Wilmington, DE · zone 7b · ~212 frost-free days
When to plant in Wilmington: frost dates and zone 7b.
In Wilmington, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 6 and the first fall frost around Nov 4, giving you about 212 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 Wilmington, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 2 to May 2 | Apr 13 to Jun 13 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Feb 27 to Apr 13 | Aug 21 to Oct 20 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 27 to Apr 1 | Aug 9 to Sep 4 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 6 to May 27 | Jul 21 to Aug 23 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 13 to Jul 13 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 11 to May 2 | Apr 22 to Jun 13 | — |
| Kale | Jan 16 to Feb 13 | Feb 27 to Mar 27 | Aug 4 to Sep 19 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 13 to Mar 27 | Aug 21 to Oct 9 |
Wilmington sits in Zone 7b, 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 Wilmington 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 19801 in about 60 seconds.
Wilmington planting questions
What planting zone is Wilmington, DE?+
Wilmington is in USDA hardiness zone 7b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 7b 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 Wilmington?+
The typical last spring frost in Wilmington, DE is around Apr 6. 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 Wilmington?+
The typical first fall frost in Wilmington, DE arrives around Nov 4, closing a growing season of roughly 212 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Wilmington?+
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 6. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.