When to Sow Beets in Georgia
Sow beets in Georgia two to three weeks before your local last spring frost. For the Atlanta area, that frost date falls somewhere between March 11 and…
Gardening in Georgia
Everything we have worked out for Georgia: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Atlanta, the last spring freeze runs March 11 to March 29 and the first fall freeze runs November 13 to December 1, USDA zones 6a-9b, 5,477 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 13 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Georgia: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
Beet Soil in Georgia: What the Root Will Meet
Georgia’s representative topsoil, the Tifton series, is 84 percent sand and only 6 percent clay, which drains fast and holds almost no water between…
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in Georgia
Peppers stop setting fruit in Georgia for two opposite reasons: the pollen becomes unviable once afternoons push past 90°F for stretches during bloom…
Growing Pumpkins in Georgia: Will They Ripen in Time?
Yes, in most years, but only if the flowers open on schedule, not just the seeds.
Growing Beets in Georgia: Soil, Sowing and Bolting
Georgia gardeners can grow beets successfully, but the state’s representative ground is sandy, acidic and low in organic matter, and its summers turn…
Growing Parsnips in Georgia: Will They Sweeten?
Georgia’s long growing season easily gives a parsnip root the time it needs to size up, but sizing up and sweetening are two separate jobs.
When to Plant Potatoes in Georgia: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
The short answer: count back 14 to 21 days from your last frost date, once soil temperature hits 50°F.
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in Georgia
Georgia’s potato harvest usually finishes well before the first fall frost, which lands between November 13 and December 1 in the Atlanta area (NOAA…
Potato Varieties That Suit Georgia
Georgia gardeners get the best results from early and mid-season potatoes, because the state’s soil warms past the 90°F threshold that stops tuber sizing…
Growing Carrots in Georgia: Soil, Sowing and Forked Roots
Georgia’s representative soil, the Tifton series, is 84 percent sand with only 6 percent clay, which sounds like ideal carrot country.