Planting planner: New Orleans, Louisiana
Typical last spring frost January 22 (1 spring in 10 later than February 23). Typical first fall frost January 5 (1 fall in 10 earlier than December 13). Growing season about 348 days.
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Frost doesn't come every year here: about 71 years in 100 have at least one freezing night. The calendar is built on the dates for the years that do.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
Your typical last frost comes before mid-February. Where winters are this mild, summer heat limits the garden as much as frost does, and most planting happens in fall and late winter. Your county's extension office publishes a calendar made for your climate.
January
- January 8 to 22: Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard (plant outdoors)
- January 8 to 22: Cauliflower (plant out)
- January 22: Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash (sow outdoors)
February
- February 5: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant (plant out)
- February 5: Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans (sow outdoors)
March
Nothing to start this month.
April
Nothing to start this month.
May
Nothing to start this month.
June
Nothing to start this month.
July
Nothing to start this month.
August
- August 10 to 24: Cabbage for fall (start seeds)
- August 30 to September 13: Broccoli for fall (start seeds)
September
Nothing to start this month.
October
- October 9: Snap beans for fall (last date to sow)
- October 13: Carrots for fall (last date to sow)
- October 14: Cucumbers for fall (last date to sow)
- October 18: Peas for fall (last date to sow)
- October 19: Summer squash for fall (last date to sow)
- October 23: Leaf lettuce and beets for fall (last date to sow)
November
- November 2: Turnips and kohlrabi for fall (last date to sow)
- November 6 to December 4: Broccoli and cabbage (start seeds indoors)
- November 12: Spinach for fall (last date to sow)
- November 20 to December 18: Cauliflower (start seeds indoors)
- November 22: Radishes for fall (last date to sow)
December
- December 4 to 25: Eggplant (start seeds indoors)
- December 11 to 25: Peppers (start seeds indoors)
- December 13: Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers (watch the forecast)
- December 18 to January 1: Tomatoes (start seeds indoors)
- December 25 to January 8: Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips (sow outdoors)
- December 25 to January 8: Broccoli and cabbage (plant out)
Dates from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for New Orleans Lakefront Airport (station USW00053917), 6 miles from the center of New Orleans. Planting rules: Colorado State University Extension GardenNotes #720 (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-334 (fall crops), University of Minnesota Extension (garlic). Spring bulbs: plant when the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F, until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes (University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension). Full details: https://lastfrostdate.com/frost-dates/louisiana/new-orleans/