What to plant this week in Raleigh, NC
With the last frost in Raleigh typically occurring around March 13, this week marks your green light to start warm-season giants like Sweet Corn and Zucchini directly in the ground after any lingering chill passes. The humid subtropical climate is fully underway, meaning you can aggressively sow heat-lovers such as Okra, Bush Beans, and Watermelon while harvesting early basil and edamame from your spring plantings.
The next 7 days
Raleigh, NCGrowing in Raleigh right now
- Raleigh's sandy loam soils drain quickly but dry out fast during this hot spell; amend planting beds with compost and water deeply in the morning to conserve moisture.
- The Piedmont terrain creates cool pockets near tree lines where late frosts can still surprise early transplants, so focus on direct sowing only for crops listed in your 'sow now' list.
- Expect heavy afternoon thunderstorms typical of the region; ensure new seedlings like Cleome and Sunflower are spaced widely to prevent root rot if the ground gets saturated.
- Native insects thrive in our diverse flora, so interplanting French Marigolds among your Zinnias can help deter aphids without resorting to harsh chemicals.
Sow this week
30 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
41 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Celery
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Dahlia
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Lisianthus (Prairie Gentian)
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Potato
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow bush beans and pole beans every two weeks for a continuous harvest throughout the summer.
- Apply a light layer of mulch around warm-season vegetables to retain soil moisture and keep roots cool.
- Pinch back the tops of basil plants regularly to encourage bushier growth before harvesting leaves.
Pest & disease watch
- Corn earworms are actively targeting Sweet Corn and Bush Beans this week; consider using row covers or insecticidal soap if you see silk feeding damage.
- Spider mites begin proliferating as temperatures climb into the 80s, especially on the undersides of leaves for Okra and Malabar Spinach in our humid summers.
- Black vine borer larvae attack young summer squash plants at night; inspect seedlings daily and look for frass (insect poop) near the soil line.
Watering this week
Water deeply in the morning to keep moisture consistent but avoid wetting the foliage to prevent disease.
Harvest beans when pods are young and tender to maximize flavor and encourage further production from each plant.
Raleigh gardening questions
3When is the safest time to put my Sweet Corn or Zucchini directly in Raleigh garden beds?
Wait until the air temperature consistently stays above 50°F at night, which usually happens a week after March 13. These crops are incredibly sensitive to cold snaps and will rot if planted too early in our sandy soil.
My Basil is already flowering and looks bitter; should I cut it back?
Yes, pinch off the flower buds immediately to redirect energy back into leaf production for culinary use. Once seeded out, basil often loses its flavor profile quickly in Raleigh's heat.
How do I manage the intense afternoon sun on my Watermelon and Cantaloupe vines?
Use black landscape fabric or straw mulch heavily around the base of the plants to keep roots cool and suppress weeds. In Raleigh, we often need to hand-pollinate if bees are scarce during sudden rain showers.
Other cities in zone 8a
11See the full zone 8a guide → · Plan your Raleigh garden in SproutGuide →