Count back before autumn

First-frost countdown & fall sowing planner

Work backward from a local average first-frost date, variety maturity time, and your own harvest buffer to find the latest conservative start date.

Live worksheet

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TodayYou can change this to plan from another date.Average first fall frostUse a nearby weather station or local extension source.Days to maturitydaysUse the value for your exact variety. Check whether its clock starts at sowing or transplanting.Harvest bufferdaysExtra time for slower autumn growth and a usable harvest window.Transplant head-startdaysOptional. Enter 0 for direct sowing; otherwise this is time spent growing indoors.

Choose the date you are planning from.

Sources & further reading

Planting vegetables in midsummer for fall harvestUniversity of Minnesota Extension
When to expect the first fall freezeNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information

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August is not too late: plan a second harvest from first frost

Sources & further reading