When to Plant Garlic in Delaware: Counting Back From the First Frost
Delaware garlic goes in the ground in early to mid October, timed off NOAA’s Wilmington frost data so cloves root before winter.
Gardening in Delaware
Everything we have worked out for Delaware: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Wilmington, the last spring freeze runs April 3 to April 14 and the first fall freeze runs October 26 to November 7, USDA zones 7a-8a, 3,937 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 21.8 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Delaware: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
Growing Garlic in Delaware: Planting Dates, Varieties and Winter Cold
Delaware’s Wilmington-area winters give garlic the cold it needs, with an early-to-mid October planting window and hardneck varieties best suited to the climate.
Tomato Planting Dates in Delaware: Counting Back From Your Frost Window
Delaware’s tomato transplant window falls in mid to late April based on Wilmington frost data, with the county-by-county caveats and cultivar math explained.
Tomato Pests in Delaware: Which Ones Actually Show Up Here
Delaware tomato gardens see six recurring pests each season, from early flea beetles to late-summer fruitworms, and this page shows how to identify and manage each one.
Tomato Varieties That Ripen in Time in Delaware
This page ranks ten catalogue tomato varieties by days to maturity against Delaware’s frost window, from 55-day cherries to an 85-day paste tomato.
Growing Tomatoes in Delaware: Planting Dates, Varieties and Local Pests
Delaware’s frost dates, soil prep, disease-resistant varieties, companion plants and common pests, with guidance drawn from NOAA climate normals and cooperative extension.