My Planting Calendar

What to plant in October in zone 3

USDA zone 3 has winter lows of -40 to -30°F, a typical last spring frost around May 15 and first fall frost around Sep 15, roughly 120 frost-free days. October is the "a planning month" there.

2 crops have a sowing or planting window this month: shallot, garlic - and 2 of those windows close during October.

Dates come from the typical frost dates of USDA zone 3 (last frost May 15, first frost Sep 15). A zone covers many climates, so for dates tuned to your town use the planting calendar, or pick your state below.

A planning monthSow or plant: 2Start indoors: 0Harvesting: 14

Zone 3: planting activity through the year

0
5
29
65
91
69
34
8
2
2
0
0
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Frost riskFrost-free: May 15 – Sep 15
Bars count the vegetables, herbs and fruit with a sowing or planting window in each month, from the state’s average frost dates. 2 have one in October; the busiest month is May (91).

Last chance in October

Shallot (plant in fall (after first frost), by Oct 6) · Garlic (plant in fall (after first frost), by Oct 13)

For fall and winter harvests (2)

Sowings counted back from zone 3's first fall frost, so the crop matures before the cold - or, for garlic and similar, planted after it.

CropWhat to doWindowThis month
ShallotPlant in fall (after first frost)Sep 19 – Oct 6Last chance - ends Oct 6
GarlicPlant in fall (after first frost)Sep 26 – Oct 13Last chance - ends Oct 13

Harvesting in October

First harvests expected this month from crops sown or planted on time earlier in the season.

Cabbage · Aug 5 – Oct 1Radicchio · Aug 19 – Oct 15Celery · Aug 23 – Oct 2Turnip · Aug 27 – Oct 3Chervil · Aug 27 – Oct 3Luffa (Loofah Gourd) · Aug 27 – Oct 26Peanut · Aug 30 – Oct 19Sweet Potato · Sep 3 – Oct 3Borage · Sep 4 – Oct 11Parsley · Sep 5 – Oct 12Green Onion / Scallion · Sep 9 – Oct 16Watercress · Sep 13 – Oct 10Endive & Escarole · Sep 20 – Oct 22Fava Bean (Broad Bean) · Sep 24 – Oct 26

A planning month: October garden jobs in zone 3

  1. Order seed while stock is good. Zone 3's average last frost is May 15, so the first indoor sowings begin around February 20 - see starting seeds indoors.
  2. Sketch this year's beds and move each crop family to a new spot - the garden planner and the crop rotation guide make it quick.
  3. Test old seed: roll ten seeds in a damp paper towel for a week. If fewer than seven sprout, sow thicker or buy fresh.
  4. If the ground isn't frozen, spread compost now so it's worked in by spring, and send off a soil test - October is when labs are quiet.

Questions gardeners ask

What can I plant in zone 3 in October?

2 crops have a window in October: shallot, garlic. The tables above give the exact dates for each.

When are the last and first frost in zone 3?

The typical last spring frost is around May 15 and the first fall frost around Sep 15. These are broad zone averages, so your own town can be a week or two either side: look yours up by ZIP code in the planting calendar.

What can I harvest in zone 3 in October?

From plantings made on time: cabbage, radicchio, celery, turnip, chervil, luffa (loofah gourd), peanut, sweet potato, borage, parsley.

October in states with land in zone 3

AlaskaColoradoIdahoMaineMinnesotaMontanaNew HampshireNew YorkNorth DakotaSouth DakotaVermontWisconsinWyoming

Zone 3 in other months

FebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberZone 3 overview →

What to plant in October in other zones

Zone 4Zone 5Zone 6Zone 7Zone 8Zone 9Zone 10All states →

Dates are computed from the zone’s typical frost dates and each crop’s timing in our crop database. Your garden may be a week or two either side.