Now
28°C · Clear
Today
29° / 15°
Soil 6 cm
23°C
First frost
~68 days (Nov 15)
Gardening in Raleigh
AI field guide · refreshed weeklyRaleigh Garden Guide: Early Fall Planting & Harvest (September 8–14)
You're in zone 8b with 68 days until the average first frost (November 15). Soil at 23°C (73°F) is still warm enough for cool-season crops to germinate reliably. This is peak planting week for fall vegetables—get seeds in the ground now to mature before frost.
Sow outdoors now
Spinach (Bloomsdale, Space or Tyee)
Sow directly 1 cm (0.4 in) deep in full sun; germinates in 7–10 days at 23°C soil temp and will mature in 40–50 days before frost.
Lettuce (Buttercrunch, Jericho, Red Sails)
Direct sow 0.5 cm (0.2 in) deep; thin to 15 cm (6 in) spacing. Tolerates light frost and ready in 45–60 days.
Radish (Cherry Belle, French Breakfast)
Sow 1 cm (0.4 in) deep, 5 cm (2 in) apart; harvest in 25–30 days before soil cools further.
Kale (Lacinato, Winterbor, Curly Scotch)
Direct sow or transplant seedlings 45 cm (18 in) apart; improves in flavor after frost and produces for months.
Turnip (Purple Top, Tokyo Cross)
Sow 1 cm (0.4 in) deep, thin to 10 cm (4 in) spacing; roots mature in 50–70 days, greens edible in 30.
Start indoors now
Broccoli & Cabbage transplants (Calabrese, Brassica oleracea vars)
Start seeds indoors now for transplant in 4–5 weeks; they'll mature in late October and November when frost sweetens them.
Onion sets or seedlings (Walla Walla, Texas 1015)
Plant sets 5 cm (2 in) deep, 15 cm (6 in) apart; they'll establish roots before winter dormancy and size up in spring.
Garlic cloves (German Extra Hardy, Music)
Plant individual cloves 5 cm (2 in) deep, 15 cm (6 in) apart in well-draining soil; they need 4–8 weeks of cool weather to root before hard frost.
Harvest now
Summer squash & zucchini
Pick every 2–3 days before they oversized; plants are still producing in warm weather but will decline as nights cool.
Okra
Harvest pods when 7–10 cm (3–4 in) long; production peaks now but stops after first frost (68 days away).
Tomatoes (ripe fruit)
Pick ripe fruit; pick green tomatoes before first frost and ripen indoors, or leave on vine for a few more warm weeks.
Beans (snap & pole)
Harvest regularly to encourage more blooms; plants will slow as temperatures drop but may produce another 2–3 weeks.
Tasks this week
- Deadhead spent flowers and remove diseased foliage to reduce pest pressure heading into fall.
- Water deeply in early morning; soil is still warm and dry spells can stress plants before the rain mid-week.
- Mulch newly planted cool-season crops with 2–3 cm (1 in) of compost to retain moisture and moderate soil temperature.
- Scout for spider mites and whiteflies on tomatoes and squash—common in late summer heat; spray with neem oil if needed.
- Cut back or remove summer herbs (basil, cilantro) that are bolting; they'll be replaced by cold-hardy parsley and chives.
Watch out for
- Powdery mildew on squash and cucumbers—improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering.
- Brassica worms (cabbage loopers, imported cabbageworms) on new kale and broccoli seedlings; use row cover or Bt if populations spike.
- Dry spell mid-week (Sept 8–11): rain arrives Sept 12–13, so water transplants and newly sown seeds if no rain falls by Sept 11.
The gardening note for Raleigh, every week
One email, Sunday evening. Unsubscribe anytime.