Best Fall Vegetables to Grow in Wilmington

Despite being a coastal community, backyard gardens are actually very common in and around the Wilmington NC area. Every summer, local green thumbed homeowners reap big juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, spicy peppers, and other delicacies straight from the yard. But, once the summer harvest is over and falls starts to loom, a lot of homeowners think their gardening is over for the year. This is a big mistake!

Fall actually makes for excellent gardening – if you know which vegetables grow best during the cooler season, that is. In this guide, Trusst’s Wilmington NC builders share some of the best fall vegetables to grow in Wilmington and the surrounding areas. Follow the steps and your table will remain full of fresh veggies throughout fall and beyond.

Tomatoes

You might think that tomatoes are solely a summer garden staple, and in many parts of the country they are; but, in the Wilmington area, you can grow tomatoes well into fall. To enjoy a table full of fresh and juicy tomatoes from summer to winter, you have to plant one batch of tomato plants around mid-April, and then a second batch of plants around August 1^st (you’ll want to start the plants out indoors in order to protect the young plants from the heat and then transplant once large enough).

Broccoli

Broccoli is another super-healthy vegetable that can provide two seasons of harvests in the Wilmington area. You’ll want to follow the same planting schedule as your tomatoes, including starting the second batch indoors. You’ll want to keep the plants indoors no longer than seven weeks and then transplant in your garden. Keep the plants at least 18 inches apart for fuller, larger broccoli.

Spinach

A fall garden is just filled with nutrient-rich vegetables and one of the healthiest of the bunch (and one of the easiest to grow) is spinach. You can plant spinach direct from seeds, placing the seeds about a half a foot apart and a half an inch in the ground. Within 60 days, you’ll be able to harvest your first batch.

Cabbage

Cabbage grows pretty easily in cooler weather, but in order to enjoy the most success, you should start the process indoors at the same time you do your broccoli and tomatoes. But, you’ll want to keep your cabbage plants indoors for at least eight weeks before moving them to the garden. Follow this schedule and you’ll be harvesting cabbage within 80 days.

Additional Fall-Friendly Vegetables

Wilmington usually receives its first frost a week or two before Thanksgiving. This means that you have a wonderful opportunity to enjoy second plantings for a variety of vegetables if you plan your planting appropriately. Other vegetables that offer two-season harvests include watermelons, pumpkins, and even corn.

Call Trusst’s Wilmington NC Builders Today

If you are thinking about having a new home built on a piece of land that’s perfect for home gardening, then call Trusst Builder Group today. Our Wilmington NC builders can help you build the home of your dreams. Let us show you what we can do. Give us a call today at 910-371-0304 to schedule a consultation with our experienced Wilmington NC builders.