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Regional Calendars, Climate & DataCrop Calendar for the Southeast
The Southeast has a long growing season and a short margin for error. Mild winters invite early planting, while heat, humidity and a late freeze can all cut a crop short.
Key points
- Long Southeast seasons allow two plantings, but late freezes and summer heat both pose risks.
- Tender crops are damaged at about 31 to 33 degrees F, so use frost probabilities and forecasts, not mild weather alone.
- Plan fall crops backward from your freeze risk date and allow for slow growth.
- Pest and disease choices should follow extension advice and the label.
What makes the Southeast calendar different?
Long frost-free periods allow two crops in many places, a spring planting and a fall planting. University of Georgia Extension has published guidance on planting a second vegetable crop in the same season. The tradeoff is heat and humidity, which stress some crops and favor disease.
The region also spans coastal plain, piedmont and mountain terrain, so frost dates and heat accumulation vary a great deal inside a single state.
Soils in the Southeast range from sandy coastal plain ground that drains fast to heavy clay that holds water, and that mix affects when fields can be worked and how often irrigation is needed.
How do you time spring planting?
Use the same logic as elsewhere: choose a frost risk level for your station, check the forecast and measure soil temperature at planting depth. Warm-season crops such as beans, corn, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes can be damaged at about 31 to 33 degrees F, according to NC State Extension, so a late freeze after an early warm spell is a real threat.
For example, if your station shows a meaningful chance of a freeze well after the mild stretch in late winter, hold tender transplants or have covers ready.
- Pick a risk level from NOAA frost probability tables
- Check the 7 to 10 day forecast
- Measure soil temperature at planting depth
- Have covers available for early plantings
How do you plan a fall crop?
Work backward from your fall freeze risk date using days to maturity, and add time because growth slows as days shorten and temperatures fall. Cool-season crops such as broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and spinach suit the fall and winter in much of the region, and the hardiest of them tolerate hard freezes.
Summer heat at planting time is the challenge. Seed germination and transplant establishment can suffer in hot soil, so shade, moisture and timing deserve attention.
Mulches and shade cloth are common ways to manage heat stress in vegetable plantings, and extension vegetable specialists can advise on what suits your crop and scale.
What about field crops in the Southeast?
Field crop timing depends on the crop and on state-specific guides. Check your state extension planting guide for the range for your area, and use the USDA NASS Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates publication as a long-term reference for typical windows by state.
Double-cropping systems, such as a small grain followed by a summer crop, depend on harvest timing of the first crop and soil moisture for the second, so plan both together.
Planting date for field crops also interacts with insurance dates and with disease and insect pressure, so check state guidance and talk with a crop adviser before locking in a schedule.
How do heat, humidity and rain affect the calendar?
Warm, wet weather increases disease pressure and weed growth, and heavy rain can delay field work. Pest and disease control choices should follow your state extension recommendations and the product label. Pre-harvest intervals apply, applicator licensing rules vary by state, and pollinators need protection during bloom.
Hurricane season can affect late-season crops in coastal areas. Have a plan for harvest timing and storage that allows for weather disruptions.
Humidity also affects drying conditions at harvest and storage, so check state extension guidance for handling and storing crops in warm, damp weather.
How do you build your own Southeast calendar?
Mark your spring and fall frost risk dates, then lay each crop's days to maturity between them. Add notes for heat stress periods and for when rain typically slows field work. Update it each year with what actually happened.
The first calendar is a draft. By the third season, it will fit your farm far better than any regional table.
How do mountain and coastal areas differ within the Southeast?
Mountain areas have shorter seasons and later last frosts than the piedmont and coastal plain, and cold air drainage can create sharp local differences between ridge and valley. Coastal areas have milder winters but face salt exposure, storms and sandy soils that drain fast.
These differences mean a single regional table cannot serve everyone. Use the frost and soil information closest to your land, and compare it with your extension planting guide.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 2026. Educational information, ranges only. Confirm timing with your county extension office.