When to Plant Fall & Winter Vegetables in Georgia?

Growing your own vegetables requires proper timing.

Knowing when to put plants or seeds in the ground is crucial to getting a good harvest before the frost. Georgia has a temperate climate that allows for a long growing season.

Calculating When to Plant

Look up the first frost date in your area. Count backward from that date the days to maturity, plus about two weeks for harvesting. This is when to plant your crop. Do this for each vegetable crop you wish to plant before winter. Remember that the first frost is calculated on an average, and not all years are "average."

Figure Out What to Plant

Cold-weather crops will grow better once the temperatures have cooled down. Plant vegetables like broccoli, kale, peas, lettuce and cabbage to harvest in the later part of the year.

Plant With Spring in Mind

Plant perennials like strawberries to give them lots of time to root and grow before spring, when they'll have an advantage over spring-planted berry plants when it comes to fruit production.

Average First Frost Dates

Each region of Georgia will have a different time for the first frost to occur. If you divide the state into three mostly equal pieces with the middle of the state being the average, then you can subtract two to three weeks for the northern part of the state and add two to three weeks for the southern part of the state for the average first killing frost date. Over the last 10 years, the first frost date for the center of the state has been as early as Oct. 28 and as late as Dec. 6, with the average date being around Nov. 20.

References

• University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service: Vegetable Garden Calendar
• University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service: November 2010 Master Gardening Calendar
• Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Network