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Planting Calendar for Slaughter Beach, DE | Almanac.com
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Planting Calendar for Slaughter Beach, DE

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The planting calendar below tells you when to plant in the SPRING and also plant in the FALL, based on your zip code or postal code.

Spring Planting Calendar

Our spring planting calendar starts with the very first dates that you can plant (based on the last spring frost). But if you've missed these dates, no worries! This is why we've added "last planting dates" to our spring calendar; this is meant to help new gardeners understand that if they missed the first spring planting window, they could still get crops in the ground.

In fact, many crops with short maturity times (such as radishes) can be succession planted all the way through the summer in northern areas. However, note that some cool-seasons crops such as kale and lettuce do not grow well in hot temperatures, which can cause bolting issues.  For some gardeners, especially in the South, a break to avoid summer heat is needed, but they can start once the heat has passed. 

The dates provided are based on the number of weeks before or after frost, so we can provide a unique calendar to every user in the country. Thus, several crops (especially similar crops) may appear to have the same date. Kale and lettuce, for example, or dates for starting seeds, like broccoli and cabbage. 

Fall Planting Calendar

When we say "fall," we really mean planting in summer in time for a fall harvest. Think of this as a second summer! It's easy to keep the crops going if you've already prepared the soil! 

Many crops that would be started indoors for a spring crop can just be plunked into the soil directly for a fall crop. Not only is the soil already warm but also there are less pests and it tends to be rainier so you don't need to water as often. Some fall vegetables need to be harvested by the first frost, but many are frost-tolerant and even taste better after a kiss of fall frost!

See each plant's individual Growing Guide for more specific planting, plant care, and harvesting information.

Specifically, on the charts, there are different columns labeled as follows:

  1. Start Seeds Indoors: When to sow seeds indoors to get an early start on the season.
  2. Plant Seedlings Outdoors: When to put small seedlings that you grew indoors (OR starter plants that you bought at a garden nursery) in the outdoor soil.
  3. Start Seeds Outdoors: When to plant seeds directly into the outdoor soil.
  4. Last Date to Plant: You may plant any time from the "start seeds" dates until this "last date." Don't wait any longer, or the crop won't have time to get to harvest before fall/winter frosts.

The "Moon Dates" indicate the best planting dates based on Moon phases. You can learn more about this age-old technique below.

When N/A appears in the chart, that starting method is typically not recommended, although it is likely still possible. 

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Planting Dates for Spring

On average, your last spring frost occurs on April 2 (at LEWES, DE climate station, elevation 9 feet).
CropFrost Based on Frost Dates
Moon Based on Moon Dates
Start Seeds IndoorsPlant Seedlings
or Transplants
Start Seeds OutdoorsLast Date to Plant
ArugulaFrost Feb 5-19
Moon Feb 9-19
Frost Mar 12-26
Moon Mar 12-25
Frost Mar 4-12
Oct 10
AsparagusN/AN/AFrost Mar 19-Apr 2
Moon Mar 26-Apr 2
Apr 2
BasilFrost Feb 19-Mar 4
Moon Feb 19-24
Frost Apr 16-30
Moon Apr 16-23
Frost Apr 16-30
Moon Apr 16-23
Sep 26
BeetsN/AFrost Mar 19-Apr 2
Moon Mar 26-Apr 2
Frost Mar 4-12
Moon Mar 4-12
Apr 16
Bell PeppersFrost Jan 22-Feb 5
Moon Jan 22-25
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
N/AAug 15
Bok ChoyFrost Feb 19-Mar 4
Moon Feb 19-24
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
May 14
BroccoliFrost Feb 5-19
Moon Feb 9-19
Frost Mar 19-Apr 2
Moon Mar 19-25
Frost Mar 4-12
Sep 5
Brussels SproutsFrost Feb 19-Mar 4
Moon Feb 19-24
Frost Mar 19-Apr 2
Moon Mar 19-25
Frost Mar 4-12
Aug 1
CabbageFrost Feb 5-19
Moon Feb 9-19
Frost Mar 19-Apr 2
Moon Mar 19-25
Frost Mar 4-12
Jul 25
CantaloupesFrost Mar 12-26
Moon Mar 12-25
Frost Apr 2-16
Moon Apr 8-16
Frost Apr 9-16
Moon Apr 9-16
Aug 1
CarrotsN/AN/AFrost Mar 4-19
Moon Mar 4-19
Aug 29
CauliflowerFrost Feb 19-Mar 4
Moon Feb 19-24
Frost Mar 26-Apr 9
Moon Apr 8-9
N/AAug 29
CeleryFrost Jan 8-22
Moon Jan 11-22
Frost Apr 9-23
Moon Apr 9-23
Frost Apr 2
Aug 29
ChivesFrost Feb 5-19
Moon Feb 9-19
Frost Mar 12-19
Moon Mar 12-19
Frost Mar 12-19
Moon Mar 12-19
Sep 12
Cilantro (Coriander)N/AN/AFrost Apr 2-16
Moon Apr 8-16
Apr 23
CollardsFrost Feb 19-Mar 4
Moon Feb 19-24
Frost Mar 19-Apr 2
Moon Mar 19-25
Frost Mar 12-19
Moon Mar 12-19
Aug 29
CucumbersFrost Mar 12-19
Moon Mar 12-19
Frost Apr 9-23
Moon Apr 9-23
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
Aug 29
DillN/AN/AFrost Mar 26-Apr 16
Moon Apr 8-16
Sep 12
Dry BeansN/AN/AFrost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
Aug 1
EggplantsFrost Feb 5-19
Moon Feb 9-19
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
N/AAug 29
Fava BeansN/AN/AFrost Mar 4-12
Apr 16
FennelFrost Feb 19-Mar 4
Moon Feb 19-24
Frost Apr 9-16
Moon Apr 9-16
Frost Apr 2-16
Moon Apr 8-16
Aug 22
GarlicN/AN/AN/A
Green BeansN/AN/AFrost Apr 9-30
Moon Apr 9-23
Aug 29
Honeydew MelonsFrost Mar 12-19
Moon Mar 12-19
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
Aug 8
Jalapeño PeppersFrost Jan 22-Feb 5
Moon Jan 22-25
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
N/A
KaleFrost Feb 5-19
Moon Feb 9-19
Frost Mar 19-Apr 2
Moon Mar 19-25
Frost Mar 4-12
Apr 16
KohlrabiFrost Feb 19-Mar 4
Moon Feb 19-24
Frost Mar 12-19
Moon Mar 12-19
Frost Mar 4-12
Apr 16
LeeksFrost Jan 22-Feb 5
Moon Jan 22-25
Frost Mar 12-26
Moon Mar 12-25
N/AJul 25
LettuceFrost Feb 19-Mar 4
Moon Feb 19-24
Frost Mar 12-19
Moon Mar 12-19
Frost Mar 4-12
Apr 16
Mustard GreensN/AN/AN/A
OkraFrost Mar 4-19
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
Frost Apr 16-30
Moon Apr 16-23
Aug 29
OnionsN/AFrost Mar 4-19
Moon Mar 4-19
N/AAug 1
OreganoFrost Jan 22-Feb 19
Moon Jan 22-25, Feb 9-19
Frost Apr 9-23
Moon Apr 9-23
N/AAug 29
ParsleyFrost Jan 22-Feb 5
Moon Jan 22-25
Frost Apr 9-23
Moon Apr 9-23
Frost Mar 4-Apr 9
Moon Mar 20-25
Aug 22
ParsnipsN/AN/AFrost Mar 4-12
Moon Mar 4-12
Aug 1
PeasN/AN/AFrost Mar 4-12
Apr 16
PotatoesN/AN/AFrost Mar 4-19
Moon Mar 4-19
Aug 29
PumpkinsFrost Mar 12-26
Moon Mar 12-25
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
Jul 25
RadishesN/AN/AFrost Mar 4-12
Moon Mar 4-12
Sep 12
RosemaryFrost Jan 8-22
Moon Jan 11-22
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
N/ASep 12
SageFrost Feb 5-19
Moon Feb 9-19
Frost Apr 9-23
Moon Apr 9-23
N/AAug 22
SalsifyN/AN/AFrost Mar 4-19
Moon Mar 4-19
Aug 1
SpinachFrost Feb 19-Mar 4
Moon Feb 19-24
Frost Mar 12-19
Moon Mar 12-19
Frost Mar 4-12
Apr 16
Sweet CornN/AN/AFrost Apr 16-30
Moon Apr 16-23
Aug 22
Sweet PotatoesN/AN/AFrost Apr 16-30
Moon Apr 24-30
Jul 25
Swiss ChardFrost Feb 19-Mar 4
Moon Feb 19-24
Frost Mar 19-Apr 2
Moon Mar 19-25
Frost Mar 12-Apr 2
Moon Mar 12-25
Apr 16
ThymeFrost Jan 22-Feb 5
Moon Jan 22-25
Frost Apr 9-16
Moon Apr 9-16
N/AAug 15
TomatillosFrost Feb 19-Mar 4
Moon Feb 19-24
Frost Apr 16-30
Moon Apr 16-23
N/AAug 22
TomatoesFrost Feb 5-19
Moon Feb 9-19
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
N/AAug 8
TurnipsN/AN/AFrost Mar 4-12
Moon Mar 4-12
Oct 10
WatermelonsFrost Mar 12-26
Moon Mar 12-25
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
Frost Apr 9-16
Moon Apr 9-16
Aug 8
Winter SquashFrost Mar 12-19
Moon Mar 12-19
Frost Apr 9-23
Moon Apr 9-23
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
Jul 18
Zucchini (Summer Squash)Frost Mar 12-19
Moon Mar 12-19
Frost Apr 9-23
Moon Apr 9-23
Frost Apr 16-23
Moon Apr 16-23
Sep 5

Planting Dates for Fall

On average, your first fall frost occurs on November 7 (at LEWES, DE climate station).
CropFrost Based on Frost Dates
Moon Based on Moon Dates
Start Seeds OutdoorsTransplantAverage Days to MaturityFrost Tolerance
ArugulaFrost Sep 19-Oct 24
Moon Oct 2-17
N/A40Frost-hardy
BeetsFrost Aug 15-Sep 12
Moon Aug 20-Sep 1
N/A50Frost-tolerant
Bok ChoyFrost Aug 29-Sep 19
Moon Sep 2-17
N/A50Frost-tolerant
BroccoliFrost Aug 8-15
Moon Aug 8-15
Frost Aug 29-Sep 12
Moon Sep 2-12
60Frost-tolerant
Brussels SproutsFrost Jul 18-Aug 1
Moon Jul 18-21
N/A100Frost-hardy
CabbageFrost Aug 8-15
Moon Aug 8-15
Frost Aug 29-Sep 5
Moon Sep 2-5
90Frost-tolerant
CarrotsFrost Aug 22-29
Moon Aug 22-29
N/A70Frost-tolerant
CauliflowerFrost Aug 1-8
Moon Aug 4-8
Frost Aug 15-22
Moon Aug 15-19
75Frost-tolerant
ChivesFrost Aug 15-Sep 12
Moon Aug 15-19, Sep 2-12
N/A70Frost-tolerant
FennelFrost Aug 8-22
Moon Aug 8-19
N/A80Tender
GarlicFrost Nov 21-Dec 5
Moon Nov 21-30
N/A120Frost-hardy
Green BeansFrost Aug 22-Sep 5
Moon Sep 2-5
N/A55Tender
KaleFrost Aug 29-Sep 12
Moon Sep 2-12
N/A60Frost-hardy
KohlrabiFrost Sep 5-26
Moon Sep 5-17
N/A45Frost-tolerant
LettuceFrost Aug 29-Sep 12
Moon Sep 2-12
N/A60Frost-tolerant
Mustard GreensFrost Sep 5-26
Moon Sep 5-17
N/A45Tender
PeasFrost Aug 29-Sep 12
Moon Sep 2-12
N/A55Tender
RadishesFrost Sep 26-Oct 10
Moon Sep 26-Oct 1
N/A25Frost-tolerant
SpinachFrost Sep 19-Oct 10
Moon Oct 2-10
N/A30Frost-hardy
Swiss ChardFrost Aug 29-Sep 12
Moon Sep 2-12
N/A60Frost-tolerant
TurnipsFrost Sep 5-19
Moon Sep 18-19
N/A50Frost-tolerant
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