When To Plant Seeds In Grow Zone 7a

Right now, on social media, you will see a lot of image posts like this:

Or:

And I will tell you this much: Be really wary of these images. For one, raised beds are not magical. They still freeze solid in winter. And yes, January is the dead of winter. Even my Kale is barely hanging on here in 7a.

Yes, in theory, you can work the soil (if it isn’t frozen), and you can plant seeds in zones 7 and up, but that doesn’t mean they will grow – or even seed – for weeks, if not months. For one thing, we just do not have the daylight hours yet. We are less than 2 weeks out of the Winter Solstice and have a whopping 9 hours and 28 minutes of “light”. It is also 28* at 11:30 am. I can say this much: My raised beds are quite frozen, and will stay that way for quite some time.

Now then, if it is in the 50’s where you are, then hey, try it. Radish seed is cheap. So is Kale. But if you know your area still freezes at night, coldly, wait. Or plant seeds inside, to grow starts. That will cure the itch to get going.

But if you are willing to wait about 10 to 11 weeks, yes, you can replicate those images….in mid-February to the end of that month.

Over the years, I have cultivated gardens and farmed in zones 8a and 8b, which are more tolerant than 7a. While 7a is warmer in summer, it is colder in winter, and the cold lasts longer. Our current location, until the USDA changed the zones in 2023, was zone 6b, so it was warmed by 5 degrees (in theory). Still, it indicates that winters are cold, as the base temperature is 0-5 °F during the coldest period. I won’t know how that pans out for 2 to 3 winters as I adapt to it and record everything. It does mean that, unlike at our previous location, having unprotected citrus trees, even in a greenhouse, will not be possible. I would have to keep the greenhouse mildly heated as well, unlike at our previous homes.

Our homestead is in Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia. We receive, on average, about 115 days of recordable precipitation. This leaves us with a growth period of 200 to 250 days (which, of course, is dependent on where your garden sits—if in a hollow or higher up, surrounded by trees, you will have fewer days). Our last frost date is typically around mid-May, but it can be as late as the end of May (in hollows or shaded areas or at higher elevations).

Altitude, shade, and location in a tight valley or hollow can affect your growing zone. Chart this over 2 to 3 years; it’ll help you decide when to plant. Sure, you might lose a few plants, but you will learn also learn how to adapt to it.

We are using the last frost date as our guide and backing up to figure out when to seed, be it indoors, outdoors directly, or when to transplant the seedlings you started indoors.

Zone 7a, if the last frost date is May 11th, the dates going back:

1 week: May 4th
2 weeks: April 27th
3 weeks: April 20th
4 weeks: April 13th
5 weeks: April 6th
6 weeks: March 30th
7 weeks: March 23rd
8 weeks: March 16th
9 weeks: March 9th
10 weeks: March 2nd
11 weeks: February 23rd
12 weeks: February 16th

You can easily change these dates to reflect your growing zone; go back by weeks.

Seed Chart

Artichokes

Start indoors around mid-March. Transplant mid-May.

Beans

Bush: 52-59 days, seed directly after the last frost, start inside 2 weeks before the last frost. Plant every 2 weeks for continuous crops.
Pole: 63-69 days, seed direct after last frost, start inside 2 weeks before last frost.

Beets

For continuous crops, 48-60 days, seed direct from March and on, every 2 weeks.

Broccoli

70 days, start in the greenhouse 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Transplant after the last frost.

Cabbage

80 to 150 days, starting in the greenhouse 6 weeks before the last frost and transplanting 3 weeks before the last frost date.

Cauliflower

75-85 days. Start in the greenhouse 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Transplant after the last frost.

Carrots

65-70 days, seed directly in the ground, starting a few weeks before the last frost. Repeat every 2 weeks for continuous crops.

Celery

120 days, start in the greenhouse 8 weeks before the last frost. Transplant after the last frost.

Corn

Sweet Corn: 65-85 days, seed directly after the last frost date.
Popcorn: Same as above.

Cucumbers

Pickling: 50-60 days; direct-seed after the last frost.
Eating: 50-70 days; seed directly after the last frost.

Greens

Bok Choy: 44 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before the last frost.
Kale: 50-70 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.
Spinach: 44 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.
Swiss Chard: 55 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.
Swiss Chard and Kale can be reseeded directly or in the greenhouse through the growing season.

Herbs

Start in a greenhouse in March, transplant, or set outside after the last frost.

Kohlrabi

60 days, start in the greenhouse 4 weeks before the last frost.

Lettuce

Romaine: 60-80 days. Start in the greenhouse 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost, transplant after the last frost, and repeat every 2 weeks of seeding.
Other leaf lettuce: 30-45 days. Start in the greenhouse 2 weeks before the last frost, transplant after the last frost, and repeat every 2 weeks of seeding.

Onions

Eating: 110 days, start in greenhouse 8 weeks before last frost. Transplant after the last frost. (We grow Walla Walla and similar sweet onions)
Bunching: 75 days. Start in the greenhouse 4-8 weeks before the last frost. Transplant after the last frost. Seed every 2 weeks for continuous crops.

Parsnips

130 days, seed directly when seeding carrots.

Peas

Dwarf: Seed directly 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost.
Bush: 55-70 days, seed directly 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost.
Pole: 65-70 days, seed directly 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost.

Peppers

Hot: 70 days. Start in the greenhouse 8 to 12 weeks before the last frost. Transplant after
Sweet: 75 days, same as above.
Ancho: 80 days, same as above.

Pumpkin

Jack Be Little: 95 days, start seeds 2 to 6 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost.
Regular Pumpkins: 90-120 days, start 2 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Transplant after the last frost.

Radishes

24-30 days, seed directly after the last frost.

Rhubarb

Start in the greenhouse 8 to 12 weeks before the last frost. Transplant after the last frost. Let the plants be established before you harvest them. A full year is the best.

Squash

Summer Squash: 40-70 days. Seed directly after the last frost. If starting in the greenhouse, 2 to 6 weeks before the last frost.
Butternut: 95 days, start in greenhouse 2 to 6 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost date.
Winter Squash: 105-110 days, start in greenhouse 2 to 6 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost date.

Strawberry

Alpine: Alpine plants produce ever-bearing seeds. Start seeds in the greenhouse 8-12 weeks before the last frost for a fall crop from first-year plants. Slow germination is normal once the last frost has passed; transplant to gallon pots and set outside to finish growing.
Traditional June-bearing and Everbearing types – plant bare root in late winter, preferably in pots with a light soil mix at first, then into the ground once the last frost passes, and you can work the ground.

Tomatoes

Dwarf: 60 days; start in greenhouse 4 weeks before the last frost, or for bigger plants, up to 8 weeks—transplant in the first week of May.
Shorter Season: 48-68 days, same as above.
Heirloom: 60-80 days, same as above.

Watermelon