Regional guide

Willamette Valley Oregon Garden Calendar

OSU EM 9032 Willamette Valley monthly calendar for average-weather timing, soil checks, protected starts, transplants, and crop examples.

Climate signals

• OSU Extension EM 9032 was Published September 2011, Reviewed 2024.
• Appendix C covers the Gardening calendar for common garden plants in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.
• The calendar is based on average weather, and planting may need to be delayed depending on the actual weather in a given year.
• Use a soil thermometer to time planting.
• The source says gardeners in other growing regions, including coastal, high desert, Rogue River Valley, Columbia Gorge and Walla Walla Valley areas, should adjust planting dates based on local soil temperatures, frost dates and other environmental factors that influence seed germination and transplant success.
• January and February protected seed sowing generally requires bottom heat and supplemental light.
• The calendar separates direct outdoor sowing, protected flats or indoor starts, transplanting from protected flats, and outdoor planting with season extenders such as greenhouse, cold frame, cloche or row cover.

Planning notes

• January protected starts list Leeks, onion sets, Lettuce, endive, cardoon, artichoke and Alpine strawberries.
• February direct outdoor sowing After 15th lists Peas, fava beans, Arugula, radishes, Garlic, shallots and onion sets; February protected starts include parsley, cilantro, celery, celeriac, broccoli, kale, greens, lettuce, endive, dandelions, chives, leeks, onion sets, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.
• March direct outdoor sowing lists Peas, fava beans, parsley, cilantro, Broccoli, radishes, greens, Beets, spinach, chard, New Zealand Spinach, Bulb sets and scallions; After 15th it lists Jerusalem artichoke and Potatoes.
• April direct outdoor sowing lists Peas, Carrots, parsley, cilantro, parsnips, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, turnips, radishes, Brussels sprouts, beets, spinach, chard, scallions and potatoes; After 15th it lists Scarlet runner beans, celery, celeriac, onion sets and leeks; protected starts After 15th list Tomatillos and Basil.
• May direct outdoor sowing lists Peas, Carrots, parsley, cilantro, parsnips, dill, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, turnips, Brussels sprouts, radishes, beets, spinach, chard, orach, quinoa, New Zealand Spinach, lettuce, burdock, scallions, potatoes and Corn; After 15th it lists Snap beans, dry beans, summer and winter squash, early corn, grain amaranth and mint-family herbs; season-extender rows include Tomatoes, tomatillos, Pepper and eggplant transplants, squash, cucumber and Basil.
• June direct outdoor sowing lists Peas, snap and dry beans, Carrots, parsley, cilantro, parsnips, dill, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, turnips, radishes, greens, rutabagas, beets, spinach, chard, lettuce, endive, radicchios, scallions, Cucumbers, summer squash and Corn; transplant rows list Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.
• July direct outdoor sowing lists Snap beans, Carrots, parsley, cilantro, parsnips, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, turnips, radishes, greens, beets, spinach, chard, scallions and lettuce; Before 15th it lists Beets, parsnips, carrots, bush and snap beans and scallions; After 15th it lists Rutabagas, kale, winter beets, spinach and overwintering cole crops.
• August direct outdoor sowing lists cilantro, Spinach, chard, Greens, radishes, lettuce, endive and escarole; Before 15th it lists overwintering cole crops, lettuce, parsley and cilantro; After 15th it lists Bulb onions; transplant rows include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, greens, lettuce, endive, escarole and radicchios.
• September direct outdoor sowing lists Peas, fava beans, cilantro, Spinach, greens, Endive, Mache, Garlic, shallot and Cover crops including oats, rye and vetch.
• October direct outdoor sowing lists Fava beans and cover crops plus Garlic; November repeats Fava beans and cover crops plus Garlic with a Success is questionable caveat.
• Use these priority links as crop-level catalog examples for OSU Extension rows, not OSU cultivar recommendations.
• The scallion link is not an onion set or bulb onion recommendation; no catalog link is used for garlic, shallots, fava beans, dry beans, grain amaranth, potatoes or generic greens.

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.

• Green Globe Artichoke Vegetable · Warm · 120 days
• Astro Arugula Vegetable · Cool · 35 days
• Genovese Basil Herb · Warm · 68 days
• Provider Bush Bean Vegetable · Warm · 50 days
• 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
• Tall Utah Celery Vegetable · Cool · 110 days
• Bright Lights Swiss Chard Vegetable · Shoulder · 55 days
• Common Chives Herb · Cool · 80 days
• Santo Cilantro Herb · Cool · 50 days
• Golden Bantam Sweet Corn Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
• Hairy Vetch Cover Crop Cover Crop · Cool · 180 days
• Spring Oats Cover Crop Cover Crop · Cool · 60 days
• Winter Rye Cover Crop Cover Crop · Cool · 180 days
• Marketmore 76 Cucumber Vegetable · Warm · 58 days
• Bouquet Dill Herb · Shoulder · 55 days
• Black Beauty Eggplant Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
• Green Curled Endive Vegetable · Cool · 85 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
• Vit Mache Corn Salad Vegetable · Cool · 50 days
• Evergreen Bunching Onion Vegetable · Shoulder · 65 days
• Italian Flat Leaf Parsley Herb · Shoulder · 75 days
• Hollow Crown Parsnip Vegetable · Cool · 120 days
• Sugar Snap Pea Vegetable · Cool · 62 days
• California Wonder Pepper Vegetable · Warm · 72 days
• French Breakfast Radish Vegetable · Cool · 28 days
• American Purple Top Rutabaga Vegetable · Cool · 90 days
• Bloomsdale Spinach Vegetable · Cool · 42 days
• Delicata Winter Squash Vegetable · Warm · 100 days
• Waltham Butternut Squash Vegetable · Warm · 95 days
• Toma Verde Tomatillo Vegetable · Warm · 70 days
• Roma Tomato Vegetable · Warm · 76 days
• Purple Top White Globe Turnip Vegetable · Cool · 55 days

Related regional guides

• Oregon Four-Region Vegetable Garden A guide for Oregon gardeners who need different planting windows for the coast, western valleys, high elevations, and Columbia/Snake valleys.
• Eastern Oregon Seed-Starting Schedule OSU Extension Eastern Oregon schedule for May 21 frost-free timing, semi-arid frost risk, indoor starts, direct seeding, and hardening off.
• Central Oregon Seed-Starting Schedule OSU Extension Central Oregon schedule for May 31 frost-free planning, indoor sowing count-backs, and crop-level examples.
• Oregon Coast Vegetable Climate Guide OSU Extension coastal vegetable guide for mild, rainy, cool-summer gardens, wind, fog, protection, and crop-level catalog examples.

Source: OSU Extension An educator's guide to vegetable gardening