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Fall planting,
worked backwards.

Set your own harvest target. Explore maturity and a slower-growth allowance, without confusing a historical freeze date with a locally recommended planting deadline.

A harvest target, with the maths in view

Work backwards.
Plan with context.

Choose your intended harvest date and variety’s maturity.
Explore a fall start-by scenario without inventing local suitability.

Planning estimate
not a planting recommendation

Use the starting method shown by the source and your seed packet. Nursery time may be additional.

A harvest date is your input, not an automatic freeze deadline. Find a climate reference and regional guidance before deciding whether the scenario fits your garden.

ILLUSTRATIVE START-BY DATE · SOWING
Choose a harvest date

The calculator does not pick a weather-based deadline for you.

Your harvest target—
Variety’s days to first harvest—
Slower fall-growth allowance+14 days
Total time to allow—

This count-back method is a regional rule of thumb, not validated planting advice for every climate or cultivar.

Read the method’s source

Maryland Extension’s rule adds 14 days to maturity to allow for slower fall growth. Maturity ranges come from the cited regional sources. The calculation does not establish whether a crop is viable now: consider local advice, daylight, heat, soil, cold tolerance and your variety. Some crops can continue after freezing; some need warmer conditions long before a freeze. Explore regional calendars · Find a climate reference

The full reviewed scenario set

18 crops. Clear starting methods.

Reference ranges are regional and cultivar-dependent. Your packet can differ.

CropReference maturityCount fromOriginal evidence
Radishes30–60 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Spinach35–45 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Leaf lettuce40–60 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Peas70–80 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Carrots70 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Beets50–60 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Broccoli65 daysTransplantingRegional source
Bush beans45–65 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Brussels sprouts90–100 daysTransplantingRegional source
Cabbage50–90 daysTransplantingRegional source
Cauliflower60–80 daysTransplantingRegional source
Swiss chard40–60 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Collards40–65 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Kale40–65 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Kohlrabi50–60 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Mustard greens30–40 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Green onions60–70 daysDirect sowingRegional source
Turnips50–60 daysDirect sowingRegional source

These references support count-back arithmetic, not national crop suitability. Maturity means first harvest, not completion of a full harvest season. Transplant-based maturity excludes nursery time unless a source says otherwise.

Explore reviewed regional calendars