When to Sow Sweet Corn in North Carolina
Sweet corn goes into North Carolina Piedmont soil once the ground itself, not just the air, has warmed past 60°F, which lands well after the last spring…
Gardening in North Carolina
Everything we have worked out for North Carolina: 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 Charlotte, the last spring freeze runs March 23 to April 5 and the first fall freeze runs October 30 to November 8, USDA zones 5b-8b, 4,943 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 North Carolina: 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.
When to Sow Autumn Spinach in North Carolina
Autumn spinach in North Carolina’s Piedmont goes into the ground between mid-August and mid-September, timed so the crop matures 50 to 75 days later…
Will Spinach Bolt Early in North Carolina?
Spinach bolts early almost everywhere in the North Carolina Piedmont, and Charlotte’s climate makes the problem worse than it looks on paper.
Will North Carolina Soil Hold an Asparagus Bed for Fifteen Years?
Yes, in most cases the ground here will carry an asparagus bed through its full ten-to-fifteen-year run.
When to Plant Asparagus Crowns in North Carolina
North Carolina gardeners set asparagus crowns in early spring, timed around the region’s last frost.
Growing Sweet Corn in North Carolina: Will It Ripen?
Yes, most of North Carolina gives sweet corn plenty of runway to ripen before the first fall frost.
Growing Asparagus in North Carolina: Fifteen Years in One Spot
The soil that represents North Carolina drains well, and that is the one requirement an asparagus bed actually has.
When to Sow Pumpkins in North Carolina
Charlotte’s first fall frost lands between October 30 and November 8, and a pumpkin needs 45 to 55 days after its flower opens, not after the seed goes…
Will Pumpkins Ripen Before Frost in North Carolina?
In North Carolina’s Piedmont, most pumpkins do have enough time to ripen before frost, but only if their flowers open by late summer.
When to Sow Parsnips in North Carolina
In the North Carolina Piedmont, aim to sow parsnip seed directly in the ground between roughly March 2 and March 22, about two to three weeks ahead of…