Lubbock Planting Calendar: What to Plant Month by Month
Lubbock sits in USDA zone 7, with a last frost around mid-April and a first frost in early November. Here is what to plant, and when, through the whole South Plains growing year.
Timing is the hardest part of gardening in Lubbock. Plant too early and a late April freeze takes your tomatoes; plant too late and summer heat scorches young seedlings before they establish. The good news is that the South Plains has a long, productive season once you work with the calendar instead of against it. This guide breaks the year down month by month so you know what to start, transplant, and sow at each point.
Lubbock's frost dates
Lubbock falls in USDA hardiness zone 7a to 7b. The average last spring frost lands around April 10 to April 15, and the first fall frost arrives in early to mid November. That gives roughly 200 frost-free days, which is plenty, but our spring warms in fits and starts and a cold snap in late April is common. A safe rule for tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, and basil is to wait until the third week of April, and keep frost cloth handy.
Rule of thumb: count back from the last frost. Start warm-season seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before mid-April, which means late February to early March.
Spring: March to May
March is for cool-season crops and indoor starts. Direct-sow lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, beets, peas, and onions early in the month, and start tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant indoors under a light. Potatoes can go in mid-month.
April is the pivot. Keep sowing cool-season greens early on, then after the last frost around mid-month, transplant tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant and direct-sow warm-season crops like squash, cucumbers, and beans. Harden off indoor starts for a week before they go out.
May is prime planting for everything heat-loving: okra, melons, sweet potatoes, southern peas, and a second round of squash and cucumbers. Get warm-season crops established before June heat sets in.
Summer: June to August
June through August is about keeping plants alive and producing through heat and wind more than starting new ones. Water deeply and early in the day, mulch heavily to hold moisture, and harvest often to keep plants productive. Okra, southern peas, sweet potatoes, melons, and peppers handle the heat best, while tomatoes often slow down or stop setting fruit above the mid-90s and pick back up as nights cool.
Late July into August is the quiet turning point of the Lubbock garden year: it is time to start the fall garden. Start broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage transplants indoors in July, and in August direct-sow another round of beans, squash, and cucumbers for a fall harvest before frost.
Fall: September to November
Fall may be the best season to garden on the South Plains. The wind eases, nights cool, and pests fade. In September, transplant the broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower you started in summer, and direct-sow lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips. October is for planting garlic and shallots and getting cool-season greens established. By November, protect tender fall crops from the first frosts with row cover, and harvest hardy greens well into the cold.
Winter: December to February
Winter is planning and prep time, with a few jobs that pay off. December and January are for dormant pruning of fruit trees and roses, planting bare-root trees and shrubs, and amending beds with compost. By February, start onions and cool-season transplants indoors, and toward the end of the month start tomatoes and peppers so they are ready for an April transplant. Hardy garlic planted in fall keeps growing underground.
| Crop group | Start / sow |
|---|---|
| Cool-season greens, root crops, peas | Early March and again early September |
| Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant (transplant) | After mid-April |
| Squash, cucumbers, beans (direct sow) | Mid-April through May |
| Okra, melons, sweet potatoes, southern peas | May |
| Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower (fall) | Transplant in September |
| Garlic and shallots | October |
Local timing tips
A few habits make the calendar work in our climate. Watch the soil, not just the air: warm-season seeds rot in cold ground, so wait until soil reaches the mid-60s. Plan for wind by transplanting on calm, cloudy days and shielding young plants. And treat fall as a real second season rather than an afterthought, because cool-weather crops often do better here in September than in spring. For more on the why behind these dates, see our guide to Lubbock's climate and growing zone.