When to Sow Beets in Delaware
In Delaware, the safe window to sow beets runs from about three weeks before the last spring frost through early April, with succession sowings possible…
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.
Beet Soil in Delaware: What the Root Will Meet
Delaware’s state soil, the Greenwich series, gives a beet root a mostly sandy, well-drained loam to grow through, but it starts out acid and thin on…
When to Start Pepper Seed in Delaware
Start pepper seed indoors in Delaware from mid-February to early March, counting back 8 to 10 weeks from a transplant date in mid-to-late April, once…
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in Delaware
Peppers in Delaware often abort blossoms because of two separate stress points: extended heat above 90°F and any stretch of nights under 55°F.
Growing Pumpkins in Delaware: Will They Ripen in Time?
In most parts of Delaware, a pumpkin planted on a normal schedule ripens with real margin before frost.
Growing Beets in Delaware: Soil, Sowing and Bolting
Delaware’s official soil, the Greenwich series, is a well-drained sandy loam sitting close to what beets actually want: deep, loose ground that lets a…
Growing Parsnips in Delaware: Will They Sweeten?
A parsnip grown in Delaware will sweeten, not just grow. The reference station at Wilmington shows a mean minimum of 25.6°F in the coldest month, cold…
When to Plant Potatoes in Delaware: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
Plant potatoes in Delaware 14 to 21 days before your last frost date, as soon as soil temperature reaches 50°F, not by a fixed calendar date (Utah State…
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in Delaware
Delaware gardeners can expect first fall frost between October 26 and November 7, depending on the county, which sets the outside deadline for getting…
Potato Varieties That Suit Delaware
Delaware’s growing conditions favor early and mid-season potato varieties, not late ones.