Kansas Planting Guide

Plant at the right time for fresh vegetables right from the garden.

Northern Kansas is covered by USDA plant hardiness zone 5 and the southern part of the state is in zone 6. Because of the short growing season, it's important to plant vegetables at the peak time to ensure a successful harvest.

Time Frame

Don't plant cucumbers before mid-May.

Hardy plants such as turnips, radishes, garden peas, carrots, kale and broccoli can be planted as early as March 25. Spinach, Irish potatoes, lettuce and beets can be planted around April 1. Some plants shouldn't be planted until after May 1, including corn, cantaloupe, lima beans, southern peas, watermelon and okra. Eggplant and cucumbers should be planted in mid- to late May.

Potential

Plant cauliflower as late as September for a fall crop.

Some crops can be planted a second time for a fall harvest in addition to the summer one. Mustard, radishes and spinach can be planted in the beginning of August, while kohlrabi, carrots, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower can be planted as late as the last week in September.

Considerations

Start tomatoes early for a head start on the growing season.

Because of the short growing season, there is only time for many crops to be planted once. Peppers, asparagus, squash, tomatoes, cucumber and eggplants are among those that are suited for only one harvest. In order to get a head start on the short season, it's possible to start seeds such as those for tomato plants indoors as much as four weeks before they are to be planted in the garden outside.

References

• USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: South
• The Vegetable Garden: Zones 5-6