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Fall is also an excellent time to plant vegetables; varieties with at least a sixty-day growth cycle can be planted in early August, such as peas and beans. Shorter-cycle vegetables can be planted as late as September in the Carolinas, like turnips and greens.
- Beans.
- Beets.
- Broccoli.
- Brussels Sprouts.
- Cabbage.
- Carrots.
- Cauliflower.
- Celery.
Now, for all the summer vegetables like beans, cowpeas, corn, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, gourds and sunflowers, you should plant those seeds directly into the ground around April 1, or if your soil is still very cold, once the soil is near 60° F in temperature.
A winter vegetable garden means fresh winter produce all season long, and winter crops are super healthy. In Charleston, you’ll want to pick vegetables native to South Carolina. Choose hearty options like lettuce, mustard, peas, spinach, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, squash, cauliflower, carrots, garlic and onion.
- Arugula.
- Brussels Sprouts.
- Carrots, Cabbage.
- Green Onions.
- Kale.
- Lettuces.
- Peas.
- Radishes.
- Acorn squash.
- Broccoli.
- Butternut squash.
- Cauliflower.
- Carrots.
- Chard.
- Lettuce.
- Pumpkins.
Plant Flowers and Vegetables If you live in a frost-free region, October is a great time to plant cool-weather flowers and vegetables in your garden. Crops such as kale, cabbage, collards, lettuce, carrots, mustard, onions, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, and garlic can all be planted in early to late October.
- Brussels Sprouts. Brussels sprouts love cool weather and are often grown in cool climates as a spring crop that holds in the garden through summer. …
- Beans. …
- Radishes. …
- Turnips. …
- Collards. …
- Green Onions. …
- Kohlrabi. …
- Lettuce.
Candidates for fall planting include a host of salad greens, like lettuce, spinach, kale, collards, arugula and mizuna. Other autumn veggies include radish, turnip, kohlrabi, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
- Beans: Transplant beans to the outdoors in June. …
- Broccoli: In all areas across the state, you can transplant broccoli in February and September for spring and fall crops.
- Corn: Transplant corn in June if you’re in a cooler region. …
- Onions: Plan to transplant onions in April or May.
Spring Tomatoes Spring-planted tomatoes usually are ripe enough to pick during summer. In the Piedmont region, plant tomatoes in May. In the Central region, tomatoes can be planted April 5 to 25. In the Coastal region of South Carolina, the best time to plant is March 25 to April 10.
Almost the entirety of South Carolina is zone 8 (subdivided into a and b, b is warmer) with small outlier pockets of 7 and 9. Contrast that with some western states.
Gardeners can continue to plant vegetables throughout the fall in South Carolina. The Palmetto State is in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 and 8, which means tough crops like spinach and collards will survive well into the state’s fairly mild winters.
Although South Carolina’s climate is not conducive to growing avocado fruit plantations, your homegrown evergreen avocado will become a subtropical indoor houseplant in winter and an attractive outdoor patio tree the rest of the year.
Collard greens were designated as the official State Vegetable by Act Number 38 of 2011, as a result of efforts by Mary Grace Wingard, a third grader from Lexington, South Carolina.
AreaSpringFallPiedmontMar 15 – Apr 30Not RecommendedFall plantings are not recommended for South Carolina, owing to the increased risk of pest and disease development.
Plan the garden and order seeds by January or February. Some plants may be started indoors as early as January.
- Onions. For the earliest onions to harvest next year, plant out sets of over-wintering varieties. …
- Peas. …
- Fava beans – or broad beans. …
- Sweet peas. …
- Crocus. …
- Wildflowers. …
- Lilac. …
- Forsythia.
In order to ensure your fall garden matures before the first frost, get it started in mid-summer (typically late July to early August, depending on your hardiness zone). There are tons of plants that will grow well in cool weather, but many need to be started while it’s still a bit warm outside and the days are longer.
- Garlic. Buy garlic for planting in October or early November. …
- Onions. Autumn onion sets, such as Radar and Electric Red can be planted now.
- Land cress. Also known as American land cress. …
- Chinese leaves. …
- Lamb’s lettuce or corn salad. …
- Winter lettuce. …
- Winter purslane. …
- Broad bean.
- Spring Bulbs. All spring-blooming bulbs such as tulips and hyacinths need a period of cold to bloom, which is why they need to be planted in fall even though you won’t be able to enjoy them until the following spring. …
- Pansies and Violas. …
- Turf Grass. …
- Trees and Shrubs. …
- Perennials.
- Beets.
- Broccoli.
- Brussels sprouts.
- Cabbage.
- Carrots.
- Cauliflower.
- Collards.
- Kale.
Before you run off to the garden center, though, there are a few things you should know to ensure success with fall planting: – You can plant up to 6 weeks before your ground freezes.
Mid- to late-August is often a good time to plant fall flowers, as long as the weather isn’t still so hot that the plants will suffer heat stress. … But don’t wait too late to plant, or you’ll have a very short window to enjoy your flowers.
Spring-blooming perennials, especially in the bare root form, are best planted early in the fall. Planting in the fall while the soil is still warm will give the roots enough time establish properly. This allows the plants to emerge from well established roots, with a stronger start, the following spring.
Fall is the Best Time to Plant When adding trees and shrubs to your landscape, planting in the fall offers several benefits. It’s an ideal time for you, as all the hard gardening work of spring and the upkeep of summer will be winding down – plus it’s the best time for the tree.
Can you grow citrus in SC? You bet! All citrus will grow here in South Carolina and do very well. The citrus that are most readily available are Meyer Lemons, Mexican Limes, and Satsuma Oranges.
- October Glory Red Maple (Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’): All red maples are fast growers, but ‘October Glory’ has the added benefits of spectacular orange-red fall leaves and a nice rounded crown. …
- Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora): What a southern classic!
Small fruits, Blackberries, Blueberries, Seedless table grapes, Figs, Muscadines, Persimmons.
Planting should only begin after the last frost date for your area. For the majority of South Carolina, this tends to fall between April to May for spring crops and July to August for fall crops.
- Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a warm-season vegetable that grows best at temperatures between 75 and 85 °F. …
- If non-trellised, space cucumber plants 8 to 10 inches apart in rows that are 5 feet apart.
- Goliath. Goliath tomato plants are one of the best varieties to grow in the humid, warm climate of upstate South Carolina. …
- Brandywine. Brandywine tomato plants have won various contests for best-tasting tomato. …
- Viva Italia. …
- Sun Gold.
South Carolina growing zones fall between 7a and 9a, depending on location. Local nurseries can help determine the plants that will do best in whichever South Carolina planting zone you are in. They are a great place to start, as they will likely only carry the varieties that thrive in a specific area.
South Carolina zones include 5b through 8b. Gardening in South Carolina offers many opportunities for a wide variety of flowers, shrubs and trees. However, it is always best to check the growing zone for a particular plant before installing it in your garden.
Continue to direct sow carrots, Swiss chard, peas, collards, kale, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnips, beets, leaf lettuce, radishes, salsify and spinach as soil and weather conditions permit.