How to Know When to Plant Your Garden

Starting your own garden this year? You've come to the right place! There is something so fulfilling about getting dirt under  your nails and seeing the first seedlings pop out of the rich soil. You may be asking yourself though, how do I know when to plant? Timing is so crucial. Based on which part of the country you live in, you are part of a USDA planting zone. You can use these charts to help you decide what grows best in your zone and the appropriate time to grow them!
What USDA Zone am I in?
Use the map at the bottom of this post to locate which zone you are in.Once you find out what zone you are in you can use that information to see what dates you can plant specific fruits and vegetables!
If you are in one of the zones where your growing season is short, you may choose to start your seeds indoors. This was one of my favorite things to do growing up. I loved looking in the window every morning and see if the little green plants had broken the surface yet.
When should you start planting your seeds indoors? This depends on what type of seed it is and when the last frost date is for your zone. The back of the seed packet should tell you how many weeks ahead you should start the seeds. Looking at a calendar count back from the last expected frost date for each type of seed you are planting and you will have a planting schedule. 
I find it helpful to figure this out in advance and to write it out on a calendar so I can prepare the planters and buy the seeds!
Zone Chart