Beets
Direct sow2 weeks before through the average last spring frost
Colorado State University · Spring referenceStart with the frost.
Start with the frost.
Plant with
the conditions.
A Colorado spring reference for 30 crops, organized around the average last spring frost. Use the relative timing as a starting point, then check your own garden.
Compare crop timing Every reviewed windowFind your crop.
Find your crop.
See its season.
Spring timing relative to the source’s average last frost. These markers are references, not a complete planting season.
Broccoli
Transplant4 weeks before to 2 weeks before the average last spring frost
Bulb onions
Direct sow4 weeks before to 2 weeks before the average last spring frost
Bush beans
Direct sowAround the average last spring frost
Cabbage
Transplant4 weeks before to 2 weeks before the average last spring frost
Cantaloupe
Direct sowEarliest reference: 2 weeks after the average last spring frost
Carrots
Direct sow2 weeks before through the average last spring frost
Cauliflower
Transplant2 weeks before through the average last spring frost
Cucumber
Direct sowAround the average last spring frost
Eggplant
TransplantEarliest reference: 2 weeks after the average last spring frost
Green onions
Direct sow4 weeks before to 2 weeks before the average last spring frost
Head lettuce
Transplant4 weeks before to 2 weeks before the average last spring frost
Kohlrabi
Direct sow4 weeks before to 2 weeks before the average last spring frost
Leaf lettuce
Direct sow4 weeks before to 2 weeks before the average last spring frost
Lima beans
Direct sowEarliest reference: 2 weeks after the average last spring frost
Parsnips
Direct sow2 weeks before through the average last spring frost
Peas
Direct sow4 weeks before to 2 weeks before the average last spring frost
Pepper
TransplantEarliest reference: 2 weeks after the average last spring frost
Pole beans
Direct sowAround the average last spring frost
Potatoes
Plant seed potatoes2 weeks before through the average last spring frost
Pumpkins
Direct sowEarliest reference: 2 weeks after the average last spring frost
Radish
Direct sow4 weeks before to 2 weeks before the average last spring frost
Spinach
Direct sow4 weeks before to 2 weeks before the average last spring frost
Summer squash
Direct sowAround the average last spring frost
Sweet corn
Direct sowAround the average last spring frost
Swiss chard
Direct sow2 weeks before through the average last spring frost
Tomato
TransplantEarliest reference: 2 weeks after the average last spring frost
Turnips
Direct sow4 weeks before to 2 weeks before the average last spring frost
Watermelon
Direct sowEarliest reference: 2 weeks after the average last spring frost
Winter squash
Direct sowEarliest reference: 2 weeks after the average last spring frost
No matching source windows
Try another crop, month, or method. A missing source window doesn’t establish that planting is unsuitable.
Frost marks the average-last-spring-frost reference used by Colorado State University. It is not a weather forecast or a universal safe-to-plant date.
Keep the anchor in viewWhat the timing
Read CSU’s Vegetable Planting Guide
What the timing
actually means.
Read CSU’s Vegetable Planting Guide Reviewed 2026-10-02 · 30 crop references
“Around” is not a one-day deadline
A marker at the average last frost means around that reference. It is not an instruction to plant on a single calendar day. Likewise, the earliest references after frost mark a starting reference, not the end of the planting season.
An average frost date and a station median are different
The source uses average last spring frost. Replacing that anchor with a NOAA median last 32°F freeze date is an approximate application calculation. It does not turn this reference into a published local calendar.
Soil and weather still get a vote
Check for workable soil and appropriate soil temperatures before planting. Delay or protect frost-sensitive plants while frost remains possible. Read your cultivar instructions and ask local Extension about conditions that this broad regional reference cannot resolve.