You moved to the Southeast thinking the long growing season meant easy gardening. Then your tomatoes fried in July and your fall gardening broccoli bolted before Thanksgiving. The Southeast’s generous climate is genuinely an advantage — but only if you know when to put what in the ground.

This guide covers planting windows for Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Virginia. Not vague “spring” suggestions — actual dates tied to your USDA hardiness zone.

Why Timing Matters More Here Than You Think

The Southeast spans zones 6b through 9a. That’s a massive range. A gardener in the mountains of western North Carolina (zone 6b) has a completely different calendar than someone in coastal Georgia (zone 9a). A “Southeast planting guide” that doesn’t acknowledge this is useless to half its readers.

Your two biggest timing enemies:

  1. Late spring frosts that murder tender transplants (especially zones 6b–7b)
  2. Summer heat that shuts down production on cool-season crops and stresses warm-season ones

The sweet spot? You’re working with two distinct planting seasons — spring and fall — and the gardeners who thrive here use both.

Know Your Last and First Frost Dates

Everything flows from these two numbers. Here’s a zone-by-zone breakdown:

Zone 6b (Western NC, mountain TN, parts of VA)

  • Last spring frost: April 15–30
  • First fall frost: October 1–15
  • Growing season: ~160 days

Zone 7a (Piedmont NC, northern AL, middle TN, central VA)

  • Last spring frost: April 1–15
  • First fall frost: October 15–31
  • Growing season: ~190 days

Zone 7b (Upstate SC, central AL, Nashville area)

  • Last spring frost: March 20–April 5
  • First fall frost: October 25–November 5
  • Growing season: ~210 days

Zone 8a (Coastal NC, most of SC, southern AL, coastal VA)

  • Last spring frost: March 10–25
  • First fall frost: November 5–20
  • Growing season: ~235 days

Zone 8b (Southern GA, coastal SC, Gulf Coast AL)

  • Last spring frost: February 25–March 10
  • First fall frost: November 15–30
  • Growing season: ~260 days

Zone 9a (Extreme southern GA, coastal areas)

  • Last spring frost: February 10–25
  • First fall frost: December 1–15
  • Growing season: ~280+ days

spring planting: Cool-Season Crops First

Start with crops that like cold. These go in the ground 4–8 weeks before your last frost date.

6–8 weeks before last frost:

  • Peas (Sugar Snap, Oregon Sugar Pod)
  • Lettuce (direct sow or transplant)
  • Spinach (Bloomsdale Long Standing does well here)
  • Radishes (Cherry Belle, French Breakfast)
  • Onion sets and transplants

4–6 weeks before last frost:

  • Broccoli transplants (Waltham 29, Green Magic)
  • Cabbage transplants (Copenhagen Market)
  • Cauliflower transplants (Snow Crown)
  • Kale (Lacinato, Red Russian)
  • Carrots (Danvers 126, Nantes)

Pro Tip: In zones 8a and warmer, you can start cool-season crops in January or even late December. A January-planted row of Sugar Snap peas in coastal South Carolina will produce by late March.

Spring Planting: Warm-Season Crops

These go in after your last frost date — and soil temperature matters as much as air temperature. Tomatoes planted in 55°F soil will just sit there looking offended.

At or just after last frost (soil 60°F+):

  • Tomatoes (transplants)
  • Peppers (transplants)
  • Squash and zucchini (direct sow)
  • Cucumbers (direct sow)
  • Green beans (Bush Blue Lake, Contender)

2–4 weeks after last frost (soil 65°F+):

  • Sweet potatoes (slips) — this is a Southeast staple
  • Okra (Clemson Spineless) — wants 70°F soil
  • Southern peas/cowpeas (Mississippi Silver, Pinkeye Purple Hull)
  • Lima beans (Henderson Bush, Jackson Wonder)
  • Watermelon and cantaloupe

What this looks like by state:

Crop VA (7a) NC Piedmont (7a) SC Upstate (7b) GA Coastal (8b) AL South (8b) TN Middle (7a)
Tomatoes May 1 Apr 25 Apr 10 Mar 15 Mar 15 Apr 20
Peppers May 5 May 1 Apr 15 Mar 20 Mar 20 Apr 25
Squash May 1 Apr 25 Apr 10 Mar 10 Mar 10 Apr 20
Okra May 15 May 10 Apr 25 Mar 25 Mar 25 May 5
Sweet Potatoes May 15 May 15 May 1 Apr 1 Apr 1 May 10

The Summer Gap

Here’s what catches people off guard: many crops stop producing in mid-summer. Temperatures above 90°F cause tomatoes to drop blossoms. Lettuce bolts. Squash vine borers show up like clockwork in June.

Zones 8a and warmer often have a dead zone from late June through August where the smart play is:

  • Keeping heat and humidity tolerant crops going (okra, sweet potatoes, Southern peas)
  • Starting fall seedlings indoors under grow lights
  • Maintaining mulch and irrigation on what’s still producing

Don’t fight it. Work with it.

Fall Planting: Your Second Season

This is where Southeast gardeners have a real advantage over the rest of the country. Your fall garden can be just as productive as spring — sometimes more, because pest pressure drops and cool-season crops taste better after a light frost.

10–12 weeks before first fall frost:

  • Start broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage indoors
  • Direct sow bush beans for a final harvest

8–10 weeks before first fall frost:

  • Transplant broccoli, cabbage, collards
  • Direct sow carrots, beets, turnips

6–8 weeks before first fall frost:

  • Direct sow lettuce, spinach, kale
  • Plant radishes (they’re ready in 25 days)
  • Garlic goes in around your first frost date

What this means in real dates:

For zone 7b (first frost ~November 1):

  • Start fall brassica seeds indoors: mid-July
  • Transplant brassicas outside: mid-August
  • Direct sow greens: early September
  • Plant garlic: late October to early November

For zone 8b (first frost ~November 20):

  • Start fall brassica seeds indoors: early August
  • Transplant brassicas outside: early September
  • Direct sow greens: late September
  • Plant garlic: mid-November

Common Mistakes

Planting warm-season crops too early. A late March tomato in zone 7a will get hit by frost. Period. The excitement of warm February days is a trap.

Ignoring soil temperature. Air might be 75°F, but soil could still be 50°F. Get a soil thermometer — they’re $10 and save you weeks of frustration.

Skipping the fall garden. If you only plant in spring, you’re using about 60% of your growing season. Fall collards in North Carolina are arguably better than anything you grow in spring.

Using generic “Zone 7” advice without accounting for local microclimates. A south-facing slope in Tennessee warms up two weeks faster than a north-facing hollow three miles away.

Your Next Step

Knowing when to plant is half the battle. The other half is knowing what thrives in your specific area, how to build your soil, and how to handle the pests and diseases that come with humid Southern growing.

Our Southeast Vegetable Gardening Guide covers all of it — zone-by-zone planting calendars, variety recommendations tested in Southern conditions, and month-by-month task lists so you always know what to do next. [Get your copy here →]

📚 Want the complete guide? Southeast Vegetable Gardening covers everything you need — planting calendars, variety picks, soil strategies, and more — all tailored to your region. Browse the Harvest Home Guides series →