Planting windows for Rochester
Computed from Rochester's own frost dates. Click any crop for the full zone-5 growing guide — varieties, spacing, fall plantings, and more.
| Crop | Start seeds indoors | Transplant | Direct sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍅 Tomatoes | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | May 7 – May 14 | — |
| 🫑 Peppers | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | May 14 – May 21 | — |
| 🥬 Lettuce | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | Apr 2 – Apr 30 |
| 🫛 Peas | — | — | Mar 19 – Apr 2 |
| 🥕 Carrots | — | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 |
| 🥦 Broccoli | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | — |
| 🥬 Kale | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 |
| 🥒 Cucumbers | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | May 7 – May 14 | May 7 – May 14 |
| 🥒 Zucchini | Apr 2 – Apr 9 | May 7 – May 14 | May 7 – May 14 |
| 🫘 Green Beans (Bush) | — | — | May 7 – May 14 |
| 🌽 Sweet Corn | — | — | May 7 – May 14 |
| 🌿 Basil | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 7 – May 14 | May 14 – May 21 |
| 🧄 Garlic | — | — | Fall: Aug 25 – Sep 22 |
Want this for all 50 crops, or as a printable seed-shelf schedule? Use the planting calendar and the seed starting scheduler — both can use Rochester's dates automatically after a lookup.
Reading the season in Rochester
Roughly 159 frost-free days gives Rochester gardeners room for nearly every common vegetable. Warm-season crops go out after Apr 30; a fall garden sown in late summer matures comfortably before the Oct 6 frost.