When to plant tomato in Wilmington
Tomato is frost-tender, so every date keys off Wilmington's last spring frost of Apr 6.
Step 1 · Sow
Start seeds indoors
Mar 7 – Mar 28
Before your last frost, on a warm windowsill or heat mat.
Step 2 · Plant
Transplant outdoors
May 13 – Jun 3
Once frost risk has passed and nights stay mild.
Step 3 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jul 12 – Aug 6
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
60 – 85 d
Wilmington's 214-day season leaves this much room.
Tomato on Wilmington's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
APR 6
NOV 8
Common questions
When will tomato be ready to harvest in Wilmington?
Expect to harvest from around mid July (Jul 12–Aug 6) in Wilmington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
When should I start tomato seeds indoors in Wilmington?
Start seeds indoors around early March (Mar 7–Mar 28) in Wilmington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 85%.
When can I transplant tomato outdoors in Wilmington?
Transplant outdoors around mid May (May 13–Jun 3) in Wilmington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
How long is the growing season in Wilmington?
Wilmington has roughly 214 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow tomato to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow tomato 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost; plant out 2–3 weeks after it. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Wilmington's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.