Cary, North Carolina planting calendar and frost dates

Frost dates in Cary

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Raleigh Durham International Airport, 9.6 miles SE of the city center. Low-lying and rural spots often frost later in spring and earlier in fall than airports and city centers. Cary shares this station with Durham, so the two cities have the same frost dates and planting calendar.

What to plant each month in Cary

1. January

   Start indoors: broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, leeks, onions, oregano, parsley, peppers, petunias, ranunculus, rosemary, snapdragons

2. February

   Start indoors: basil, black-eyed susans, broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, celery, chives, cilantro, collard greens, eggplants, ginger, leeks, lettuce, marigolds, nasturtiums, oregano, parsley, peppers, petunias, ranunculus, rosemary, sage, snapdragons, spinach, swiss chard, tomatoes

   Plant or sow outdoors: black-eyed susans, blueberries, garlic, grapes, grass seed, hollyhocks, kale, onions, peas, poppies, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, turnips, wildflowers

3. March

   Start indoors: basil, cantaloupes, cilantro, cosmos, cucumbers, marigolds, nasturtiums, okra, pumpkins, ranunculus, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini

   Plant or sow outdoors: asparagus, beets, black-eyed susans, blackberries, blueberries, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, chives, cilantro, collard greens, dahlias, dill, figs, garden mums, garlic, gladioli, grapes, grass seed, green onions, hollyhocks, kale, kentucky bluegrass, lavenders, leeks, lettuce, lilies, marigolds, mints, nasturtiums, onions, oregano, parsley, peas, perennial ryegrass, petunias, poppies, potatoes, radishes, ranunculus, raspberries, rhubarb, rosemary, roses, sage, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sunflowers, sweet corn, sweet peas, swiss chard, tall fescue, thyme, turnips, wildflowers

4. April

   Start indoors: cosmos, okra, zinnias

   Plant or sow outdoors: asparagus, basil, cantaloupes, chives, cilantro, cucumbers, dahlias, dill, eggplants, garden mums, ginger, gladioli, grapes, green beans, green onions, kentucky bluegrass, lavenders, lettuce, lilies, marigolds, mints, nasturtiums, oregano, parsley, peppers, perennial ryegrass, petunias, pumpkins, ranunculus, rosemary, sage, spinach, sunflowers, sweet corn, sweet peas, swiss chard, tall fescue, thyme, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini

5. May

   Plant or sow outdoors: bermudagrass, celery, centipedegrass, cosmos, green onions, okra, peanuts, st. augustinegrass, sweet potatoes, zinnias, zoysiagrass

6. June

   Plant or sow outdoors: bermudagrass, centipedegrass, st. augustinegrass, zinnias, zoysiagrass

7. July

   Plant for fall: brussels sprouts, peppers, potatoes, sweet corn, tomatoes

8. August

   Plant for fall: bearded irises, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, collard greens, cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, peas, peppers, radishes, snapdragons, spinach, sweet corn, swiss chard, turnips, zucchini

9. September

   Plant for fall: azaleas, bearded irises, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, clematis, coneflowers, crocuses, daffodils, daylilies, grass seed, hostas, hydrangeas, kale, kentucky bluegrass, lettuce, lilies, ornamental alliums, peonies, perennial ryegrass, radishes, roses, saffron, snapdragons, spinach, swiss chard, tall fescue, tulips, turnips

10. October

    Plant for fall: crocuses, daffodils, daylilies, grass seed, hostas, hyacinths, kale, kentucky bluegrass, lilies, ornamental alliums, peonies, perennial ryegrass, radishes, saffron, tall fescue, tulips

11. November

    Plant for fall: crocuses, daffodils, garlic, hyacinths, lilies, ornamental alliums, peonies, tulips

12. December

    Start indoors: onions

Frost dates and zones by ZIP code in Cary

All 6 of Cary's main ZIP codes take their frost dates from Raleigh Durham International Airport, so the dates on this page apply across the city. Every one of them is in zone 8a.

Raleigh Durham International Airport also supplies the frost dates for Durham, so their planting calendars match Cary's.

Planting dates for popular crops in Cary

Nearby cities

• Apex, NC zone 8a, last frost Mar 27
• Holly Springs, NC zone 8a, last frost Mar 27
• Raleigh, NC zone 8a, last frost Mar 28
• Durham, NC zone 8a, last frost Mar 31
• Chapel Hill, NC zone 8a, last frost Mar 31
• Wake Forest, NC zone 8a, last frost Mar 28