant
- Pumpkin Seed
- Summer Squash Seed
- Winter Squash Seed
- Sweet Potato Plant (slips)
- Tomatillos Plant
Vegetable planting guide zone 7
June:
- Cucumber Seed
- Okra Seed
- Pepper Plant
- Tomato Plant
- Summer Squash Seed
- Winter Squash Seed
- Sweet Potato Plant (slips)
- Tomatillo Plant
September:
- Cabbage Plant
- Carrots Seed
- Cauliflower Plant
- Swiss Chard Seed
- Kohlrabi Seed
- Lettuce Seed or Plant
- Onion Sets or Plant
- Peas Seed
- Potato Tuber pieces
- Spinach Seed
- Broccoli Plant
- Kale Seed
Gardening month by month
October:
- Cabbage Plant
- Carrots Seed
- Cauliflower Plant
- Swiss Chard Seed
- Kohlrabi Seed
- Lettuce Seed or Plant
- Onion Sets or Plant
- Peas Seed
- Potato Tuber pieces
- Radish Seed
- Spinach Seed
- Broccoli Plant
- Kale Seed
- Garlic Clove
For more tips on what to do in the garden:
What to do in the garden in
Oklahoma planting chart
What are you planning to plant in the garden? For seeds from the Little Sprouts garden such as Luffa seeds and okra seeds, check out our Etsy page. I hope this vegetable garden planting guide helps you work it out. If you want to check out how to plan your garden, click here. Happy planting!
- And don’t forget to plan your garden with companion planting ideas in mind. You’ll have more garden success!
- For links to free garden seed catalogs, click on the highlighted text.
- For a fun idea check out how to grow your own salad garden here.
- Are you interested in growing gourds? Here’s a great guide for that too!
- Click here if you want to garden, but you don’t know how?
- For more herb gardening basics, check this out.
Free printable month by month garden planting guide
Month by month garden planting guide free printable
Check out this printable garden journal for kids from Mama on the Homestead. So cute!
Find out more about how to start an herb garden here.
What a wonderful article; helping the next generation to know how to garden to watch things grow and food for them. The Vitamin D and good exercise also helps the kids too!
I had a daycare in my home for several years and found that the little ones want to do everything you do; from dusting to baking and everything outside.
Love your article and great tips!
Thank you so much!
I live in the Maryland area, do you have recommendation for the best soil to use.
Check out if your soil is clay, sandy, or organic matter and amend it. If it’s mostly clay, add compost and sand or peat, if it’s mostly sand, add compost, if it’s organic matter, plant directly. If you are doing raised beds, I like to build soil like this article shares. Dirty Secrets of Garden Soil.
I love to plant veggies
Me too. Thanks for checking out the article.
Christina,
What a lovely page you have. How wonderful that you are teaching this to the children in your care. My babies are in college now, but I would have loved it if they had an opportunity to garden at childcare. I live in northern California (zone 9b) and work at a large agriculture university where I have access to a lot of master gardeners, but I would rather ask you a garden question. I’m a big tomato, cucumber, and squash gardener. This will be my first year ever to do green beans. From what I have read, it says to plant seed directly into the garden bed and not start seeds indoors. Do you have any tips or thoughts on that? Thank you. Gina
Hi Gina, thanks so much for your comments and for reading the post. Yes, i would totally direct sow green bean seeds in the ground. That’s what we do and I have read that they don’t like to be transplanted once they sprout so they like that best. They have a fairly short growing season, so there’s no need to rush getting them planted inside anyway. Thanks for your question. Have a great day!
Great post! The planting guide is very helpful and my sister will be very glad to have it for planning her garden. My daughters will be very interested of your post too. The love to help me in the garden. Happy gardening!
Happy gardening to you too and thanks so much! 🙂
I didn’t realize we are neighbors, of sort, both living in Oklahoma!
I love gardening, probably because my Dad enjoyed it so much.
This will be my first Spring in our house (we recently moved here
from Louisiana) so will probably just plant a few container things.
But I’ll enjoy seeing your garden. BTW, your little Sprouts are
adorable!
Thank you! I’m glad you love to grow things, it’s so beneficial in so many ways. Thanks for checking out the article. 🙂 Come back and see us!
Great tips.
Thank you!