A practical, month-by-month planting calendar for home gardeners in the Southeast. Know what to sow, what to transplant, and what to harvest each season.

Seasonal Planting Calendar for the Southeast: What to Grow When

A planting calendar is the single most useful planning tool a home gardener can use. It tells you what to do each month, so you are never guessing and never missing the window for a crop.

This guide covers the Southeast: states that fall in USDA hardiness zones 7a through 9b, including Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, northern Florida, and the coastal plains of Texas and Louisiana. The climate here is defined by hot, humid summers, mild winters, and two distinct growing seasons separated by a stretch of weather that most cool-weather crops cannot survive.

If you are outside this zone, the timing will be off by a few weeks. Start earlier in the spring and later in the fall the farther north you go. Start later in the fall and earlier in the spring the farther south you go.

How the Southeast Growing Year Works

The Southeast has two main growing seasons.

The spring season begins when the soil warms up. In Zone 7a, that is usually mid-March to early April. The season runs through late May or early June, when temperatures push past 85 degrees and most cool-weather crops bolt or bitter out.

The fall season begins when temperatures drop below 85 degrees. In Zone 7a, that is usually late August or early September. The season runs through November, when the first hard frost arrives.

The summer between those seasons, from mid-June through August, is the off-season for most gardeners in this region. Some crops grow through it, but heat and humidity make many tasks difficult. Summer garden work in the Southeast is mostly about watering, weeding, and harvesting what is already growing.

Winter is a resting period for the garden, though a few hardy crops will still produce through the coldest months.

Spring Planting

Spring is the busiest season. You are planting warm-weather crops that will carry you through summer, and you are still finishing cool-weather crops before the heat hits.

March

Early March is still cold in most of the Southeast. The soil is drying out but not yet warm. This is the time to start seeds indoors.

Start indoors: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and basil. These need the longest grow-out period. Start them in late February or early March.
Direct sow: Lettuce, spinach, radishes, peas, and carrots. These can go into the ground as soon as the soil can be worked without clumping.
Transplant: Onion sets, cilantro seedlings, and any cool-weather starts you bought.

April

April is the peak spring planting month. The soil is warm, the frost window is closed, and everything is growing fast.

Direct sow: Beans, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, corn, sweet potatoes (in the Deep South). These warm-season crops need warm soil to germinate.
Transplant: Tomato and pepper starts, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, and basil. Move your indoor starts outside after hardening them off for a week.
Direct sow again: Lettuce and radishes. Sow them every two weeks for a continuous harvest through spring.

May

May is mostly about finishing spring planting and keeping things watered.

Direct sow: Okra, Southern peas (cowpeas, black-eyed peas), and southern beans. These thrive in late-spring heat.
Transplant: Sweet potato slips (in the Deep South), summer squash varieties if you want a late harvest.
Harvest: Spring lettuce, radishes, spinach, peas, and early tomatoes.

Summer Planting

Summer in the Southeast is about heat-tolerant crops and maintenance. Very few crops germinate well in soil above 85 degrees, so most summer planting involves transplanting or sowing just as the heat arrives.

June

June is the edge of the spring-to-summer transition.

Direct sow: Okra, Southern peas, summer squash, and cucumbers. These handle heat well.
Transplant: Eggplant and sweet pepper varieties.
Succession sow: Bush beans and cucumbers every three weeks for continuous production.
Harvest: Early tomatoes, lettuce (planting out), radishes, spinach, and peas. Start pulling spent cool-weather crops from the ground.

July

July is the heart of the heat. Garden work is mostly watering and harvesting.

Direct sow: Southern peas, okra, and pumpkins. These are built for July heat.
Transplant: Sweet potato slips (in the Deep South), second planting of summer squash.
Harvest: Tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, squash, okra, and Southern peas. Keep picking to encourage more production.
Watch for: Aphids, spider mites, and squash bugs. Heat stress makes plants more vulnerable to pests.

August

August is still hot, but late August and early September bring relief as the season starts turning.

Direct sow: Southern peas, okra, and fall beans.
Transplant: Second planting of tomatoes and peppers in northern parts of the region.
Start thinking ahead: This is the month to plan your fall garden. Decide what you want to grow and order seeds.
Harvest: Late tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, okra, squash, and Southern peas.

Fall Planting

Fall is the second spring in the Southeast. Crops that struggled in summer heat grow fast and sweet in cooler weather. This is when many gardeners produce the best harvest of the year.

September

September marks the start of the fall planting season. Sow the seeds first, because they need time to establish before the cold hits.

Direct sow: Collards, kale, mustard greens, turnips, beets, carrots, radishes, and onions (sets). These cool-weather crops grow fast and can be in the ground within six to ten weeks before the first frost.
Direct sow seeds: Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower transplants are available at garden centers in September. Plant them immediately.
Direct sow: Garlic cloves. Plant garlic in September or October for a summer harvest the following year.
Harvest: Late summer tomatoes, peppers, beans, and okra. Pull plants that are done to make room for fall crops.

October

October is peak fall planting. The soil is still warm enough for quick germination, and the air is cool enough for fast growth.

Direct sow: Lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, arugula, and Asian greens (bok choy, tatsoi). These grow quickly in cool weather.
Transplant: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale. These need a solid six to eight weeks of cool weather before the first hard frost.
Direct sow: Garlic, fava beans, and field peas (for green manure).
Harvest: Fall tomatoes, peppers, beans, Southern peas, and anything else that survived the summer heat.

November

November is the tail end of the fall season. Focus on crops that survive cold and harvest what is maturing.

Direct sow: Spinach, radishes, and fast-maturing greens. These can handle light frosts and will keep producing through November.
Plant: Garlic and overwintering onion sets. Get these in the ground before the soil freezes.
Protect: Cover delicate crops with frost cloth or row cover if a hard freeze is forecast. A light frost actually improves the flavor of kale, collards, and spinach.
Harvest: Collards, kale, turnip greens, beets, carrots, and any remaining late crops.

Winter Planting

Winter in the Southeast is light but productive for the right crops. Growth slows significantly when temperatures drop below 50 degrees, but many cold-hardy vegetables still grow through the season.

December

Direct sow: Spinach, peas, and quick radishes during warm spells. Growth will be slow, but you will get small harvests.
Maintain: Check frost cloth on kale, collards, and other overwintering crops. Water during dry stretches, especially if you have garlic or overwintering greens.
Harvest: Collards, kale, spinach, lettuce (under cover), and any cold-hardy root vegetables left in the ground.

January

January is the quietest month in a Southeast garden. Focus on planning and maintenance.

Order seeds: This is the time to order seeds for your spring garden. Popular varieties sell out.
Start seeds early: If you have any grow lights, start tomatoes and peppers in late January for an early transplant.
Maintain: Keep frost cloth ready. Remove dead foliage and clean up beds. Check stored garlic and onion sets for rot.
Harvest: Collards, kale, and spinach can still be picked if you have them under cover or in a sheltered spot.

February

February is the final month before spring planting.

Direct sow: Lettuce, spinach, peas, and radishes. These can handle late-winter cold and will be ready for harvest just as spring arrives.
Start seeds indoors: Begin the last batch of tomatoes and peppers for spring transplant.
Prepare beds: Add compost, turn the soil, and set up your raised beds for spring planting.
Harvest: Hardy greens and overwintering crops.

A Simple Year-Round Strategy

You do not need to track every crop in every month. Here is a simpler way to think about it:

Spring (March to May): Grow cool-weather crops early, then transition to warm-weather crops. This is your first big push.
Summer (June to August): Focus on heat-tolerant crops. Water consistently. Harvest frequently. This is maintenance mode.
Fall (September to November): Grow cool-weather crops again. This is your second big push and often the most productive.
Winter (December to February): Maintain, plan, and harvest what is hardy. Prepare beds for spring.

The key insight is that the Southeast growing year is really two growing seasons with a long pause in between. Plan your garden around that rhythm, not against it.

Tips for Success

Know your frost dates. Your exact dates may vary from the general patterns above. Look up your area’s average first fall frost and last spring frost. That is your anchor. Build everything around those two dates.
Use row cover. A lightweight row cover extends both your spring and fall seasons by a few weeks on each end. It is the single most useful tool for a Southeast gardener.
Plan succession sowings. Cool-weather crops in spring and fall are best grown in waves, not all at once. Sow a little every two weeks so you have a steady supply rather than a glut and then nothing.
Keep water flowing. Summer in the Southeast is dry and hot. Mulch heavily and check soil moisture daily. Drought-stressed plants produce poorly and attract pests.
Rotate your crops. Move tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants (nightshades) to different beds each year. Do the same with brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) and alliums (onions, garlic). This prevents soil-borne diseases from building up.

What Makes This Useful

A planting calendar turns the garden from a guessing game into a schedule. You know what to do, when to do it, and what to expect. You stop missing windows. You stop planting tomatoes too early and losing them to late frost, or planting lettuce too late and watching it bolt.

The Southeast has one of the longest growing seasons in the United States. With two productive seasons, the right tools, and a plan, you can be harvesting from your garden for most of the year.

— C. Steward 🌱