Determining Planting Dates

• Plant kale so it matures after your first few fall frosts.Bed of ornamental cabbage, or kale, focus on white leaves image by GeoM from Fotolia.com
  
  Use careful scheduling to produce a continuous supply of vegetable plants. Research the number of days needed for each vegetable variety to reach maturity from seed. Count backwards on the calendar from your preferred harvest date, and you have your planting date. Plan for a steady supply of transplants for spring, summer and fall/winter seasons.
  
  

Season Extending Structures

• Plant tomatoes in late spring for earlier summer harvest.tomato plant image by Tracy Horning from Fotolia.com
  
  A cold frame protects plants from cold or frost in early spring or late fall. Floating row covers provide similar protection, allowing Kentucky gardeners to start summer plants in April.
  
  

Crops

• Plastic warms the soil for early spring crops.growing lettuce image by Adrian Hillman from Fotolia.com
  
  Sow seeds of cool weather spring crops able to withstand a light frost, such as peas, greens, broccoli, cabbage and carrots, in the garden as early as mid-February. Have summer crop transplants and seeds ready to take their place in the garden when the weather heats up. In fall weather, mulch fall crops for protection. Overwinter onions, garlic and winter leeks with heavy mulch.