Crop season is approaching in Washington. What should you plant now, what needs to wait?

Spring is officially here, and if you’re interested in gardening, now’s the perfect time to start.

Temperatures will continue to warm as the days go on, but the Evergreen State won’t experience warm weather like it did this past weekend for quite a while.

Spring showers are expected throughout western Washington for at least the next week, and temperatures will remain under 60 degrees. But don’t let that fool you into thinking this isn’t the time to begin planting in your garden.

Best time to begin planting in Washington

The best time to begin planting depends on each crop, but it is safe to say that the best and safest time is after the last frost.

The average last frost for most of Washington typically happens in early April, according to plantmaps.com.

Jeff Davis, an employee at Gardenspere in the North End neighborhood of Tacoma, advised that people who want to start their gardens in the coming days stick to planting cool-season crops.

“We just started getting our cool season crop stuff in, so like snap peas, a lot of the brassica stuff, lettuces, herbs are starting to show up here,” Davis said.

Planting crops that cannot withstand cold weather can stunt their growth and even kill plants if they are not meant to be grown in it.

What to grow during the spring season

Before beginning to get your hands dirty, it is essential to research the best time to transfer seedlings that were grown indoors or starter plants purchased from nurseries.

The Farmer’s Almanac created a spring planting calendar that tells you when and what to plant in the spring, depending on where you live. The calendar starts with the first dates you can plant based on the last spring frost in your area and also includes the last planting dates.

Here are 10 of the most common crops and herbs you can grow in your garden this year.

Basil

• Plant seedlings: March 31-April 14
• Last day to plant: Sept. 26

Bell peppers

• Plant seedlings: March 31-April 7
• Last day to plant: Aug. 15

Cilantro

• Plant seedlings: March 17-31
• Last day to plant: April 7

Oregano

• Plant seedlings: March 24-April 7
• Last day to plant: Aug. 29

Cucumbers

• Plant seedlings: March 24-April 7
• Last day to plant: Aug. 29

Jalapeño peppers

• Plant seedlings: March 31-April 7
• Last day to plant: N/A

Parsley

• Plant seedlings: March 24-April 7
• Last day to plant: Aug. 22

Rosemary

• Plant seedlings: March 31-April 7
• Last day to plant: Sept. 12

Tomatoes

• Plant seedlings: March 31-April 7
• Last day to plant: Aug. 8

Zucchini (summer squash)

• Plant seedlings: March 24-April 7
• Last day to plant: Sept. 5