Striped cucumber beetle in South Carolina: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Striped cucumber beetles show up in South Carolina as early as mid-March in the Lowcountry and by mid-April in the Upstate, right when cucurbit seedlings…
Gardening in South Carolina
Everything we have worked out for South Carolina: 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 Charleston, the last spring freeze runs February 28 to March 17 and the first fall freeze runs November 20 to December 5, USDA zones 7a-9a, 6,323 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic is the awkward one: only 4.3 weeks below 40 °F, where it needs six to split into cloves. Chill the cloves before planting, or grow a softneck type.
Elsewhere on the property in South Carolina: 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.
Squash vine borer in South Carolina: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Squash vine borer moths start flying in South Carolina as early as mid-May in the Lowcountry and Midlands, with a second wave often hitting in August.
Spotted cucumber beetle in South Carolina: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Spotted cucumber beetles start showing up in South Carolina gardens as early as March along the coast and by mid-April in the Upstate, feeding on…
Cabbage looper in South Carolina: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Cabbage loopers turn up in South Carolina gardens as early as March in the Lowcountry and stick around through November, with the heaviest pressure…
Corn earworm in South Carolina: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Corn earworm moths reach South Carolina fields as early as April in the Lowcountry and stay active through October or November, with the heaviest…
Leaffooted bug in South Carolina: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Leaffooted bugs show up in South Carolina in two waves: a spring emergence around late March through April, and a bigger population surge from July…
Garden Pests in South Carolina: What Shows Up, When, and How to Stop It
Clemson Extension names the ten pests that damage South Carolina vegetable gardens most, when each becomes active, and what actually stops it.
The Best Grass Seed for South Carolina Lawns
South Carolina’s realistic grass seed choices are all warm-season species, ranked here by cost and care so you can pick the right one for your yard.
The South Carolina Lawn Care Calendar, Month by Month
A season-by-season walk through mowing height, feeding, and frost timing for warm-season lawns across South Carolina, from the coast to the Upstate.
South Carolina Lawn Care: What to Plant and When to Feed It
South Carolina’s heat and mild winters call for warm-season grass, and the planting, feeding and mowing calendar follows the grass you choose.