Durham, NC · zone 8a · ~217 frost-free days
When to plant in Durham: frost dates and zone 8a.
In Durham, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 1 and the first fall frost around Nov 4, giving you about 217 frost-free days. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost; warm-season crops wait until after it.
The 2026 windows
Sow dates for Durham, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Feb 25 to Apr 27 | Apr 8 to Jun 8 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Feb 22 to Apr 8 | Aug 21 to Oct 20 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 22 to Mar 27 | Aug 9 to Sep 4 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 1 to May 22 | Jul 21 to Aug 23 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 8 to Jul 8 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 6 to Apr 27 | Apr 17 to Jun 8 | — |
| Kale | Jan 11 to Feb 8 | Feb 22 to Mar 22 | Aug 4 to Sep 19 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 8 to Mar 22 | Aug 21 to Oct 9 |
Durham sits in Zone 8a, but two gardens in the same city can be a week or two apart. The planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not the zone, so the dates land right for your block, not the metro average.
Build your Durham garden plan.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for ZIP 27701 in about 60 seconds.
Durham planting questions
What planting zone is Durham, NC?+
Durham is in USDA hardiness zone 8a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 8a here. It tells you what survives winter, not when to plant. Frost dates set your planting time, and the free planner uses your exact ZIP code's frost dates, which can differ by weeks across one metro.
When is the last frost date in Durham?+
The typical last spring frost in Durham, NC is around Apr 1. That is an average from local history, not a guarantee, so tender crops like tomatoes and peppers are safer with a week of buffer after it.
When is the first frost date in Durham?+
The typical first fall frost in Durham, NC arrives around Nov 4, closing a growing season of roughly 217 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Durham?+
It depends on the date. Cool-season crops like lettuce, kale, and spinach go out weeks before the last frost; warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers wait until after Apr 1. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.