Regional guide

Idaho Zone and Microclimate Vegetable Garden

University of Idaho Extension spring vegetable guide for Idaho gardeners using USDA zones, local microclimates, frost-free days, and zone-specific crop windows.

Climate signals

• University of Idaho Extension's Spring Vegetable Planting Guide for Idaho says Idaho includes regions representing five different USDA plant hardiness zones, from Zone 3 to Zone 7.
• The guide says hardiness zone is one factor, but the combination of hardiness zone and local microclimate dictates planting dates.
• Elevation and latitude also impact recommended planting dates, and the guide says actual dates can vary by one to three weeks from the general ranges.
• The source says a hardiness zone will not tell you how many frost-free days are in a growing season, so gardeners should use average first and last frost dates plus frost-free days when choosing varieties.

Planning notes

• Treat University of Idaho's crop rows as Idaho zone and microclimate examples, not as a statewide frost-free date or exact city calendar.
• The guide defines cool-season crops as growing best from 50 to 75 degrees F and warm-season crops as growing best from 70 to 85 degrees F.
• For short-season areas of Idaho, the guide says many warm-season crops benefit from being started indoors and transplanted after temperatures warm and the last spring frost has passed.
• For cool-season rows, Zones 3-4 list beets from May 15 to June 5 and peas from April 17 to May 8; Zones 5-6 list beets from April 27 to May 18 and peas from March 30 to April 20; Zone 7 lists beets from April 17 to May 8 and peas from March 20 to April 10.
• For warm-season rows, Zones 3-4 list beans outdoors from June 5 to June 26 and tomatoes started indoors April 3 to April 17 before transplanting June 5 to June 26.
• Zones 5-6 list beans outdoors from May 18 to June 8 and tomatoes started indoors March 16 to March 30 before transplanting May 18 to June 8.
• Zone 7 lists beans outdoors from May 8 to May 29, tomatoes started indoors March 5 to March 20 before transplanting May 8 to May 29, and Peppers started indoors February 19 to March 5 before transplanting May 15 to June 5.
• Use these priority links as crop-level catalog examples for University of Idaho rows, not as named-variety recommendations, potato or sweet potato coverage, a loose bunching-onion match, a cantaloupe-to-muskmelon synonym, or a generic squash-to-winter-squash match.

Catalog crop examples

These catalog entries match crops covered by the regional timing source; variety-specific details remain tied to each seed entry's own source.

• Detroit Dark Red Beet Vegetable · Cool · 58 days
• Waltham 29 Broccoli Vegetable · Cool · 74 days
• Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts Vegetable · Cool · 100 days
• Golden Acre Cabbage Vegetable · Cool · 64 days
• Danvers 126 Carrot Vegetable · Shoulder · 70 days
• Snowball Y Cauliflower Vegetable · Cool · 70 days
• Georgia Southern Collards Vegetable · Cool · 65 days
• Lacinato Kale Vegetable · Cool · 60 days
• Early White Vienna Kohlrabi Vegetable · Cool · 55 days
• American Flag Leek Vegetable · Cool · 120 days
• Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
• Hollow Crown Parsnip Vegetable · Cool · 120 days
• Sugar Snap Pea Vegetable · Cool · 62 days
• French Breakfast Radish Vegetable · Cool · 28 days
• Bloomsdale Spinach Vegetable · Cool · 42 days
• Bright Lights Swiss Chard Vegetable · Shoulder · 55 days
• Purple Top White Globe Turnip Vegetable · Cool · 55 days
• Provider Bush Bean Vegetable · Warm · 50 days
• Tall Utah Celery Vegetable · Cool · 110 days
• Golden Bantam Sweet Corn Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
• Marketmore 76 Cucumber Vegetable · Warm · 58 days
• Black Beauty Eggplant Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
• Clemson Spineless Okra Vegetable · Warm · 56 days
• California Wonder Pepper Vegetable · Warm · 72 days
• Small Sugar Pumpkin Vegetable · Warm · 100 days
• Roma Tomato Vegetable · Warm · 76 days
• Sugar Baby Watermelon Vegetable · Warm · 80 days

Related regional guides

• Wyoming Statewide Short-Season Vegetable Garden University of Wyoming Extension statewide short-season guide for gardens where growing seasons range from short to very short.
• New Mexico Growing-Zone Vegetable Garden A New Mexico guide for USDA zones 5a-8b, frost-free-day ranges, site variability, direct seeding, transplant timing, and spring/fall windows.
• Montana Frost-Window Vegetable Garden An MSU frost-window guide for Montana's short-season vegetable schedules, local frost dates, direct seeding, transplants, and succession rows.

Source: University of Idaho Extension Spring Vegetable Planting Guide for Idaho