When to plant turnip in Wilmington
Turnip is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Wilmington's frost dates of Apr 6.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 19 – Apr 9
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Apr 28 – May 13
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 24 – Sep 7
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 10 – Oct 25
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
40 – 55 d
Wilmington's 214-day season leaves this much room.
Turnip 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 can I sow turnip outdoors in Wilmington?
Direct-sow around mid March (Mar 19–Apr 9) in Wilmington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
When will turnip be ready to harvest in Wilmington?
Expect to harvest from around late April (Apr 28–May 13) in Wilmington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant turnip in autumn in Wilmington?
Yes — Wilmington supports a second, autumn sowing of turnip around late August (Aug 24–Sep 7), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Wilmington?
Wilmington has roughly 214 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow turnip to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow turnip as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. 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.