When to Start Planting – Northern Utah

Author – Shawn Olsen
When to start planting garden in Utah livewellutah.org

With the weather warming up, it’s time to start planning for the upcoming growing season. While each location has its own unique weather conditions, here are some tips for planting along the Wasatch Front.

The average date of the last spring frost will vary with location and elevation. Listed below are the 30-year average last frost dates for various cities.

City Average Last Frost*

Bountiful – Val Verda, April 17
Farmington, May 5
Midvale, May 13
Ogden, May 3
Provo – Airport, May 21
Provo – BYU, May 1
Salt Lake City – Airport, April 26
Salt Lake City – U of U, May 1
Salt Lake County – Cottonwood Weir, April 30
Tooele, May 7
Tremonton, May 3

*For more information on freeze dates and Utah’s climate, go to http://climate.usu.edu/

hardy plants in the garden

Hardy plants like rhubarb, broccoli, cabbage and peas can be planted as soon as the soil dries out in the spring.

Group A: Hardy
Average Planting Date: March 15 – May 1

Artichoke
Kohlrabi
Asparagus
Onion
Rhubarb
Broccoli
Peas
Spinach
Cabbage
Radish
Turnip

Group B: Semi-Hardy

Plant a week or two after “A” group or about two weeks before average last spring frost.
Average Planting Date: March 20 – May 1

Beet
Lettuce
Potato
Carrot
Parsley
Salsify
Cauliflower
Parsnip
Swiss chard
Endive

When to plant yor garden in Utah LivewellUtah.org

Tender plants like summer squash, cucumbers and sweet corn  can be planted  around the average date of the last spring frost, about when first apples reach full bloom.

Group C: Tender
Average Planting Date: May 5 – June 1

Celery
Spinach
Cucumber
Summer squash
Dry beans
Sweet corn
Snap beans
Group D: Very Tender

Plant when the soil is warm, about two weeks after “C” group.
Average Planting Date: May 20 – June 10

Cantaloupe
Pumpkin
Eggplant
Tomato
Lima beans
Watermelon
Pepper
Winter squash

Want all this information in an easy, printable list? Download it here.

Interested in a user-friendly, 100+ page guide to successful vegetable and fruit production in Utah? Check out “A Guide to Common Gardening Questions” at: extension.cart.usu.edu.

 

Olsen, Shawn-14 Shawn Olsen is an Extension professor with Utah State University Extension in Davis County. He has recently co-authored two books on growing fruits  and vegetables in Utah gardens.