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Planting calendar

What to plant and when in your region

Choose a region, then a crop or a month. Every date below comes from a published Extension planting calendar for that region.

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The finder needs JavaScript. You can also open a regional calendar directly: Eastern North Carolina, Central North Carolina, Western North Carolina.

Full regional calendars

Prefer the whole picture? Each regional page shows every crop on one printable chart, along with freeze dates for nearby weather stations.

Coastal Plain

Eastern North Carolina

The low-lying eastern part of the state, with the earliest spring freeze dates and the longest fall planting season of the three calendars.

Avg. last spring freeze: March 17 (Wilmington) to March 31 (Fayetteville)

Eastern NC planting calendar

Piedmont

Central North Carolina

The middle of the state, roughly the Piedmont, with average last spring freezes around early April at the stations listed and three distinct growing seasons.

Avg. last spring freeze: April 1 (Charlotte) to April 8 (Raleigh)

Central NC planting calendar

Mountains

Western North Carolina

The mountain region, where higher elevations bring later spring freezes, earlier fall freezes, and a noticeably shorter planting calendar.

Avg. last spring freeze: April 20 (Asheville) to May 12 (Banner Elk)

Western NC planting calendar

How our planting calendars work

Dates come from regional Extension calendars

Each region uses its own NC State Extension planting calendar. The dates are for planting outdoors, and plants set out in the middle of a window usually do best. Success rates are lower at the earliest and latest dates.[1],[2],[3]

Seeds, transplants, and bulbs are listed separately

Some crops are sown directly in the garden, some are set out as transplants, and some are planted as bulbs, crowns, or tubers. For transplants, the calendars advise starting seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the transplant date.[1]

Frost and soil temperature still matter

Warm-season crops are generally planted after the last frost date, while cool-season crops tolerate some frost.[4]

Seeds won't germinate below their minimum soil temperature: about 60°F for beans, tomatoes, and peppers, and 40°F for carrots and peas. Judge soil temperature by a 3-day average.[5]

Why we don't plan by hardiness zone

USDA hardiness zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature. They don't capture when spring frosts end or how long the growing season lasts, so we use regional planting calendars and station freeze records instead.[6],[7]

Want to plan ahead? See the North Carolina seed-starting calendar or print a free garden planner.

Sources

  1. [1]
    Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-01) — NC State Extension. Published July 8, 2016. Checked October 11, 2026.

    Supports: Outdoor planting dates, planting methods, days to harvest, plant spacing, and the 6–8 week transplant-starting rule for central North Carolina. Scope: Central North Carolina. The publication does not define county boundaries.

  2. [2]
    Eastern North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-02) — NC State Extension. Published June 15, 2016. Checked October 11, 2026.

    Supports: Outdoor planting dates, planting methods, days to harvest, and plant spacing for eastern North Carolina. Scope: Eastern North Carolina. The publication does not define county boundaries.

  3. [3]
    Western North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-03) — NC State Extension. Published August 4, 2016. Checked October 11, 2026.

    Supports: Outdoor planting dates, planting methods, days to harvest, and plant spacing for western North Carolina, plus regional pest-timing advice. Scope: Western North Carolina. The publication does not define county boundaries.

  4. [4]
    Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening — NC State Extension. Published February 1, 2022. Checked October 11, 2026.

    Supports: Cool- and warm-season crop groupings, seed-sowing depth, transplant growing times and temperatures (Table 16-3), soil preparation, succession planting, and harvest indicators. Scope: Written for North Carolina and the southeastern United States.

  5. [5]
    Spring Soil Temperatures Are Important — N.C. Cooperative Extension, Henderson County Center. March 4, 2021. Checked October 11, 2026.

    Supports: Minimum soil temperatures for seed germination and measuring soil temperature as a 3-day average. Scope: Written for Henderson County (western NC); germination minimums are crop properties.

  6. [6]
    2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map — U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. Checked October 11, 2026.

    Supports: Hardiness zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature. Scope: United States.

  7. [7]
    Average First and Last Freeze Dates — Table — NC State Extension Gardening and the State Climate Office of North Carolina. Updated October 9, 2026. Checked October 11, 2026.

    Supports: Average first fall and last spring freeze dates for North Carolina weather stations. Scope: Individual North Carolina weather stations; station records end in 2019.