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Zone 7B — October

What to Plant in October in Zone 7B

October in Zone 7B: 1 crop to start indoors, 3 to plant or direct sow outside, and 130 entering harvest window. Last frost averages April 7. Reference city: Charlotte, NC.
Updated May 13, 2026 · Frost data from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
1 Start Indoors
3 Plant Outside
130 Harvest
Frost risk: High

Frost risk is still high in Zone 7B. The last spring frost typically lands on April 7, with the earliest plausible clearance around March 22. Hold tender crops indoors a while longer.

See full Zone 7B frost outlook →

Start Indoors in October

Plant Type Start Indoors Transplant Outside Harvest Window
Garlic root vegetable Oct 2 Oct 9 Jun 6 – Jul 6

Plant Outside in October

Plant Type Action Target Date Harvest Window
Elephant Garlic root vegetable Plant Out Oct 5 Apr 3, 2027 – Jun 2, 2027
Garlic root vegetable Transplant Oct 9 Jun 6 – Jul 6
Softneck Garlic root vegetable Plant Out Oct 5 Jun 2, 2027 – Jul 2, 2027

Harvest in October

Plant Type Planted / Sown Harvest Window
Winter rye cover crop stands cover crop Apr 7 Oct 4 – Oct 26 (before frost)
Alaska Early Pea (fall planting) legume Aug 20 Oct 19
All Year Round Cauliflower (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 24
America Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 14
Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 5
Blonde de Paris Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 11
Blue Curled Scotch Kale (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Bok Choy (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Boltardy Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 19
Bouquet Dill (fall planting) herb Aug 20 Oct 24
Broadleaf Classic Endive (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Broccolini (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 29
Bull's Blood Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 14
Burgundy Boston Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 14
Buttercrunch Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 14
Butterhead Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 24
Calabrese Broccoli (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 24
Calendula (fall planting) flower Aug 20 Oct 19
California Bluebell (fall planting) flower Aug 20 Oct 24
Calypso Cilantro (fall planting) herb Aug 20 Oct 14
Canary Yellow Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Cascadia Sugar Snap Pea (fall planting) legume Aug 20 Oct 26
Catalogna Chicory (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 14
Chantenay Carrots (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 29
Chervil (fall planting) herb Aug 20 Oct 4
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 9
Chioggia Beet (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 24
Copenhagen Cabbage (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 24
Crimson Forest Bunching Onions (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 19
Crosby's Egyptian Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 19
Curly Kale (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 24
Cylindra Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 19
Daikon Radishes (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 14
Dark Green Romaine Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 29
Delicatesse Blue Kohlrabi (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 19
Delicatesse White Kohlrabi (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 19
Detroit Dark Red Beet (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 19
Di Cicco Broccoli (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 24
Dill (fall planting) herb Aug 20 Oct 14
Dukat Dill (fall planting) herb Aug 20 Oct 9
Dutch Lamb's Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9
Dwarf Siberian Kale (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 14
Early Purple Broccoli (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 24
Early Wonder Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 9
Endive / Escarole (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 24
Fairy Dwarf Mix Candytuft Flowers (fall planting) flower Aug 20 Oct 19
Fenugreek (fall planting) herb Aug 20 Oct 9
Florida Broadleaf Mustard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9
Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 14
French Lamb's Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9
German Chamomile (fall planting) herb Aug 20 Oct 24
Giant Red Mustard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 4
Golden Acre Cabbage (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 24
Golden Beet (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 24
Golden Detroit Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 19
Golden Globe Turnips (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 9
Green Arrow Pea (fall planting) legume Aug 20 Oct 29
Green Ice Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 4
Green Mountain Celtuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9
Green Wave Mustard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 4
Hot Pink Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Igloo Cauliflower (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 29
Kagraner Sommer Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 17
Kuroda Carrots (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 29
Lacinato Kale (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 24
Leaf Lettuce Mix (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 14
Little Fingers Carrots (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 14
Little Gem Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 15
Little Marvel Pea (fall planting) legume Aug 20 Oct 22
Lollo Bionda Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Lollo Rossa Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 15
Magenta Sunset Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Mammoth Dill (fall planting) herb Aug 20 Oct 24
Marvel of Four Seasons Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Matador Viking Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 7
Michihili Cabbage (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 29
Mizuna (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9
Monstrueux de Viroflay Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9
Mustard Greens (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9
Nantes Carrot (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 10 Oct 24
New Zealand Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Noble Giant Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9
Old Fashion Mustard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9
Orange Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 14
Oregon Sugar Pod Snow Pea (fall planting) legume Aug 20 Oct 27
Paris Market Carrots (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 14
Phacelia cover crop and bee forage (fall planting) cover crop Aug 20 Oct 19
Premier Kale (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Progress No. 9 Shelling Pea (fall planting) legume Aug 20 Oct 21
Rainbow Mix Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Rapeseed Cover Crop (fall planting) cover crop Aug 20 Oct 29
Rapini Broccoli Raab (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 24
Red Leaf Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 14
Red Orach (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 4
Red Romaine Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 29
Red Russian Kale (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Royal Carpet Alyssum Flowers (fall planting) flower Aug 20 Oct 19
Ruby Red Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Salad Bowl Green Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9
Scarlet Flax Flowers (fall planting) flower Aug 20 Oct 29
Shelling Pea (fall planting) legume Aug 20 Oct 29
Shungiku (Edible Chrysanthemum) (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 14
Snow Crown Cauliflower (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 19
Snow Pea (fall planting) legume Aug 20 Oct 29
Snowball Self-Blanche Cauliflower (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 24
St. Valery Carrots (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 29
Sugar Ann Snap Pea (fall planting) legume Aug 20 Oct 15
Summer Bibb Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Swiss Chard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Tatsoi (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 4
Tendergreen Mustard (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9
Tendersweet Carrots (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 29
Tom Thumb Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 29
Très Fine Maraîchère Frisée (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Turnip (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 19
Vates Kale (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 14
Vienna Purple Kohlrabi (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 24
Vienna White Kohlrabi (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 24
Vietnamese Coriander (fall planting) herb Aug 20 Oct 19
Viola and pansy edible flowers (fall planting) flower Aug 20 Oct 29
Violetta Purple Cauliflower (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 24
Wando Pea (fall planting) legume Aug 20 Oct 27
Watermelon Radishes (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 24
White Boston Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9
White Detroit Beets (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 19
White Lisbon Bunching Onions (fall planting) root vegetable Aug 20 Oct 24
Winner Kohlrabi (fall planting) brassica Aug 20 Oct 9
Winter Density Lettuce (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 19
Winter Giant Spinach (fall planting) lettuce Aug 20 Oct 9

Key Tasks for October in Zone 7B

  1. 1 Start 1 variety indoors this month under grow lights or in a sunny south-facing window. Use a seed-starting mix and bottom heat (70–75°F) for best germination rates.
  2. 2 Harden off transplants before moving outdoors — set them outside in a sheltered spot for increasing hours over 7–10 days before planting in the ground.
  3. 3 Check soil moisture before watering — stick a finger 2 inches into the soil. Water only when the soil is dry at that depth. Consistent moisture is more important than frequency.
Back to full Zone 7B planting calendar
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