When to Start Pepper Seed in South Carolina
Start pepper seed indoors roughly 8 to 10 weeks before you plan to set transplants in the ground.
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.
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in South Carolina
Pepper plants stop setting fruit in South Carolina mostly because of heat, and the numbers back that up: Charleston’s climate record shows 55.1 days a…
When to Plant Potatoes in South Carolina: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
Plant potatoes in South Carolina 14 to 21 days before your last spring frost date, once the soil itself reaches 50°F.
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in South Carolina
In South Carolina, potatoes come out of the ground in early summer, months before the first fall frost even shows up on the calendar.
Potato Varieties That Suit South Carolina
South Carolina rewards early and mid-season potato varieties planted for one clean spring harvest, not late-season types nursed through a long summer.
What to Plant in South Carolina in September
September in South Carolina means fall vegetable season, not a slowdown. With the first fall frost still eleven to thirteen weeks away across most of the…
What to Plant in South Carolina in October
October in South Carolina still sits weeks away from the first freeze, so soil stays workable for a long run of cool-season crops.
What to Plant in South Carolina in November
November in South Carolina still sits ahead of the average first frost across most of the state, so the answer isn’t “wait until spring.” Garlic and…
What to Plant in South Carolina in May
By May, South Carolina’s last frost window (February 28 to March 17, per NOAA) is long behind every part of the state, and the first fall frost is still…
What to Plant in South Carolina in March
South Carolina’s frost window runs from February 28 to March 17 across most of the state, so March plantings split into two camps: cold-hardy crops that…