North Carolina vegetable planting calendar 2027: frost dates and when to plant
In North Carolina, the average last spring frost is March 28 in Raleigh and March 30 in Charlotte (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Below are planting dates for Raleigh and Charlotte for 27 common vegetables and herbs, worked out the way the Rowtime app does it: NOAA's average frost dates for the nearest weather station, with the planting rules of state extension guides. Dates are for the 2027 season.
Rowtime: Garden Planner works these dates out for your own ZIP code in North Carolina, shows where each one comes from, and recalculates when a planting slips. Get Rowtime on the App Store.
Dates are estimates. Check your local extension office before you plant, and use your own frost records if you have them. Dates shift by a week or more within a state, so pick the city closest to your conditions.
Raleigh
When to plant tomatoes in Raleigh?
In Raleigh, North Carolina, the average last spring frost is March 28 and the average first fall frost is November 8 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, RALEIGH STATE UNIV station, 6.1 km from ZIP 27601). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors March 2 to May 8 and plant out seedlings April 12 to August 10, following University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center) and Purdue University Extension. Dates are for the 2027 season; sources last checked October 24, 2026.
Frost dates for Raleigh (27601)
- Last spring frost: Mar 28 on average, Apr 12 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Nov 8 on average, Oct 28 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 8a (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Mar 15 to Mar 29 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 2 to Sep 30 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Feb 9 to Mar 18 Plant out seedlings: Mar 1 to Mar 15 Plant out seedlings for fall: Sep 2 to Sep 30 |
| Cabbage | Start seeds indoors: Feb 2 to Mar 1 Plant out seedlings: Mar 1 to Mar 15 Plant out seedlings for fall: Sep 2 to Sep 30 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Mar 15 to Mar 29 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Feb 16 to Mar 18 Plant out seedlings: Mar 15 to Mar 29 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 9 to Aug 8 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: Apr 26 to Aug 30 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Mar 19 to Apr 17 Plant out seedlings: Apr 26 to Aug 10 |
| Green onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 1 to Mar 15 Plant out seedlings for fall: Sep 2 to Sep 30 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Mar 1 to Mar 15 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 2 to Sep 30 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Mar 15 to Mar 29 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 2 to Sep 30 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: Apr 26 to Jul 31 |
| Okra | Plant out seedlings: Apr 26 to Sep 4 |
| Onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 1 to Mar 15 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Mar 1 to Mar 15 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Mar 2 to Apr 1 Plant out seedlings: Apr 26 to Aug 10 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Mar 1 to Mar 15 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: Apr 12 to Sep 9 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Mar 1 to Mar 15 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 2 to Sep 30 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: Apr 26 to Sep 9 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: Apr 12 to Aug 10 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: Apr 2 to May 1 Plant out slips: Apr 26 to Jul 1 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Mar 2 to May 8 Plant out seedlings: Apr 12 to Aug 10 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: Apr 26 to Jul 31 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: May 1 to Jul 31 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Feb 1 to Mar 31 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 16 to Sep 30 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Mar 16 to Mar 31 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 1 to Sep 15 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Mar 19 to Apr 17 Plant outdoors for fall: Aug 1 to Sep 30 |
Charlotte
When to plant tomatoes in Charlotte?
In Charlotte, North Carolina, the average last spring frost is March 30 and the average first fall frost is November 3 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS AP station, 10.1 km from ZIP 28202). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors March 4 to May 10 and plant out seedlings April 14 to August 5, following University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center) and Purdue University Extension. Dates are for the 2027 season; sources last checked October 24, 2026.
Frost dates for Charlotte (28202)
- Last spring frost: Mar 30 on average, Apr 14 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Nov 3 on average, Oct 22 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 8a (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Mar 17 to Mar 31 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 27 to Sep 24 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Feb 11 to Mar 20 Plant out seedlings: Mar 3 to Mar 17 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 27 to Sep 24 |
| Cabbage | Start seeds indoors: Feb 4 to Mar 3 Plant out seedlings: Mar 3 to Mar 17 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 27 to Sep 24 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Mar 17 to Mar 31 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Feb 18 to Mar 20 Plant out seedlings: Mar 17 to Mar 31 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 4 to Aug 3 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: Apr 28 to Aug 25 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Mar 21 to Apr 19 Plant out seedlings: Apr 28 to Aug 5 |
| Green onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 3 to Mar 17 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 27 to Sep 24 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Mar 3 to Mar 17 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 27 to Sep 24 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Mar 17 to Mar 31 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 27 to Sep 24 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: Apr 28 to Jul 26 |
| Okra | Plant out seedlings: Apr 28 to Aug 30 |
| Onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 3 to Mar 17 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Mar 3 to Mar 17 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Mar 4 to Apr 3 Plant out seedlings: Apr 28 to Aug 5 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Mar 3 to Mar 17 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: Apr 14 to Sep 4 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Mar 3 to Mar 17 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 27 to Sep 24 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: Apr 28 to Sep 4 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: Apr 14 to Aug 5 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: Apr 4 to May 3 Plant out slips: Apr 28 to Jun 26 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Mar 4 to May 10 Plant out seedlings: Apr 14 to Aug 5 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: Apr 28 to Jul 26 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: May 3 to Aug 2 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Feb 3 to Apr 2 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 11 to Sep 25 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Mar 18 to Apr 2 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 27 to Sep 10 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Mar 21 to Apr 19 Plant outdoors for fall: Jul 27 to Sep 25 |
Sources
Planting rules, in the order Rowtime tries them here:
- Purdue University Extension, Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar (HO-186-W). Checked October 20, 2026.
- University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center), Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central Maryland. Checked October 24, 2026.
- NC State Extension, Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-01). Checked October 21, 2026.
Frost dates, locations and zones:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (freeze probabilities).
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Gazetteer Files: ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
- PRISM Group, Oregon State University / USDA ARS, 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP code listings. PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed 20 Oct 2026.
How the dates are worked out: a guide's rule such as "two weeks after the last frost" is applied to the station's NOAA date. Purdue's dates are 10% dates, so they are counted from the station's 10% date. When a guide gives no last date, the window closes early enough for the crop's longest days to harvest before the first fall frost. When a guide gives no first date for a fall planting, no fall window is shown. "Season too short" means the guide's window would close before it opens at this station's frost dates.
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