What to Plant in October in Zone 5

7 crops you can start in zone 5a & 5b during October. The dates are worked out from zone 5's typical frosts: last spring frost around May 10, first fall frost around Oct 5. Each crop links to its full dates for zone 5.

Sow or plant outside in October

What goes in the ground this month, either as seed or as a transplant. Dates are the planting-out window for zone 5.

Vegetables & herbs

GarlicPlant clovesOctFall

Flowers

CrocusPlant bulbsSep–NovFall
Daffodil (Narcissus)Plant bulbsSep–NovFall
Dutch IrisPlant bulbsSep–NovFall
HyacinthPlant bulbsSep–NovFall
Ornamental AlliumPlant bulbsSep–NovFall
TulipPlant bulbsOctFall

← September in zone 5 · November in zone 5 →

Keep planning

Growing guides

Plan your bed

Not sure of your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.

October in other zones: zone 3, zone 4, zone 6, zone 7, zone 8, zone 9, zone 10, zone 11

Worth having in October

Nisaku NJP650 Hori-Hori Weeding KnifeDepth markings on the blade for planting bulbs and garlic at the right depth.Check price on Amazon →Agfabric 0.55oz Floating Row CoverLight enough to leave on through a cold night when a frost threatens early or late plantings.Check price on Amazon →FCMP Outdoor IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling ComposterTwo chambers, so one batch finishes while you add fall leaves and scraps to the other.Check price on Amazon →

See all gear we recommend →

What to plant in October in zone 5: garlic, crocus, daffodil (narcissus), Dutch iris and more

Pin this for later

What to plant in October in zone 5: 7 crops to plant outside, including garlic, crocus, daffodil (narcissus), Dutch iris, with exact dates for zone 5a and 5b.

Save to Pinterest

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page also go to other retailers we may earn a commission from as an affiliate, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products with a clear consensus of positive, independent reviews, or ones we bought and use ourselves. Each item on our gear page says which.