Two seasons, two starting methods
Pick the date and decide whether time or simplicity matters more
Direct seed is simple. A transplant can help when you need an established plant sooner, especially around a difficult late-summer start.
Spring planting
February 1 – March 20
Middle Georgia window for seed or plants.Fall planting
August 1 – October 1
Middle Georgia window; the fall table also supports seed or transplants.The same state has different frost clocks
Move spring later in the north and fall later in the south
UGA’s current calendar gives relative shifts. It does not justify exact county dates generated by arithmetic.
North Georgia
Spring begins 1–3 weeks later and fall closes about 2 weeks earlier.
Use transplants if a shortened fall establishment period makes direct seeding impractical.Middle Georgia
February 1–March 20 and August 1–October 1.
Both direct seed and transplants are supported.South Georgia
Spring can begin 2–3 weeks earlier and fall can extend about 2 weeks later.
Do not move the date while the seedbed remains too hot and dry to establish seedlings.Fall begins in summer conditions
Make sure the first two weeks are workable
UGA notes that Georgia’s cool-season crops often have to start while late-summer heat is still present.
- The regional window is open, not merely the Middle Georgia date.
- The seedbed can be kept moist while seed germinates or transplants settle in.
- You have chosen direct seed or transplants based on the time available for establishment.
- The bed has room for the final plant spacing rather than only the first seed spacing.
Seed or transplant
Use the method that fits the remaining season
Direct sow for a simple start
Place seed about ½ inch deep, then thin as plants establish.
Use plants for an earlier head start
Transplants are supported for both spring and fall when direct-seeded plants would lose useful time.
Leave final growing room
The current chart gives a broad 8–16 inch range between plants and about 2½ feet between rows.
Water the new planting
New seed and transplants need dependable moisture during establishment, especially in the fall start.
Outside the easy middle
Choose method before stretching the window
A transplant can shorten establishment time, but it does not turn an unsupported late date into a normal planting window.
Before spring opens
Prepare plants, not the final bed
Start or source transplants while waiting for the regional outdoor window.Inside either window
Seed and plants both work
Choose between lower setup effort and a faster established crop.Hot fall opening
Protect establishment
Do not let a dry late-summer seedbed erase the advantage of planting early.After the regional cutoff