Seasonal Planting Guide
by @johstracke
Provides monthly, zone-specific planting schedules, plant details, and custom entries to help gardeners plan seasonal crops year-round.
clawhub install seasonal-planting-guideπ About This Skill
name: seasonal-planting-guide description: Seasonal planting calendar for gardeners. Find what to plant each month in your growing zone. Use when planning your garden, checking planting schedules, or finding plants for the current season. Security: file exports restricted to safe directories. Perfect for home gardeners, small farmers, and anyone planning a productive garden.
Seasonal Planting Guide
Plan your garden with region-specific planting schedules for every month.
Quick Start
See what to plant this month
seasonal_planting.py now --zone "8a"
Get planting calendar for a month
seasonal_planting.py month --month "april" --zone "6b"
Get full year calendar
seasonal_planting.py year --zone "7a"
Search for plants
seasonal_planting.py search "tomato"
Get plant details
seasonal_planting.py show "tomato"
Add custom plants to your calendar
seasonal_planting.py add "tomato" --planting "april,may" --zone "6a,6b,7a,7b,8a,8b"
Usage Patterns
For new gardeners
# Check what to plant right now
seasonal_planting.py now --zone "7a"Get full calendar for your zone
seasonal_planting.py year --zone "7a"Learn about specific plants
seasonal_planting.py show "lettuce"
seasonal_planting.py show "tomato"
For experienced gardeners planning ahead
# Check what to plant next month
seasonal_planting.py month --month "may" --zone "7a"Plan succession planting
seasonal_planting.py month --month "april" --zone "7a"
seasonal_planting.py month --month "june" --zone "7a"Add your local varieties
seasonal_planting.py add "local-corn" --planting "may,june" --zone "7a" --notes "Silver Queen variety"
For small farmers
# Get full production schedule
seasonal_planting.py year --zone "6b" > planting-schedule.txtPlan staggered planting
seasonal_planting.py month --month "march" --zone "6b" # Early crops
seasonal_planting.py month --month "april" --zone "6b" # Main crops
seasonal_planting.py month --month "may" --zone "6b" # Late cropsExport calendar for team
seasonal_planting.py year --zone "6b" --export "~/farm-calendar.md"
For container/indoor gardeners
# Search for container-friendly plants
seasonal_planting.py search "lettuce"
seasonal_planting.py search "herbs"Check planting windows
seasonal_planting.py show "basil"
Planting Zones
Understanding your USDA Hardiness Zone helps plan correctly:
| Zone | Temperature | Typical Plants | |------|-------------|----------------| | 3-4 | Very cold | Kale, peas, lettuce, carrots | | 5-6 | Cold | Tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | | 7-8 | Mild | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, corn | | 9-10 | Warm | Year-round growing, tropical plants | | 11+ | Tropical | Everything year-round |
How to find your zone:
Plant Categories
Cool-Season Crops
Plant in spring (March-May) or fall (August-October):Warm-Season Crops
Plant after last frost (May-June):Herbs (Year-Round or Seasonal)
Root Vegetables
Examples
Spring garden planning
# Zone 6b - April
seasonal_planting.py month --month "april" --zone "6b"
Output: tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, cucumbers
Zone 8a - April
seasonal_planting.py month --month "april" --zone "8a"
Output: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, corn, okra (earlier start)
Plan succession planting
seasonal_planting.py month --month "april" --zone "6b"
seasonal_planting.py month --month "may" --zone "6b"
seasonal_planting.py month --month "june" --zone "6b"
Fall garden planning
# Zone 7a - August (fall crops)
seasonal_planting.py month --month "august" --zone "7a"
Output: lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes, peas
Zone 5a - September (fall crops)
seasonal_planting.py month --month "september" --zone "5a"
Output: lettuce, spinach, kale, garlic (for overwintering)
Year-round planning
# Get full calendar for your zone
seasonal_planting.py year --zone "7a"Export for reference
seasonal_planting.py year --zone "7a" --export "~/garden-calendar-2026.md"
Adding local knowledge
# Add your region-specific advice
seasonal_planting.py add "corn" --planting "may,june" --zone "7a" \
--notes "Silver Queen variety best, plant in blocks for pollination"Add heirloom varieties
seasonal_planting.py add "heirloom-tomato" --planting "april,may" --zone "6b,7a" \
--notes "Brandywine, Cherokee Purple - start indoors 6 weeks before last frost"
Search Features
Security
Path Validation
Theexport function validates output paths to prevent malicious writes:
~/.openclaw/workspace/, /tmp/, and home directory/etc/, /usr/, /var/, etc.)~/.bashrc, ~/.ssh, etc.)Data Storage
~/.openclaw/workspace/planting_calendar.jsonBest Practices
1. Know your zone - Determines planting windows 2. Watch last frost date - Zone is guide, local weather matters 3. Plan succession planting - Stagger plantings for continuous harvest 4. Use plant-tracker - Combine with plant-tracker skill for full garden management 5. Add local knowledge - Customize calendar with regional varieties 6. Export for reference - Keep planting schedule handy
Companion Planting Tips
Combine with companion planting for better results:
| Plant | Good Companions | Avoid | |-------|----------------|--------| | Tomatoes | Basil, carrots, onions | Cabbage, potatoes | | Lettuce | Carrots, radishes, strawberries | Parsley | | Beans | Corn, carrots, cucumbers | Onions, garlic | | Peppers | Basil, onions, carrots | Fennel, kohlrabi |
Related Skills
Use together for complete garden management!
π‘ Examples
Spring garden planning
# Zone 6b - April
seasonal_planting.py month --month "april" --zone "6b"
Output: tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, cucumbers
Zone 8a - April
seasonal_planting.py month --month "april" --zone "8a"
Output: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, corn, okra (earlier start)
Plan succession planting
seasonal_planting.py month --month "april" --zone "6b"
seasonal_planting.py month --month "may" --zone "6b"
seasonal_planting.py month --month "june" --zone "6b"
Fall garden planning
# Zone 7a - August (fall crops)
seasonal_planting.py month --month "august" --zone "7a"
Output: lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes, peas
Zone 5a - September (fall crops)
seasonal_planting.py month --month "september" --zone "5a"
Output: lettuce, spinach, kale, garlic (for overwintering)
Year-round planning
# Get full calendar for your zone
seasonal_planting.py year --zone "7a"Export for reference
seasonal_planting.py year --zone "7a" --export "~/garden-calendar-2026.md"
Adding local knowledge
# Add your region-specific advice
seasonal_planting.py add "corn" --planting "may,june" --zone "7a" \
--notes "Silver Queen variety best, plant in blocks for pollination"Add heirloom varieties
seasonal_planting.py add "heirloom-tomato" --planting "april,may" --zone "6b,7a" \
--notes "Brandywine, Cherokee Purple - start indoors 6 weeks before last frost"
π Tips & Best Practices
1. Know your zone - Determines planting windows 2. Watch last frost date - Zone is guide, local weather matters 3. Plan succession planting - Stagger plantings for continuous harvest 4. Use plant-tracker - Combine with plant-tracker skill for full garden management 5. Add local knowledge - Customize calendar with regional varieties 6. Export for reference - Keep planting schedule handy