Regional guide

Ohio Central Normal-Season Vegetable Garden

OSU Extension central Ohio guide for normal-season direct-seeded rows, transplants, timing shifts, succession, and fall crops.

Regional timing

Current regional planting plan

OSU Extension central Ohio guide for normal-season direct-seeded rows, transplants, timing shifts, succession, and fall crops.

Source-backed timing OSU Extension Planning for the Garden

Central Ohio 5 climate signals

Source source cues Local conditions

More than 40 different vegetable crops can be grown in Ohio, according to OSU Extension's Planning for the Garden guide.
The planting tables are for normal seasons in central Ohio, not a statewide exact date rule.
Spring planting dates in the tables should be read as about 2 weeks earlier for southern Ohio and 2 weeks later for northern Ohio.

Catalog priority: 32 priority crops
Climate checks: 5 climate signals
Timing basis: Use regional source signals

Source-backed timing More than 40 different vegetable crops can be grown in Ohio, according to OSU Extension's Planning for the Garden guide.

The planting tables are for normal seasons in central Ohio, not a statewide exact date rule.

Crop priority Provider Bush Bean leads the catalog examples

Provider Bush Bean, Detroit Dark Red Beet, Danvers 126 Carrot, Bright Lights Swiss Chard

Next local check The source is from Home Vegetable Gardening, OSU Extension Publication 287, 1991; use it as central Ohio timing guidance and verify local frost risk.

Use radishes or leaf lettuce every 7 to 10 days for succession; OSU gives April 15, April 25, and May 4 radish examples.

Calendar Convert regional timing into dated sowing, transplant, and harvest jobs. Frost dates Keep hardiness zone context separate from local first and last frost dates. All regions Compare this guide with the broader regional atlas. Indiana Frost/Soil A Purdue Extension guide for Indiana frost-relative planting, soil-temperature thresholds, hardiness groups, fall timing, and succession planning.

Climate signals

More than 40 different vegetable crops can be grown in Ohio, according to OSU Extension's Planning for the Garden guide.
The planting tables are for normal seasons in central Ohio, not a statewide exact date rule.
Spring planting dates in the tables should be read as about 2 weeks earlier for southern Ohio and 2 weeks later for northern Ohio.
Tomatoes and peppers use May 15 central Ohio setting dates, while eggplant is set May 15 or after danger of frost has passed.
The Fall Garden section says late summer or early fall plantings should mature crops before extremely cold fall weather.

Planning notes

The source is from Home Vegetable Gardening, OSU Extension Publication 287, 1991; use it as central Ohio timing guidance and verify local frost risk.
Use radishes or leaf lettuce every 7 to 10 days for succession; OSU gives April 15, April 25, and May 4 radish examples.
Bush snap beans run May 15 to August 1 in the direct-seeded table.
Beets run April 15 to July 15, and carrots run April 1 to July 15.
Collards run April 1 to August 15.
Sweet corn runs May 1 to July 1, and cucumber runs May 10 to June 1.
Kale, kohlrabi, and leaf lettuce each run April 1 to August 1.
Spinach is listed for April 1 and September 1.
Turnips are listed for April 1 to June 1 and August 15.
Muskmelon is May 15, pumpkin is May 20, winter squash is June 1 to June 15, and watermelon is May 20.
Broccoli starts Feb. 20, moves to a coldframe in March, and is set in the garden April 1.
Tomatoes start April 1, move to a coldframe April 20, and are set in the garden May 15.
Fall garden direct-seeded rows include snap beans August 1, collards August 1-15, kale August 1-15, kohlrabi August 1, leaf lettuce August 1, radish August 1-15, spinach September 1, and turnip August 1-15.
Fall garden transplants include Brussels sprouts seeded June 1-10 and set July 1, cabbage seeded May 15-June 1 and set July 15, and cauliflower seeded June 1-10 and set July 1.
Use these priority catalog links as crop-level examples for OSU timing rows, not OSU cultivar recommendations.

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.

Provider Bush Bean Vegetable · Warm · 50 days
Detroit Dark Red Beet Vegetable · Cool · 58 days
Danvers 126 Carrot Vegetable · Shoulder · 70 days
Bright Lights Swiss Chard Vegetable · Shoulder · 55 days
Georgia Southern Collards Vegetable · Cool · 65 days
Golden Bantam Sweet Corn Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
Marketmore 76 Cucumber Vegetable · Warm · 58 days
Green Curled Endive Vegetable · Cool · 85 days
Lacinato Kale Vegetable · Cool · 60 days
Early White Vienna Kohlrabi Vegetable · Cool · 55 days
Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
Southern Giant Curled Mustard Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
Hale's Best Jumbo Melon Vegetable · Warm · 85 days
Clemson Spineless Okra Vegetable · Warm · 56 days
Italian Flat Leaf Parsley Herb · Shoulder · 75 days
Hollow Crown Parsnip Vegetable · Cool · 120 days
Sugar Snap Pea Vegetable · Cool · 62 days
Small Sugar Pumpkin Vegetable · Warm · 100 days
French Breakfast Radish Vegetable · Cool · 28 days
American Purple Top Rutabaga Vegetable · Cool · 90 days
Bloomsdale Spinach Vegetable · Cool · 42 days
Waltham Butternut Squash Vegetable · Warm · 95 days
Purple Top White Globe Turnip Vegetable · Cool · 55 days
Sugar Baby Watermelon Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
Waltham 29 Broccoli Vegetable · Cool · 74 days
Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts Vegetable · Cool · 100 days
Golden Acre Cabbage Vegetable · Cool · 64 days
Snowball Y Cauliflower Vegetable · Cool · 70 days
Tall Utah Celery Vegetable · Cool · 110 days
Black Beauty Eggplant Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
Roma Tomato Vegetable · Warm · 76 days
California Wonder Pepper Vegetable · Warm · 72 days

Related regional guides

Indiana Frost and Soil Temperature Vegetable Garden A Purdue Extension guide for Indiana frost-relative planting, soil-temperature thresholds, hardiness groups, fall timing, and succession planning.
Iowa Planting and Harvest Timing Vegetable Garden An Iowa State Extension guide for Iowa vegetable planting schedules, harvest timing, staggered chart use, and April-October planning.
Kansas Expected Planting Calendar Vegetable Garden A K-State Research and Extension guide for Kansas planting windows, crop temperatures, frost resistance, spacing, and harvest timing.
Kentucky Three-Region Vegetable Garden A University of Kentucky guide for Western, Central, and Eastern Kentucky vegetable planting dates, methods, and safe planting windows.

Source: OSU Extension Planning for the Garden