Recommended Vegetable Seed Start Dates in South Carolina

The state of South Carolina is broken down into three identifiable growing regions including Piedmont in the North, Central and Coastal. Gardeners in every region can plant seeds by March 1 and gardeners in the coastal regions can being planting early spring seeds in December and January. Piedmont and Central regions can begin planting early spring seeds by February 15. All time frames are for first plantings of which many vegetables can be re-seeded more than once as the seasons progress.

You can direct plant in the ground several early season vegetables in the Coastal region in January where temperatures are above 45 degrees F and in the Central and Piedmont regions near the end of February. Seeds to plant at this time include asparagus, mustard greens, peas, radishes, spinach, turnips, beets, broccoli, collard greens, lettuce, onions bulbs and Irish potatoes.

In March, April and May with warmer temperatures it is time to plant brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, sweet corn, squash and watermelon in all regions. These vegetables should begin to be ready for harvest in late July. Summer crops can be started from seed indoors as this point to get a start on the season and can then be planted out into the ground in late May or June.

Early summer first crop seed plantings are ready to be sown in all three zones for summer, fall and winter harvest crops, including cantaloupe and honeydew melons, eggplant, garlic, kale, onion seeds, okra, peanuts, peppers, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, rutabaga, winter squash and tomatoes. You can resow spring seeds for second harvests in July for brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, sweet corn, squash and watermelon---just remember to keep the seed beds moist under the summer sun