The shoulder seasons are the in-between weeks of the garden year: the cool weeks of early spring before the warm-season crops go out, and the cool weeks of fall after the summer crops finish but before hard winter arrives. They are the seasons-within-seasons, and they are some of the most productive weeks of the year for gardeners who know how to use them. The soil is cool, the pests are fewer, the light is gentle, and the hardy crops that love those conditions grow beautifully. This guide explains what the shoulder seasons are, what to grow in them, how to protect crops through them, and how they stretch the garden year at both ends.
The shoulder seasons matter because they are where the garden year is won or lost. A gardener who uses the spring shoulder gets the first harvests weeks earlier. A gardener who uses the fall shoulder gets a second harvest after the summer crops finish. A gardener who ignores both gets a garden that produces for a few months and sits empty for the rest. The tools are simple — hardy crops, a little protection, and good timing — and the payoff is a longer, fuller year.
The spring shoulder: early sowing and first harvests
The spring shoulder runs from the time the soil can first be worked until the last frost has passed and the warm-season crops go out. It belongs to hardy, cool-season crops: peas, lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, onions, radishes, and broad beans, sown directly into the soil as soon as it is workable. See our spring gardening guide for the season in detail, and our growing lettuce, growing carrots, and growing peas guides for individual crops.
Use protection to start earlier: a cold frame or a row cover lets you sow weeks before the open ground is ready, and it shields young plants from late frosts. Harden off transplants raised indoors before they go out, and keep covers ready for cold nights until the frost season is over. Your average last frost date is the anchor for the spring shoulder — but remember it is an average, and frost can come later than average in any year. Our frost date calculator can help, and your own recorded dates in a garden journal make the timing more accurate each year. Check your zone pages in our planting calendar for what to plant each month in your zone.
The fall shoulder: second sowings and late harvests
The fall shoulder runs from the time the summer crops finish until hard winter arrives. It belongs to a second round of cool-season crops — lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, beets, and Asian greens — sown in late summer so they are well grown before the cold, plus the harvest and storage of summer crops. See our fall gardening guide for the season in detail, and our harvest storage guide for keeping the harvest. Fall is also when garlic is planted for next year, and when cover crops are sown on empty beds.
Timing is everything in the fall shoulder: sow too late and the plants are too small to survive winter; sow too early and they bolt in the late-summer heat. Your average first frost date is the anchor — count backwards from it by the days each crop needs to reach a useful size, and allow a margin for a cold fall. Protection stretches the fall shoulder by weeks: a row cover keeps salads growing after the first light frosts, and a cold frame carries them further still. See our season extension guide for the tools.
Crops that love the shoulders
The shoulder seasons favour the same family of crops: the cool-season vegetables that grow best when the weather is mild and bolt when it is hot. Lettuce, spinach, kale, peas, carrots, beets, radishes, and Asian greens are the backbone of both shoulders, and they are at their sweetest and most tender in cool weather. Herbs such as parsley, cilantro, and chives also do well in the shoulders, and they are useful companions for the main crops. Warm-season crops — tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini — do not belong in the shoulders, except as transplants being hardened off in the spring shoulder, since they need warm soil and are killed by frost. See our growing tomatoes guide for what warm-season crops need.
In frost-free zones 11–13, the shoulders are mild and generous, and the distinction between seasons is softer — cool-season crops grow well for much of the year, and the shoulders are simply the most comfortable growing weeks. In cold climates, the shoulders are short and precious, and protection matters more.
Protection and timing
The tools of the shoulder seasons are the tools of season extension: mulch to keep the soil cool in the fall shoulder and to hold warmth in the spring shoulder, row covers to protect against light frosts, and cold frames to give salads a sheltered start and a sheltered finish. See our mulch gardening guide for mulching, and our season extension guide for covers and frames. The rule for both shoulders is the same: protect early, ventilate on sunny days, and watch the forecast — the damage in the shoulders comes from a sudden frost after a mild spell, when plants have softened and covers were put away too soon.
Succession sowing keeps the shoulders productive: sow lettuce and carrots every couple of weeks through the shoulder, so that as one sowing finishes, the next is ready. See our succession planting guide. And keep a record of sowing dates and frost dates, so next year's shoulders are timed better than this year's.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is missing the shoulder entirely — sowing only in the main season, so the garden is empty in the cool weeks. The second is sowing fall-shoulder crops too late, so they are too small when the cold arrives. The third is putting tender crops out too early in the spring shoulder, and losing them to a late frost. The fourth is putting covers away too soon, so a late frost catches unprotected plants. The fifth is letting the soil go bare between seasons, so it loses nutrients and grows weeds. Sow the shoulders, protect until the frost season is truly over, and cover every empty bed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shoulder season in gardening?
The shoulder seasons are the cool in-between weeks at each end of the main growing season: early spring before the warm-season crops go out, and fall after the summer crops finish but before hard winter. They suit hardy, cool-season crops.
Which crops are best for the shoulder seasons?
Cool-season crops: lettuce, spinach, kale, peas, carrots, beets, radishes, and Asian greens. They grow best in mild weather and are at their sweetest in the shoulders.
How do I protect crops in the shoulder seasons?
Row covers and cold frames give a few degrees of frost protection and stretch both shoulders by weeks. Mulch keeps the soil steady, and covers should stay ready until the frost season is truly over.
Can I grow tomatoes in the shoulder seasons?
Tomatoes need warm soil and are killed by frost, so they belong in the main season, not the shoulders — except as transplants being hardened off in the late spring shoulder, ready to go out after the last frost.
How long do the shoulder seasons last?
It depends on your climate: in mild regions they can last for months, while in cold regions they may be only a few weeks each. Your average frost dates set the boundaries, and your own records make the timing more accurate each year. If you are unsure about timing for your zone, check your local extension service.