What to plant this week in Zone 2a
With your last frost still a few weeks away on June 1, focus this week on preparing the garden bed for imminent spring planting. Start sowing cool-season crops like lettuce and radishes now to ensure a fresh harvest before summer heat arrives.
Sow this week
No direct sowing windows open this week.
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
6 crops- Bachelor's Button (Cornflower)
- French Marigold
- Garden Pea
- Lettuce
- Radish
- Snow Pea
Seasonal tips
- Apply a light layer of mulch around established plants to protect against fluctuating temperatures as spring progresses.
- Prepare your soil beds by adding compost now so it settles and warms up before the June 1 planting date.
- Succession sow garden peas every two weeks to extend your harvest window through late summer.
Pest & disease watch
- Monitor for early-season aphids on emerging seedlings of bachelor's button and french marigold.
- Watch for cutworms damaging young lettuce and radish plants at night.
Watering this week
Water deeply and consistently, especially as soil temperatures rise toward the June 1 frost date. Keep seedlings evenly moist but avoid soaking wet conditions that encourage root rot in cool, damp spring weather.
Use floating row covers over your sown peas to shield them from birds and light frosts until they are sturdy enough to stand alone.
Zone 2a planting calendar
14 cropsAverage planting and harvest windows for everything that grows in zone 2a — dates shift a week or two with the season, so treat them as a starting point and check the weekly guide above for what's open right now.
- Start indoors
- Sow outdoors
- Transplant
- Harvest
Vegetables 9
| Crop | Start indoors | Sow outdoors | Transplant | Harvest | Maturity | JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arugula | — | May 4 – Jun 15 | — | Jun 3 – Jul 25 | 35d | |
| Garden Pea | — | Apr 20 – May 18 | — | Jun 14 – Jul 27 | 63d | |
| Lettuce | Apr 20 – May 4 | May 4 – Jun 15 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jun 18 – Aug 14 | 53d | |
| Parsnip | — | May 18 – Jun 15 | — | Aug 26 – Sep 15 | 110d | |
| Radish | — | May 4 – Jun 29 | — | May 26 – Jul 29 | 26d | |
| Rutabaga | — | May 18 – Jun 15 | — | Aug 16 – Sep 15 | 95d | |
| Snow Pea | — | Apr 20 – May 18 | — | Jun 19 – Jul 27 | 65d | |
| Spinach | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | — | May 25 – Jul 16 | 40d | |
| Sugar Snap Pea | — | Apr 20 – May 18 | — | Jun 14 – Jul 22 | 60d |
Fruits 2
| Crop | Start indoors | Sow outdoors | Transplant | Harvest | Maturity | JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cranberry | — | — | May 18 – Jun 29 | — | 1.5 yr | |
| Honeyberry (Haskap) | — | — | May 18 – Jun 29 | — | 2.5 yr |
Flowers 3
| Crop | Start indoors | Sow outdoors | Transplant | Harvest | Maturity | JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's Button (Cornflower) | — | May 4 – Jun 15 | — | Jul 8 – Aug 24 | 68d | |
| Cleome (Spider Flower) | — | Jun 8 – Jun 29 | — | Aug 2 – Sep 12 | 65d | |
| French Marigold | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jun 8 – Jun 29 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Jul 23 – Aug 28 | 53d |