Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Wilmington you can determine when you can plant nigella by using the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Nigella

Frost tolerance for nigella:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Since nigella do well in cold you can plant them much earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant nigella in Wilmington is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant nigella and expect a good harvest is probably September. Any later than that and your nigella may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your nigella indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on March 15 in Wilmington. It might get as low as 10°F during the coldest months of winter.

Since the USDA zone info for Wilmington is an average the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Wilmington there is a last frost after March 15 so make sure that you are ready to protect your nigella in the event of one of those late frosts.

USDA Zone Info for Wilmington

Here is the info for USDA Zone 8a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	March 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	November 15
Lowest Expected Low	10°F
Highest Expected Low	15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is 10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 15°F.

Plants to Grow in Wilmington

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Wilmington.