Raleigh, NC · zone 8a · ~223 frost-free days
When to plant in Raleigh: frost dates and zone 8a.
In Raleigh, the typical last spring frost lands around Mar 29 and the first fall frost around Nov 7, giving you about 223 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 Raleigh, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Feb 22 to Apr 24 | Apr 5 to Jun 5 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Feb 19 to Apr 5 | Aug 24 to Oct 23 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 19 to Mar 24 | Aug 12 to Sep 7 |
| Bush Bean | — | Mar 29 to May 19 | Jul 24 to Aug 26 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 5 to Jul 5 | Jul 7 to Aug 7 |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 3 to Apr 24 | Apr 14 to Jun 5 | — |
| Kale | Jan 8 to Feb 5 | Feb 19 to Mar 19 | Aug 7 to Sep 22 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 5 to Mar 19 | Aug 24 to Oct 12 |
Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 27601 in about 60 seconds.
Raleigh planting questions
What planting zone is Raleigh, NC?+
Raleigh 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 Raleigh?+
The typical last spring frost in Raleigh, NC is around Mar 29. 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 Raleigh?+
The typical first fall frost in Raleigh, NC arrives around Nov 7, closing a growing season of roughly 223 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Raleigh?+
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 Mar 29. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.