What can you grow in North Carolina?

Expect hardy crops like collards, kale, and cabbage to produce through December or later. The growing season for less hardy cool season crops like broccoli, lettuce, spinach, and cauliflower can be extended by covering these crops with cold frames or growing them in an unheated tunnel house.

Soybean, corn and peanuts are major crops in North Carolina. More than 400 million pounds of peanuts are produced each year, making the state the fifth largest producer in the country.

• 1) Wood-Anemone, Anemone quinquefolia.
• 2) Carolina Lupine, Thermopsis villosa.
• 3) Northern Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum pedatum.
• 4) Dwarf Crested Iris, Iris cristata.
• 5) Eastern Blue Star, Amsonia tabernaemontana.
• 6) Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata.

Harvest Those Tasty Winter Vegetables If you plan to grow collards, kale, and lettuce, remember that you can harvest them throughout the year. Other cold-hardy vegetables include cabbage, carrots, potatoes, radishes, and spinach.

Plants of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower should be set out in the garden in mid-March. The following vegetables can be planted this month: beets, carrots, Chinese cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, Swiss chard, turnips, potatoes,cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Avocado varieties that originate from the subtropical highlands of Mexico should be hardy with winter protection in the USDA zone 8a+ areas of North Carolina. Cultivars including ‘Mexicola Grande’, ‘Brogdon’, ‘Winter Mexican’, etc are worth a try in Eastern NC if given the proper winter protection and general care.

Citrus trees are tropical plants that love the heat and humidity of the North Carolina summers and will thrive outdoors during those months. … Lemons and Limes are the tougher of the citrus family making them a great choice for an indoor/outdoor tree and will produce nearly year-round under adequate conditions.

Greenhouse and nursery products lead the way in crop agriculture but, tobacco is the state’s leading field crop followed by cotton. Soybeans and corn for grain are also important crops. North Carolina is a leading peanut and sweet potato production state.

Lavender is an evergreen perennial shrub in the mint family that is native to Mediterranean areas. It is well-loved but at times difficult to grow in NC. It requires perfectly drained soil (preferably on the dry side) and full sun and will die out in heavy clays (lavender does not like wet feet!).

Red maple (Acer rubrum), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), and butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) are examples of the over 3,900 species of plants the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) PLANTS Database lists as native to North Carolina.

North Carolina averages plant hardiness zone of 8a (with average winter temps from 10° F to 15° F) to a zone of 6a (with temps of -10° to -5°). Let’s look at the Triangle area a little more closely. The average extreme minimum winter temperature of the Triangle area is 5° to 10°, which is Zone 7b.

• Peas. …
• Radishes. …
• Carrots. …
• Cucumbers. …
• Kale. …
• Swiss Chard. …
• Beets. …
• Summer Squash (Zucchini) Summer squash and zucchini like well-composted soil and need plenty of space (plant them 3 to 6 feet apart in warm soil and lots of sun.)

Sow your seeds in the ground, in a raised bed or in a container about 1/4 inch deep in the soil. Sow several seeds together about 2 inches apart. Provide ample space (12 – 18 inches) between rows. Keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate.

Generally speaking, 200 square feet of garden space per person will allow for a harvest that feeds everyone year-round. For an average family of four, plan for an 800 square-foot garden—a plot that’s 20 feet by 40 feet in size should do the trick.

Potatoes and garden peas, along with snow peas and sugar snaps, should be planted in the ground around mid-February (mid-March in the mountains). Carrots, parsnip, lettuce, spinach, mustard, rutabaga, radish, and turnip seed can be sown directly into the garden from mid-February to early April.

Empty containers don’t look good. Grow varieties like Thumbelina, Short n Sweet, Little Fingers by yourself. Cole crops are the easiest to grow in containers. They include cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage.

1. Determine your climate zone. …
2. Decide what to grow. …
3. Choose the ideal garden location. …
4. Acquire basic gardening tools. …
5. Test your soil. …
6. Make your garden bed. …
7. Decide whether to grow from seed or transplant seedlings. …
8. Plant your seeds or seedlings with care.

Growing your own food has many health benefits: It helps you eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. … It lets you control when to harvest your food. Vegetables that ripen in the garden have more nutrients than some store-bought vegetables that must be picked early.

1. Plant lettuce during the mild weather of early spring and fall. …
2. Space lettuce plants 6 to 18 inches apart (depending on the variety) in an area that gets an abundance of sun and has fertile, well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.

• Start plants in June of brussel sprouts and collards for transplanting into the garden in mid-July.
• Plant the following vegetables in your garden in June: beans, lima beans, southern peas, pepper, sweet potato, pumpkin, and tomato.

Most banana tree species in North Carolina are annual with the exception of ‘Basjoo. ‘ Here at Fairview, we carry ‘Basjoo,’ It is a very fast growing banana that can easily reach 15′ tall in a couple of years. Treat it as a tender perennial and make sure to mulch well in the winter.

Mangoes (Mangifera indica) are a tropical fruit that need warm conditions to grow. If you live in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10b through 11, you can grow mangoes. These trees are not very cold tolerant, and even a mild frost can cause serious damage to parts of the tree.

The fertile lands of North Carolina can grow both sweet and sour cherry trees, and therefore it is up to you to decide which type of fruit you want to grow.

Hardy citrus can survive in North Carolina — choose to plant a few trees in your yard or turn a farm into a citrus grove. … Attend and learn about how to grow oranges and more, or purchase a few seeds, trees, or even fruit from these fascinating hardy citrus plants to get started.

Although this plant prefers warm, arid regions, it can be grown in some parts of North Carolina. … The pomegranate is considered cold-hardy from zones 8 to 10, so plants grown in our area may need to be planted in a protected area or in a container that can be brought indoors for the winter.

North Carolina designated the Scuppernong grape as the official state fruit in 2001. A Scuppernong is a large variety of muscadine (a type of grape native to southeastern U.S.). The grape was named after the Scuppernong River of North Carolina, where it was first discovered.

Potatoes grow best in Northeastern North Carolina due to the rich, sandy soil and high mineral type soils found there. Potatoes are planted in March and harvested in June and July. During these growing times, the potatoes love springlike weather with periodic rainfalls.

• Cabbage. North Carolina ranks ninth nationally for cabbage production. …
• Squash and Watermelon. North Carolina ranks eighth in production of both of these crops nationally. …
• Cantaloupe and Tomatoes. …
• Cucumbers. …
• Pumpkins. …
• Sweet Potatoes.

North Carolina is the twenty-eighth richest state in the United States of America, with a per capita income of $20,307 (2000).

Rosemary can be grown as an annual (completes its life cycle in 1 year) or a perennial (completes its life cycle in 3 or more years). In herb gardens, it is often planted along with thyme, oregano, sage, and lavender. When planting, choose a variety that is suitable to the climate, soil, and desired use.

The Lavandula Angustifolia lavender species is the most recommended and valued of all lavenders because of the high quality oil produced by the plants.

• Carolina Lupine (Thermopsis Villosa)
• Wood Anemone.
• Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum Pedatum)
• Azaleas.
• Mountain-laurel (Kalmia latifolia)

Lantana is a small, broadleaf evergreen shrub in the Verbenaceae (verbena) family that has woody stems but a sprawling habit. It is found growing in tropical climates across the globe and is known for its salt tolerance. … Lantana will perennialize in the warm coastal areas of North Carolina.

The pine was officially designated as the State Tree by the General Assembly of 1963. (Session Laws, 1963, c. 41). The pine is the most common of the trees found in North Carolina, as well as the most important one in the history of our State.

Red Maple North Carolina Trees Not only is it one of the most common trees in North Carolina, but it is the single most common tree in the United States. It would be hard not to spot a red maple tree no matter where you might be on the east coast.

North Carolina experiences high summer temperatures. Sometimes, cool, dry air from the north will invade North Carolina for brief periods of time, with temperatures quickly rebounding. It remains colder at high elevations, with the average summer temperature in Mount Mitchell lying at 68 °F (20 °C).

CropBased on Frost Dates Based on Moon DatesStart Seeds IndoorsPlant Seedlings or TransplantsSwiss ChardFeb 27-Mar 14 Mar 2-14Mar 21-28ThymeJan 30-Feb 27 Feb 1-16Apr 11-May 2 Apr 11-16, Apr 30-May 2TomatoesFeb 13-27 Feb 13-16Apr 18-May 9 Apr 30-May 9

Weather and climate North Carolina has a humid, sub-tropical climate, with short, mild winters and sultry summers. Heavy rainfall is experienced in the mountains and Mt Mitchell receives an average winter snowfall of 127cm (50 inches).

• Cauliflower. cauliflower image by AGITA LEIMANE from Fotolia.com. …
• Head Lettuce. lettuce image by robert lerich from Fotolia.com. …
• Celery. celery image by Hilma Anderson from Fotolia.com. …
• Artichokes. Artichokes image by Laura Benson from Fotolia.com. …
• Asparagus. asparagus image by cherie from Fotolia.com.