PlantingWindowThe American Planting Almanac

When to plant garden cress in Raleigh, North Carolina

March 28 – April 11

Direct-sow outdoors · typical Raleigh year

Climate basis: NOAA station Raleigh State Univ, NC (USC00317079), 4 mi (6 km) from downtown Raleigh (ZCTA 27601 centroid), elevation 400 ft, on the 1991–2020 climate normals. Direct-sow garden cress from approximately the dates above, anchored to the median last spring 32°F freeze (March 28). One year in ten still freezes after April 12.

Last spring freezeMarch 281-in-10 after Apr 12
First fall freezeNovember 81-in-10 before Oct 28
Frost-free season≈ 229 daysmedian at 32°F
Hard freeze, 28°Mar 14 – Nov 23kills even hardy greens
USDA zone8a10 to 15°F winter low — not frost timing

The Raleigh year

Direct-sow outdoorsMar 28 – Apr 11
  • indoors under lights
  • in the garden
  • frost-free season
  • 1-in-10 years still freeze to Apr 12
Garden Cress in Raleigh · freeze context from Raleigh State Univ, NC, 1991–2020 normals.

Every method, with its sources

Direct-sow outdoors

Mar 28 – Apr 11

Utah State University Extension says garden cress "does not tolerate frost so plant near the frost free date", and Arkansas Extension's culture line reads "seed shallow depth after danger of frost"; both open at the last spring frost, and this later interval supersedes Arkansas' looser "as soon as the ground can be worked" sentence, giving last spring frost to plus 14 days. Anchored to the median last spring freeze (Mar 28). Utah State University Extension · University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service

Start seeds indoors

Not calculated

The cited extension guides do not time an indoor seed-starting window for this crop.

Transplant outdoors

Not calculated

The cited extension guides do not time an outdoor transplanting window for this crop.

Fall planting

Not calculated

No source-backed fall planting rule exists for this crop in the registry, so no fall window is calculated.

Variety assumption: Offsets are for garden cress (Lepidium sativum), a 10–40 day cutting green; watercress and upland cress are different species with different requirements and are not covered by this entry.

These windows describe typical years (1991–2020 climate normals), not this year's forecast. Freezes happen outside them — especially in frost pockets, valleys, and urban edges. Watch the forecast before committing tender plants.

This week, not a typical year:
Crop rule sources (2)

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