Georgia, U.S. · outdoor planting

When to plant broccoli in Georgia

In Middle Georgia, set out broccoli plants February 15–March 15 for spring or August 1–September 1 for fall. If you raise your own plants, start seed about six weeks before the outdoor date. Use hardened seedlings and aim for cool growing weather.

Choose my broccoli season
Spring
Feb 15–Mar 15
Middle Georgia
Fall
Aug 1–Sep 1
Middle Georgia
Method
Transplants
Start seed about 6 weeks ahead

Two cool-season crops

Choose spring or fall before counting back

The current planting chart supplies the Middle Georgia dates. UGA’s broccoli guide then turns those dates into an indoor seed-starting plan.

Spring outdoor window

February 15 – March 15

Start seed in flats or a protected space about six weeks earlier; the crop guide points to early February for March planting.

Fall outdoor window

August 1 – September 1

The crop guide starts seed in late July and aims to put plants in the garden by the end of August.

State dates need a location check

Shift the Middle Georgia window without inventing county dates

UGA publishes relative Georgia shifts, not a separate broccoli calendar for every county.

North Georgia

Spring generally runs 1–3 weeks later; fall closes about 2 weeks earlier.

Mountain gardens should give the fall crop enough time to establish before the earlier frost pattern.

Middle Georgia

Use February 15–March 15 and August 1–September 1 as the chart windows.

A late-August transplant also matches the crop-specific broccoli guide.

South Georgia

Spring may start 2–3 weeks earlier and fall can run about 2 weeks later.

Move the date only if the crop will mature in cooling weather rather than lingering heat.

Before a seedling goes out

Check the plant and the coming weather

Broccoli is a cool-weather crop. A date inside the chart is useful only when the transplant can establish in the conditions ahead.

  • The seedling has been hardened off instead of moving straight from indoor conditions to the bed.
  • The planting date fits the supported spring or fall window for your part of Georgia.
  • The bed drains well and receives at least 6–8 hours of sun.
  • You can water daily during the first establishment week if rain does not do the job.

Transplant timeline

Build the plant before the outdoor window opens

Choose an outdoor date

Pick the spring or fall window and apply only the supported regional shift.

Count back about six weeks

Sow in flats, a cold frame or another protected seed-starting space.

Harden the seedlings

Expose them to outdoor light and conditions gradually before planting day.

Set plants 18–20 inches apart

Water them daily for the first week while they establish.

The fall sources do not match perfectly

Late August is the cleanest shared target

The current Middle Georgia chart closes September 1, while UGA’s broader fall-garden table runs broccoli transplants from August 15 to October 1. The page keeps the narrower crop chart as its default.

Before the spring window

Keep growing the transplant

Do not put a small, unhardened seedling outside just because seed was started early.

Late August

Best-supported fall overlap

The chart, fall table and crop guide all support this part of the schedule.

September 2 – October 1

Broader fall-table period

UGA’s fall table includes it, but the current Middle Georgia crop chart does not. Treat it as a local decision.

After October 1

Outside the cited ranges

Wait for the next supported window unless your county office recommends a local exception.