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

Tell us what you are working with

Each field explains what to measure, where to find it, and how to read the result. Change any value to update the plan instantly.

TodayYou can change this to plan from another date.Average first fall frostThe locally reported average first autumn freeze—not a guaranteed first freeze. Use a nearby weather station or extension source.Days to maturitydaysUse the value for your exact variety. Check whether its clock starts at sowing or transplanting.Example: If the packet says 55 days from transplant, enter 55 and add the indoor head-start below.Harvest bufferdaysExtra time for slower autumn growth and a usable harvest window.Example: 14 days gives the crop two extra weeks beyond its stated maturity time.Transplant head-startdaysOptional. Enter 0 for direct sowing; otherwise this is time spent growing indoors.Example: Enter 21 for a transplant grown indoors for three weeks.

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

Tell us what you are working with

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

Sources & further reading