pick out the good time to establish is key to successful vegetable horticulture . To come up with a South Carolina vegetable planting calendar , you ’ll necessitate to consider the realm of the state where you are located , the vegetables ' temperature requirement and the sentence that the vegetable need to mature .
In some cases , you’re able to sow in ejaculate direct into the primer . In other cases , you could carry the farm time of year by starting seeds indoors and transplant them into the garden when condition are right .
What Zone Is South Carolina for Planting?
For the purposes of planting vegetables , many experts part the nation into an inland piedmont realm and a coastal realm . Planting dates deviate from one region to another , for the most part depend on when the first freeze of nightfall and the last frost of bounce are expected . Frost dates can vary from year to year .
To have a sense of when frosts are expected in South Carolina , it is significant to know which U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone you are locate in . These zones are base on the lowest wintertime temperatures in that realm .
The northmost part of South Carolina where wintertime are coldest is located in USDA zones 7a and 7b . The middle of the state is locate in zone 8a and 8b , while the warm coastal region of the state is in geographical zone 9a .

Tip
Cool - weather veggie can withstand far cold temporary worker than can warm - time of year veggie , so before make a calendar , determine what vegetable you need to plant .
Cool-Season vs. Warm-Season Vegetables
To understand why some veg are substantially establish at sealed times of the year , in South Carolina and elsewhere , it is necessary to interpret the distinction between cool - season and warm - season vegetables .
Cool - season vegetables , as their name evoke , produce best during cool weather and do not perform well in the heat of summertime . The opposite is true ofwarm - time of year vegetables , which thrive in hot weather and can be easy killed or wound by stale temperature .
Examples of nerveless - weather vegetables include common beet , broccoli , cabbage , carrots , Brassica oleracea botrytis and spinach . Meanwhile , other popular vegetables , liketomatoes , peppers , beans and eggplant , are warm - conditions crops . While some vegetable can be planted in the spring and again in later summer or light in South Carolina , others are better planted in one season or the other .
Cool-Weather vs. Warm-Season Vegetables in South Carolina
South Carolina Planting Guide
Here ’s some guidance on what to plant in different seasons in the palmetto state .
Spring Plantings
As a general rule , if you are located in the coastal area of South Carolina , you’re able to plant vegetable in the first place in the spring than you would in the piedmont realm .
In the case of cool - time of year vegetables , earlier plantings in the warmer , coastal region countenance you to get a head bulge out before summertime temperature go down in . That ’s why you’re able to , for example , plant Asparagus officinales between February 1 and March 15 in coastal field and between March 1 and April 15 in the Piemonte .
The same applies for tender - season veggie . For example , in the coastal region , it is warm enough to plant tomatoes outdoors as early on as March 1 . However , in the piedmont part , you will want to wait until May 1 at the earliest to ensure the terror of Robert Lee Frost has authorize . Some veg are not suitable for spring planting in South Carolina , however , including Brussels sprouts , pumpkin vine and onions grown from seeds .
Fall Plantings
When it come to shine plantings , other planting dates are recommended in the piedmont region than in the coastal realm , with some convergence between the planting window . For instance , for a autumn cabbage crop , plant between July 15 and August 31 in the piedmont and between August 15 and September 30 in coastal areas .
Because of temperature requirements , declension planting of sure warm - season veg , including love apple , pepper and eggplants , are not urge in the piedmont region of South Carolina .
Garden Planners
For further help provision , take a aspect atGardenGuides ' garden planneror theClemson Cooperative Extension ’s garden planner , the latter of which provide even more information specific to the state .