Wilmington, DE Planting Dates — Moon Phase Garden

The four dates that matter

Date	When	What it means
Last spring frost (50%)	Apr 13	Half of all years see a freeze after this date. It is an average, not a guarantee.
Last spring frost (10%)	Apr 27	Only one year in ten freezes after this. Use it for anything you cannot afford to replant.
First fall frost (50%)	Oct 30	Half of all years freeze before this date. Fall crops are counted back from here.
First fall frost (10%)	Oct 16	An early-freeze year. If a crop must finish, aim to harvest before this.

USDA zone 7a 200 frost-free days Modelled estimate

Spring & summer planting in Wilmington

Dates are calculated from this location's own last-frost date, not from a generic zone chart. “Best moon days” are the days inside each window that fall in the crop's traditional phase — the same rule the app uses.

Crop	Start seed indoors	Plant outdoors	Best moon days	Days to harvest
Strawberry (crowns) transplant	—	Feb 12 – Mar 23	Mar 3 Full Moon	perennial — first real harvest next season
Garlic cloves/sets Better planted in fall — see below	—	Feb 25 – Mar 28	Mar 4–9 Waning Gibbous	240–300
Asparagus (crowns) transplant	—	Mar 2 – Apr 6	Mar 25 First Quarter	perennial — first real harvest 2–3 years
Chives either	Feb 16	Mar 2 – Apr 6	Mar 19–24 Waxing Crescent	75–90
Onion (from sets/transplants) cloves/sets	—	Mar 2 – Apr 6	Mar 4–9 Waning Gibbous	90–120
Peas (English/snap) direct sow	—	Mar 2 – Apr 6	Mar 25 First Quarter	55–75
Spinach direct sow	—	Mar 2 – Apr 6	Mar 19–24 Waxing Crescent	35–50
Cabbage transplant	Feb 9	Mar 9 – Apr 6	Mar 19–24 Waxing Crescent	65–90
Collards either	Mar 2	Mar 9 – Apr 27	Mar 19–24 Waxing Crescent	55–85
Kale either	Mar 2	Mar 9 – Apr 13	Mar 19–24 Waxing Crescent	50–65
Lettuce (leaf) either	Mar 9	Mar 9 – May 4	Mar 19–24 Waxing Crescent	40–55
Potato cloves/sets	—	Mar 9 – Apr 13	Apr 1 Full Moon	70–120
Radish direct sow	—	Mar 9 – May 4	Mar 9–10, Apr 2–5 Waning Gibbous	22–35
Turnip direct sow	—	Mar 9 – Apr 20	Mar 9–10, Apr 2–5 Waning Gibbous	40–60
Broccoli transplant	Feb 9	Mar 14 – Apr 13	Mar 19–24 Waxing Crescent	55–80
Brussels Sprouts transplant	Feb 9	Mar 14 – Apr 13	Mar 19–24 Waxing Crescent	90–110
Leek transplant	Feb 2	Mar 14 – Apr 13	Apr 2–7 Waning Gibbous	100–120
Lettuce (head) transplant	Feb 23	Mar 14 – Apr 13	Mar 19–24 Waxing Crescent	60–85
Parsley either	Feb 9	Mar 14 – Apr 20	Mar 19–24 Waxing Crescent	70–90
Parsnip direct sow	—	Mar 14 – Apr 20	Apr 1 Full Moon	100–150
Shallot cloves/sets Better planted in fall — see below	—	Mar 14 – Apr 13	Apr 2–7 Waning Gibbous	90–120
Beet direct sow	—	Mar 16 – May 4	Apr 1, May 1 Full Moon	50–65
Kohlrabi either	Mar 2	Mar 16 – Apr 20	Mar 19–24 Waxing Crescent	45–60
Carrot direct sow	—	Mar 23 – May 4	Apr 1, May 1 Full Moon	65–85
Cauliflower transplant	Feb 9	Mar 23 – Apr 13	Mar 23–24 Waxing Crescent	55–80
Cilantro direct sow	—	Mar 23 – May 4	Mar 23–24, Apr 18–21 Waxing Crescent	45–70
Swiss Chard direct sow	—	Mar 23 – May 13	Mar 23–24, Apr 18–21 Waxing Crescent	50–60
Dill direct sow	—	Mar 30 – May 13	Apr 18–22 Waxing Crescent	40–60
Cucumber either	Mar 23	Apr 13 – May 13	Apr 23 First Quarter	50–70
Green Beans (bush) direct sow	—	Apr 13 – May 28	Apr 23, May 23 First Quarter	50–65
Oregano transplant	Feb 16	Apr 13 – May 4	Apr 23 First Quarter	cut as needed
Sage transplant	Feb 16	Apr 13 – May 4	Apr 23 First Quarter	cut as needed
Sweet Corn direct sow	—	Apr 13 – May 28	Apr 23, May 23 First Quarter	60–100
Thyme transplant	Feb 16	Apr 13 – May 4	Apr 23 First Quarter	cut as needed
Zucchini / Summer Squash either	Mar 23	Apr 13 – May 13	Apr 23 First Quarter	45–60
Basil either	Mar 2	Apr 20 – May 13	Apr 20–22 Waxing Crescent	30–60
Dry Beans direct sow	—	Apr 20 – May 18	Apr 23 First Quarter	85–100
Pole Beans direct sow	—	Apr 20 – May 23	Apr 23, May 23 First Quarter	60–75
Pumpkin direct sow	Mar 23	Apr 20 – May 18	Apr 23 First Quarter	90–120
Rosemary transplant	Apr 13	Apr 20 – May 13	Apr 23 First Quarter	cut as needed
Tomatillo transplant	Mar 2	Apr 20 – May 13	Apr 23 First Quarter	60–75
Tomato transplant	Mar 2	Apr 20 – May 13	Apr 23 First Quarter	60–85
Winter Squash direct sow	Mar 23	Apr 20 – May 18	Apr 23 First Quarter	85–110
Cantaloupe / Muskmelon either	Mar 23	Apr 27 – May 18	— First Quarter	75–90
Eggplant transplant	Feb 16	Apr 27 – May 18	— First Quarter	60–90
Okra direct sow	Mar 16	Apr 27 – May 23	May 23 First Quarter	50–70
Pepper transplant	Feb 16	Apr 27 – May 18	— First Quarter	60–90
Sweet Potato slips	—	Apr 27 – May 23	May 2–7 Waning Gibbous	90–150
Watermelon either	Mar 23	Apr 27 – May 18	— First Quarter	70–90

Fall planting in Wilmington

Fall dates count backward from the first frost, and they add time back for the “fall factor” — days are shortening and cooling, so a crop grows slower than the seed packet promises. Sowing late is the single most common way a fall garden fails.

Crop	Sow or set out	Best moon days	Days to harvest	Hardiness
Tomato	Jun 14 – Jul 20	Jun 21	60–85	very tender
Brussels Sprouts	Jun 17 – Jul 4	Jun 17–20	90–110	hardy
Potato	Jun 22 – Jul 24	Jun 29	70–120	semi-hardy
Sweet Corn	Jun 27 – Jul 20	—	60–100	tender
Pole Beans	Jul 7 – Jul 20	—	60–75	tender
Parsley	Jul 10 – Jul 24	Jul 15–20	70–90	semi-hardy
Okra	Jul 12 – Aug 11	Jul 21	50–70	very tender
Cabbage	Jul 17 – Jul 29	Jul 17–20	65–90	hardy
Carrot	Jul 17 – Jul 29	Jul 29	65–85	semi-hardy
Collards	Jul 17 – Aug 8	Jul 17–20	55–85	hardy
Cucumber	Jul 17 – Jul 30	Jul 21	50–70	tender
Broccoli	Jul 22 – Aug 8	—	55–80	hardy
Cauliflower	Jul 22 – Aug 8	—	55–80	semi-hardy
Green Beans (bush)	Jul 22 – Jul 30	—	50–65	tender
Lettuce (head)	Jul 22 – Aug 3	—	60–85	semi-hardy
Peas (English/snap)	Jul 22 – Aug 8	—	55–75	hardy
Beet	Jul 27 – Aug 13	Jul 29	50–65	semi-hardy
Kale	Jul 27 – Aug 13	Aug 13	50–65	hardy
Swiss Chard	Jul 27 – Aug 13	Aug 13	50–60	semi-hardy
Zucchini / Summer Squash	Jul 27 – Aug 4	—	45–60	tender
Basil	Aug 1 – Aug 19	Aug 13–18	30–60	very tender
Kohlrabi	Aug 1 – Aug 18	Aug 13–18	45–60	hardy
Cilantro	Aug 6 – Aug 18	Aug 13–18	45–70	semi-hardy
Lettuce (leaf)	Aug 6 – Aug 23	Aug 13–18	40–55	semi-hardy
Turnip	Aug 6 – Aug 23	—	40–60	hardy
Spinach	Aug 11 – Aug 28	Aug 13–18	35–50	hardy
Dill	Aug 16 – Aug 23	Aug 16–18	40–60	semi-hardy
Radish	Aug 16 – Sep 10	Aug 29–Sep 3	22–35	hardy
Garlic	Sep 30 – Nov 20	Sep 30–Oct 2, Oct 27–29	240–300	hardy
Shallot	Oct 14 – Nov 14	Oct 27–31	90–120	hardy

Bottom line: the 50% frost date is a coin flip, not a green light. If you would be sick about losing a flat of tomatoes, plant to the Apr 27 date instead and keep a row cover handy either way.

Where these numbers come from

There is no long-record weather station inside Wilmington itself, so these frost dates are modelled, not observed. They come from a half-degree climate grid built by fitting the freeze dates of 6,808 NOAA stations (1991–2020 Normals) against terrain and the USDA 2023 hardiness raster, then reading the cell your city sits in. Checked against the stations themselves, that model lands within about a week on average — and its zone matches the station's exactly 67% of the time and within one half-zone 97% of the time. A cell covers roughly 35 by 28 miles, so this is a neighborhood answer, not a backyard one. If there is a station-backed location near you, prefer it.

How precise is any of this?

Extension recommendations for the same crop routinely disagree by two to four weeks, and occasionally more, so these offsets should be presented as windows and starting points rather than deadlines. Three things drive the spread. (1) Regional risk tolerance: for warm-season crops, Colorado State and Utah State put tomatoes, peppers and melons out about 14 days after the last frost, while University of Missouri's calendar works out to roughly 25-35 days after the last frost and University of Maryland's window runs from the frost date itself out to 45 days past it. That is a real 6-week spread for the single most popular garden crop, and it exists because a short-season mountain state is optimizing against a short season while a humid continental state is optimizing against cold, wet spring soil. (2) Soil temperature versus calendar date: most Extension services now say the honest trigger is soil temperature at 4 inches, not the frost date, and the frost-relative number is a convenience translation. A cold, wet spring can push the real date two or three weeks past the calendar recommendation. (3) Days-to-maturity is variety-specific and is measured differently for direct-seeded versus transplanted crops - seed catalogs count from transplant date for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and cole crops, but from sowing for roots and greens - so a 'days to maturity' range of 60-85 for tomato is genuinely 60-85 depending on which packet you bought. Additionally, the average last frost is a 50% probability, meaning half of all years have a frost after that date; Extension services commonly advise waiting 1-2 weeks past it for anything frost-tender, or being prepared to cover. Treat every number here as plus or minus about 10-14 days.

On the station itself: a weather station is one point. Cities hold their heat, valleys pool cold air, and a garden on a north slope can run two weeks behind one a mile away. Treat this page as your starting point and let your own garden correct it — that is exactly what the journal in the app is for.

Nearby locations

Philadelphia, PA zone 7b Dover, DE zone 7b Reading, PA zone 7a Trenton, NJ zone 7a Atlantic City, NJ zone 7a Allentown, PA zone 6b

Want this on your phone, in your garden? Moon Phase Garden keeps your frost dates, your planting windows and tonight's moon phase in one place, works offline, and lets you override these dates with what your own garden actually does. Free and ad-free.

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