City · Austin
Austin planting calendar
Austin sits on the 8b/9a line with a hot, dry summer and a short winter. The reliable windows are March–May and September–November; midsummer is for watering, mulching and harvesting heat crops, not for planting.
Zone8b–9a
FrostLast frost early March · first frost late November
ClimateHumid subtropical
RegionUS Southeast
Months12
| Month | Sow | Plant out | Tend / harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | Onion and leek indoors | Bare-root trees and roses | Prune, order seed, plan water |
| Feb | Tomato and pepper indoors; peas outdoors | Onion sets and potatoes | Soil prep, last frost early March |
| Mar | Bean, corn and squash | Tomato and pepper mid-month | Mulch, water, set drip lines |
| Apr | Okra and sweet-potato slips | Basil, cucumber and melon | Harvest, water deeply, watch for aphids |
| May | Southern peas and cover crop | Nothing in the heat | Mulch, shade, harvest daily |
| Jun | Cover crop | Nothing | Water, heat stress, harvest okra and peppers |
| Jul | Autumn tomato indoors | Nothing | Shade, harvest, prepare fall beds |
| Aug | Fall brassicas and lettuce | Tomato for a fall crop | Start the fall garden, compost |
| Sep | Radish, turnip and spinach | Broccoli and cabbage | Fall garden, mulch, water |
| Oct | Winter salad and cover crop | Garlic and bulbs | Harvest, first frost late November |
| Nov | Nothing | Trees and shrubs | Protect citrus, mulch, prune dormant trees |
| Dec | Microgreens indoors | Dormant trees | Plan, repair tools, order seed |
How to use it. Start with the frost line, not the month name. If your last frost is earlier or later than the one above, shift the spring rows by the same number of weeks. Soil temperature matters more than the date for warm-season crops.
What this calendar assumes
- An open, sunny bed with drainage; shade and wet soil shift every row.
- Typical frost dates for the zone or city, not a specific garden's microclimate.
- Seed and transplant dates for a home garden, not commercial scheduling.
- No heated greenhouse; a polytunnel or conservatory buys two to four weeks at each end.
Check locally
NOAA climate data · UF/IFAS Extension. For the US, the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the zone reference; your state extension service has frost normals for your county.
Related
Horticulture in US Southeast · all calendars · plant spacing chart · soil calculator