Regional guide

York County Pennsylvania Seed Planting Guide

Penn State York County seed guide for May 1 and October 1 frost windows, sowing depth, spacing, germination, and maturity timing.

Climate signals

• Penn State's York County Pennsylvania Seed Planting Guide labels Last frost in Spring as May 1 and First frost in Fall as October 1.
• The Seed Planting Guide separates cold and warm season rows so direct seeding is not treated as one statewide Pennsylvania date.
• The table columns include Preferred pH range, Inches deep to sow seeds, Inches between seeds, Inches between rows, and Inches apart to thin plants.
• The table connects Earliest date to sow seeds, Last date to sow for full crop before first frost, Days to germinate, Days to maturity, Date of maturity, and Date of last productive harvest.
• Column 9 late sowing dates are calculated for a more complete harvest rather than only one picking.

Planning notes

• Column 4 says the same sowing depth may be used when starting seeds in flats inside.
• Column 5 recommends spot planting beans, peas, and other plants with 10 days or less germination, then replanting empty spaces 4 to 5 days after expected emergence.
• Column 6 says intensive bed gardeners can disregard row spacing and use the column 7 thinning distance for both plant and row spacing.
• Column 8 says very wet gardens may need treated seed with fungicide, several plantings a couple weeks apart, or planting several weeks later.
• Column 10 uses germination time to help decide whether to replant or give seed more time.
• Bean, Snap, Bush uses May 11 earliest sowing, Jun 28 last sowing, 10 days to germinate, 60 days to maturity, Jul 10 maturity, and Aug 7 last productive harvest.
• Beets use Apr 1 earliest sowing, Jul 13 last sowing, 20 days to germinate, 70 days to maturity, and Jun 10 maturity.
• Carrots use Apr 17 earliest sowing, Jul 8 last sowing, 21 days to germinate, 75 days to maturity, and Jul 1 maturity.
• Corn uses May 25 earliest sowing, Jun 8 last sowing, 14 days to germinate, 80 days to maturity, Aug 13 maturity, and Aug 27 last productive harvest.
• Cucumber uses May 11 earliest sowing, Jun 18 last sowing, 10 days to germinate, 70 days to maturity, Jul 20 maturity, and Aug 24 last productive harvest.
• Kale uses Apr 10 earliest sowing, Jul 23 last sowing, 10 days to germinate, 60 days to maturity, Jul 9 maturity, and Jul 21 last productive harvest.
• Lettuce, Leaf uses Apr 10 earliest sowing, Aug 7 last sowing, 10 days to germinate, 45 days to maturity, May 25 maturity, and Jun 29 last productive harvest.
• Okra uses May 31 earliest sowing, Jul 3 last sowing, 14 days to germinate, 55 days to maturity, Jul 25 maturity, and Sep 5 last productive harvest.
• Pea uses Apr 1 earliest sowing, Jul 18 last sowing, 12 days to germinate, 65 days to maturity, Jun 5 maturity, and Jul 3 last productive harvest.
• Radish uses Apr 1 earliest sowing, Aug 22 last sowing, 10 days to germinate, 30 days to maturity, May 1 maturity, and May 22 last productive harvest.
• Spinach uses Apr 1 earliest sowing, Aug 2 last sowing, 14 days to germinate, 50 days to maturity, May 21 maturity, and Jun 18 last productive harvest.
• Squash, Winter uses May 15 earliest sowing, May 29 last sowing, 10 days to germinate, 90 days to maturity, Aug 13 maturity, and Sep 24 last productive harvest.
• Swiss Chard uses Apr 17 earliest sowing, Jul 3 last sowing, 14 days to germinate, 55 days to maturity, Jun 11 maturity, and Jul 9 last productive harvest.
• Turnip uses Apr 3 earliest sowing, Jul 28 last sowing, 14 days to germinate, 55 days to maturity, May 28 maturity, and Jun 18 last productive harvest.
• Rows marked (7), including broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, and cauliflower, say best results come from transplants, so they stay without priority links.
• Asparagus seed, celeriac, celery, head lettuce, peanut, regular onion sets, pumpkin, rhubarb, salsify, and weak catalog matches stay without priority links.
• Use these priority catalog links as direct-seed crop-row examples, not Penn State 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
• Hale's Best Jumbo Melon Vegetable · Warm · 85 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
• American Flag Leek Vegetable · Cool · 120 days
• Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
• Clemson Spineless Okra Vegetable · Warm · 56 days
• Evergreen Bunching Onion Vegetable · Shoulder · 65 days
• Hollow Crown Parsnip Vegetable · Cool · 120 days
• Sugar Snap Pea Vegetable · Cool · 62 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
• Bright Lights Swiss Chard Vegetable · Shoulder · 55 days
• Purple Top White Globe Turnip Vegetable · Cool · 55 days

Related regional guides

• York County Pennsylvania Frost-Window Garden A York County Pennsylvania frost-window guide for gardeners using Penn State's May 1 last-frost and October 1 first-frost transplanting frame.
• Philadelphia Area Vegetable Planting Guide A Penn State Philadelphia-area vegetable guide for April 20 central-city frost timing, later outlying sites, crop windows, and two-week successions.

Source: Penn State York County vegetable seed planting guide