Zone 6 Planting Schedule
Hardiness Zones - Planting Months
For those of you in the UK and Europe, this guide can be applied. If you are in a different continent, the conditions will vary, as it can be tropical or a dry heat.
Planting zones, are areas of hardiness. A planting guide, that enables us to know when to plant vegetables, fruit and flowers. Each area within a zone has similar growing conditions, this standardization gives us a good guide to what we can grow and when to grow.
US Zones + Temperatures
UK Hardiness Zones
Essential Gardening Equipment
Soil pH Testing
You need to make sure that you accurately test your soil to give your plants the best chance. This Apera kit has ±0.1 pH accuracy, see the star ratings over at Amazon.
Germination
The best way to germinate your seeds so that they have a great start is with a germination kit. Seeds that are grown this way produce greater results. Check the specs of the MXIC over at Amazon.
Spade
A trusted spade is a gardeners best friend, it helps you do the work. A long handled spade is the most effective type and this DeWit with a lifetime guarantee is our favorite – see the quality at Amazon.
Gardening Tool Set
For the finer work in the garden, we need those handy tools to help us cultivate. One that you can carry around in the garden is best and we like this well designed set with super reviews at Amazon.
Greenhouse
Every advanced gardener has a greenhouse and with so many benefits how can we do without. The acceleration and growth rate when using a greenhouse is worth the cost. The Exaco 116 square foot with safety glass is ideal at Amazon. On a budget see the poly tunnel at Amazon.
Dehydrating
One of the issues people have is that their crops produce all at once. The best way to overcome this is with a dehydrator so you can store your food for years and the flavor is amazing. The best one on the market is the Excalibur with a 10 year guarantee, see it at Amazon.
January Planting Zone 6
Temperature: -10 to -0 F (-18 to -23 Celsius)
Indoors: Parsley, onion, leeks, and celery.
Flowers: Begonias, pansies, snapdragons, and delphiniums. You will need to help them grow with some artificial lighting, as the natural light might not be strong enough yet.
Parsley and celery will need a number of weeks to germinate, so it’s a good idea to start early. Growing onion seedlings is also a good idea, as they have higher chances of producing healthy onions than the bulbs.
February Planting Zone 6
Temperature: -10 to -0 F (-18 to -23 Celsius)
For both January and February, zone 5 is quiet month. These are cold months where little can be done in the garden.
The same indoor preparations are continued from January.
March Planting Zone 6
Temperature: 34 to 54 F (1 to 12 Celsius)
Indoors: Tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers (it’s still time)
Seeding: Lettuce, carrots, parsley, radishes, peas, and potatoes. Flowers: Rose bushes can be planted.
Zone 6 is busier in March. If you have seedlings that you started indoors (broccoli, cabbage, parsley, etc.) now is the time to get them out.
April Planting Zone 6
Temperature: 47 to 67 F (8 to 20 Celsius)
Seeding: Spinach, radishes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, peas, and potatoes. Transplant cabbage, tomato, eggplant, and pepper seedlings outside. If there is any chance of frost, protect them with farmer’s fabric.
May Planting Zone 6
Temperature: 54 to 71 F (12 to 22 Celsius)
Seeding: Beets, beans, cabbage, carrots, chard, lettuce, onion, potato, turnips, and radishes. At the end of May, you can transplant melons, tomatoes, peppers, and squash outside.
Flowers: Summer bulbs, asters. Plant new roses (prune old roses).
Harvesting: Peas, spinach, lettuce, asparagus, and radishes.
Pruning: Viburnums, forsythia, and other shrubs that bloom in spring.
Now it’s time to plant or transplant shrubs and trees before the summer heat comes.
June Planting Zone 6
Temperature: 53 to 84 F (12 to 29 Celsius)
Seeding: Beets, carrots, potatoes, and parsnip (re-sown). The pumpkin, zucchini, and squash can be permanently transplanted to the garden.
Harvesting: Arugula, spinach, lettuce, and chard.
It’s very important to water regularly in these periods (in case there is not enough rain).
July Planting Zone 6
Temperature: 57 to 88 F (14 to 31 Celsius)
Seeding: Beans, cucumbers, basil, Chinese cabbage, turnips, and radishes. Late in the month, you can reseed beets, corn, and Brussels sprouts.
Harvesting: Cherries, strawberries, blueberries, runner beans, and zucchini.
Make sure you regularly water to prevent drought, add mulch and straw to help retain water.
August Planting Zone 6
Temperature: 57 to 87 F (14 to 30 Celsius)
Seeding: Beets, carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, peas, radishes, spinach, turnips, and squash.
Harvesting: Tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, artichokes, eggplants, and plums.
September Planting Zone 6
Temperature: 53 to 80 F (12 to 27 Celsius)
Seeding: Beets, beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, corn, lettuce, onion, kale, peas, peppers, tomatoes, squash, and Brussel sprouts (it’s best to have seedlings for some of these veggies ready, such as broccoli, cabbage, etc.).
Harvesting: Onion, peppers, tomatoes, beans, raspberries, zucchini, and potatoes.
November Planting Zone 6
Temperature: 41 to 58 F (5 to 14 Celsius)
Seeding: Last chance to plant spring bulbs, winter lettuce, and spinach – also thin them.
Harvest: Any remaining carrots, kale, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts.
Pruning: Any perennials (except roses and spring flowers), should be pruned to the height of 2-3 inches. Prune roses until they are 1 foot tall.
Clean up the leaves, so you can use them as mulch or compost later.
December Planting Zone 6
Temperature: 33 to 47 F (2 to 8 Celsius)
Harvesting: Kale, Brussels sprouts, leeks, winter cabbage, and parsnips.
Protect your crops in tunnels and greenhouses. Add covers, straw, and mulch.
If you are growing asparagus, trim them.
Remove all the rotten veggies and plants, to prevent pests and disease.
Protect your trees and install bird feeders in your garden, to help them through the winter.
For more information about Planting Zones visit;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardiness_zone
