Indiana Vegetable Garden Planting & Harvest Calendar

Every vegetable must start at a specific time.

All vegetable plants come with labels of warm-season or cool-season, and must therefore start in the spring or fall, respectively. In Indiana, where winter temperatures drop quickly to minus 20 degrees, it's important to get the spring garden started as early as possible, and then get the summer harvest in.

Spring Season

Plant most summertime vegetables after the last frost lifts in spring. This timing may range from late April in South Indiana to mid-May in Northern cities. Vegetables that are hardy to frost can go outdoors before the first frost in March.

Variety

Indiana's summers are long enough to support a large variety of vegetables. Purdue University recommends asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cabbage, endives, garlic, kale, lettuce and onions for pre frost plantings. Purdue further recommends tomatoes, beans, peppers, squash, cucumbers, okra, corn, pumpkins and watermelons for post-frost plantings.

Harvest

Every vegetable grows to maturity and fruits on its own time line. Gardeners should harvest their vegetables as they ripen. All summertime vegetables must be in by the first frost, normally in October.

References

• Purdue University: Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar
• Victory Seeds: Average First and Last Frost Dates for Indiana
• Growit.com: Indiana USDA Hardiness Zone Map