When to Plant Tomatoes in North Carolina: Spring and Fall Windows for Central NC
Planting dates for tomatoes from NC State Extension in North Carolina, with 50% frost dates from NOAA for Raleigh Durham International Airport, Piedmont Triad International Airport, and Charlotte Douglas Airport and one worked case.
Updated
Figures checked against their sources on ; next check .
The tomato entry in North Carolina’s calendar is read for one part of the state. No exact days appear in the first column. It reads Central North Carolina (Apr 15 to Jul 1 (transplant)).
The tomato windows by part of the state
Nothing in the table has been rounded or reworded.
| Part of the state | Spring windows | Fall windows |
|---|---|---|
| Central North Carolina | Apr 15 to Jul 1 (transplant) | Aug 1 (transplant) |
How the North Carolina calendar is built
It says the dates are suggested guidelines that should give the highest probability of success, and that plants established in the middle of the recommended dates will do best. The dates on the chart are for planting out in the garden, and the page says that shade in summer and frost protection in winter may let you extend the season before and after them.
Starting tomatoes indoors
Seed-starting advice for tomatoes comes from other states’ extension services, and it counts weeks rather than dates. UNH allows 6 to 8 weeks from seed to transplant.
Six saved sources speak to tomatoes. Three of them (UNH, NDSU and Montana State) count from the last frost; the University of Minnesota, NC State and the University of Georgia describe their own climates. The shortest figure is 5 weeks and the longest 10, so no single number is right for every garden.
Once the seedlings are ready, UNH says tomatoes are safe to set out 1 to 2 weeks after the last frost, after hardening off.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| University of New Hampshire | 6 to 8 weeks from seed to transplant; 1 to 2 weeks after the last frost is safe to set out |
| North Dakota State University | Sow 6 weeks before the last frost, transplant 2 weeks after it |
| Montana State University | 6 to 10 weeks to transplant size; the planting window opens 1 week before the last frost |
| University of Minnesota | Early April in Minnesota, 5 to 6 weeks indoors |
| NC State | Any transplant: seed 6 to 8 weeks before setting out (central North Carolina calendar) |
| University of Georgia | 6 weeks from seed to transplant size (middle Georgia calendar) |
Typical frost dates at North Carolina stations
The 50% date is the even-odds one: in half of the years the last spring 32°F night comes on or after it, and the first fall one on or before it. Each station below links to the frost dates tool.
Regions in the last column come from the source’s wording, never from our reading of a map.
| Station | Last spring 32°F | First fall 32°F | Region in North Carolina’s calendar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh Durham International Airport, North Carolina | March 31 | November 4 | Central North Carolina |
| Piedmont Triad International Airport, North Carolina | March 30 | November 5 | Central North Carolina |
| Charlotte Douglas Airport, North Carolina | March 30 | November 3 | Central North Carolina |
| Fayetteville Regional Airport, North Carolina | March 22 | November 13 | Central North Carolina |
| Asheville Regional Airport, North Carolina | April 9 | October 28 | Not stated by the source |
Worked example
NOAA’s normals for Raleigh Durham International Airport, North Carolina give March 31 as the even-odds date of the last spring 32°F night, and November 4 as the even-odds first fall one.
Here the window starts April 15 (15 days after the median last freeze) and ends July 1 (92 days after it), under the Central North Carolina heading.
On the fall side, Central North Carolina’s last planting date of August 1 leaves 95 days before the November 4 median first freeze.
None of this predicts next spring. It only lines up two published sets of dates; swap in your own station from the frost dates tool and the same steps apply.
Before you rely on these dates
The calendar is for central North Carolina only; the mountains and the coast run earlier or later, and the page gives no dates for them.
Weather in the week of planting matters more than the printed date; use it to nudge the start earlier or later.
Sources (7)
- NC State Extension (Bradley, Gunter, Sherk and Driscoll), Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs, AG-756-01, published July 8, 2016 content.ces.ncsu.edu
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals (frost/freeze probabilities by station) ncei.noaa.gov
- University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden (fact sheet) extension.unh.edu
- NDSU Extension Service (North Dakota State University), Time and Temperature Chart, from How to Succeed at Seed Starting, publication h1139, print code 2M-2-99 library.nd.gov
- Montana State University Extension (Amy Grandpre), Can I Grow That Here? Vegetable Seed and Transplant Schedules for Garden or Container, MontGuide MT199308AG, revised November 2018 extension-store.montana.edu
- University of Minnesota Extension, Starting seeds indoors (page reviewed 2026) extension.umn.edu
- University of Georgia Cooperative Extension (Bob Westerfield), Vegetable Garden Calendar, Circular 943, published with full review March 10, 2026 extension.uga.edu