Planting planner: Charleston, South Carolina
Typical last spring frost February 4 (1 spring in 10 later than March 4). Typical first fall frost December 30 (1 fall in 10 earlier than December 2). Growing season about 321 days.
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Frost doesn't come every year here: about 92 years in 100 have at least one freezing night. The calendar is built on the dates for the years that do.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
Your typical last frost comes before mid-February. Where winters are this mild, summer heat limits the garden as much as frost does, and most planting happens in fall and late winter. Your county's extension office publishes a calendar made for your climate.
January
- January 7 to 21: Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips (sow outdoors)
- January 7 to 21: Broccoli and cabbage (plant out)
- January 21 to February 4: Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard (plant outdoors)
- January 21 to February 4: Cauliflower (plant out)
February
- February 4: Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash (sow outdoors)
- February 18: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant (plant out)
- February 18: Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans (sow outdoors)
March
Nothing to start this month.
April
Nothing to start this month.
May
Nothing to start this month.
June
Nothing to start this month.
July
Nothing to start this month.
August
- August 4 to 18: Cabbage for fall (start seeds)
- August 24 to September 7: Broccoli for fall (start seeds)
September
Nothing to start this month.
October
- October 3: Snap beans for fall (last date to sow)
- October 7: Carrots for fall (last date to sow)
- October 8: Cucumbers for fall (last date to sow)
- October 12: Peas for fall (last date to sow)
- October 13: Summer squash for fall (last date to sow)
- October 17: Leaf lettuce and beets for fall (last date to sow)
- October 27: Turnips and kohlrabi for fall (last date to sow)
November
- November 6: Spinach for fall (last date to sow)
- November 16: Radishes for fall (last date to sow)
- November 19 to December 17: Broccoli and cabbage (start seeds indoors)
December
- December 2: Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers (watch the forecast)
- December 3 to 31: Cauliflower (start seeds indoors)
- December 17 to January 7: Eggplant (start seeds indoors)
- December 24 to January 7: Peppers (start seeds indoors)
- December 31 to January 14: Tomatoes (start seeds indoors)
Dates from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Charleston City (station USW00013782), 4 miles from the center of Charleston. Planting rules: Colorado State University Extension GardenNotes #720 (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-334 (fall crops), University of Minnesota Extension (garlic). Spring bulbs: plant when the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F, until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes (University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension). Full details: https://lastfrostdate.com/frost-dates/south-carolina/charleston/