When to Plant Milk Thistle in Vermont
Vermont spans USDA hardiness 4a to 5b (zones 4a to 5b on this page). Plant milk thistle by your local frost date, not the calendar — pick your zone below for exact start-indoors, transplant, and harvest dates.
Jump to: Zone 4a · Zone 4b · Zone 5a · Zone 5b
Milk Thistle planting calendar for Vermont, Zone 4a
Average last spring frost
May 15
Average first fall frost
September 20
Direct sow
May 29
Milk Thistle needs about 150 days to mature — longer than Zone 4a typically stays frost-free, so it likely won't reliably ripen there outdoors without a head start indoors or season extension. Full zone 4 guide (both 4a and 4b) →
Milk Thistle planting calendar for Vermont, Zone 4b
Average last spring frost
May 10
Average first fall frost
September 25
Direct sow
May 24
Milk Thistle needs about 150 days to mature — longer than Zone 4b typically stays frost-free, so it likely won't reliably ripen there outdoors without a head start indoors or season extension. Full zone 4 guide (both 4a and 4b) →
Milk Thistle planting calendar for Vermont, Zone 5a
Average last spring frost
May 5
Average first fall frost
October 1
Direct sow
May 19
Milk Thistle needs about 150 days to mature — longer than Zone 5a typically stays frost-free, so it likely won't reliably ripen there outdoors without a head start indoors or season extension. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Milk Thistle planting calendar for Vermont, Zone 5b
Average last spring frost
April 30
Average first fall frost
October 5
Direct sow
May 14
Milk Thistle needs about 150 days to mature — longer than Zone 5b typically stays frost-free, so it likely won't reliably ripen there outdoors without a head start indoors or season extension. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Not sure which half-zone you're in? Set your ZIP in HomeSown for dates tuned to your exact location.
Varieties to grow
1 variety of milk thistle in the HomeSown library. Tap any for its full grow guide.
Common problems with milk thistle
What to watch for, with identification and treatment for each
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