Georgia vegetable planting calendar 2027: frost dates and when to plant
In Georgia, the average last spring frost is March 15 in Atlanta (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Below are planting dates for Atlanta for 27 common vegetables and herbs, worked out the way the Rowtime app does it: NOAA's average frost dates for the nearest weather station, with the planting rules of state extension guides. Dates are for the 2027 season.
Rowtime: Garden Planner works these dates out for your own ZIP code in Georgia, shows where each one comes from, and recalculates when a planting slips. Get Rowtime on the App Store.
Dates are estimates. Check your local extension office before you plant, and use your own frost records if you have them. Dates shift by a week or more within a state, so pick the city closest to your conditions.
Atlanta
When to plant tomatoes in Atlanta?
In Atlanta, Georgia, the average last spring frost is March 15 and the average first fall frost is November 20 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, ATLANTA HARTSFIELD INTL AP station, 14.5 km from ZIP 30303). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors February 17 to April 25, plant out seedlings March 19 to April 25 and plant out seedlings for fall June 25 to July 25, following University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center) and University of Georgia Extension. Dates are for the 2027 season; sources last checked October 24, 2026.
Frost dates for Atlanta (30303)
- Last spring frost: Mar 15 on average, Apr 4 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Nov 20 on average, Nov 4 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 8a (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Feb 9 to Mar 26 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 11 to Sep 30 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Jan 27 to Mar 5 Plant out seedlings: Feb 9 to Mar 9 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 11 to Sep 11 |
| Cabbage | Plant out seedlings: Jan 9 to Mar 9 Start seeds indoors: Jan 20 to Feb 16 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 11 to Oct 11 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Jan 9 to Mar 14 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 30 to Sep 25 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Feb 3 to Mar 5 Plant out seedlings: Feb 23 to Mar 26 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 25 to Aug 25 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to May 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 25 to Aug 25 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Mar 6 to Apr 4 Plant out seedlings: Mar 26 to May 9 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 20 to Aug 9 |
| Green onion | Plant out seedlings: Dec 26 to Mar 9 Plant out seedlings for fall: Sep 11 to Jan 10 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Jan 26 to Mar 4 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 11 to Sep 11 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Jan 9 to Feb 23 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 11 to Oct 11 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: Mar 14 to Apr 25 |
| Okra | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to May 26 Sow outdoors for fall: Jun 25 to Jul 20 |
| Onion | Plant out seedlings: Dec 26 to Mar 9 Plant out seedlings for fall: Oct 20 to Nov 20 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Jan 9 to Feb 9 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Feb 17 to Mar 19 Plant out seedlings: Mar 26 to May 26 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 4 to Aug 20 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Jan 9 to Feb 23 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: Mar 9 to Apr 25 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 15 to Aug 20 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Jan 9 to Mar 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 11 to Oct 25 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to May 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 11 to Sep 4 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: Mar 9 to May 26 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: Mar 20 to Apr 18 Plant out slips: Apr 9 to Jun 9 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Feb 17 to Apr 25 Plant out seedlings: Mar 19 to Apr 25 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jun 25 to Jul 25 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to Jun 25 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: Apr 18 to Jul 18 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Jan 19 to Mar 18 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 28 to Oct 12 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Mar 3 to Mar 18 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 13 to Sep 27 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Feb 1 to Mar 8 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 31 to Oct 9 |
Sources
Planting rules, in the order Rowtime tries them here:
- University of Georgia Extension, Vegetable Gardening in Georgia (Vegetable Planting Chart) (Circular 963). Checked October 21, 2026.
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas Home Vegetable Gardening Guide (Table 8) (E-502). Checked October 20, 2026.
- University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center), Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central Maryland. Checked October 24, 2026.
- NC State Extension, Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-01). Checked October 21, 2026.
Frost dates, locations and zones:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (freeze probabilities).
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Gazetteer Files: ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
- PRISM Group, Oregon State University / USDA ARS, 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP code listings. PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed 20 Oct 2026.
How the dates are worked out: a guide's rule such as "two weeks after the last frost" is applied to the station's NOAA date. Purdue's dates are 10% dates, so they are counted from the station's 10% date. When a guide gives no last date, the window closes early enough for the crop's longest days to harvest before the first fall frost. When a guide gives no first date for a fall planting, no fall window is shown. "Season too short" means the guide's window would close before it opens at this station's frost dates.
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