Georgia, U.S. · outdoor planting

When to plant sweet potatoes in Georgia

In Middle Georgia, set out sweet potato slips April 15–June 15; UGA does not recommend a fall planting window. Wait until soil reaches 70°F. That can be around mid-April in South Georgia and the first part of May in the middle to northern part of the state, so actual soil warmth should decide the day.

Check my sweet potato date
Middle Georgia
Apr 15–Jun 15
Planting material
Slips
Soil threshold
70°F

One warm-season crop

Plant in spring and leave room for a long finish

The chart supplies a two-month Middle Georgia window and no fall alternative. The crop guide adds the 70°F soil threshold and a 90–120 day harvest horizon.

Supported outdoor window

April 15 – June 15

Middle Georgia range for plants; use slips rather than true seed.

Fall planting

Not recommended

The current UGA chart does not provide a second crop window.

Soil warmth gives a better regional answer

South can reach 70°F weeks before northern Georgia

The crop guide supplies more useful regional timing than a simple date shift: mid-April can work in South Georgia, while middle and northern areas may not reach the threshold until early May.

North Georgia

Expect the 70°F soil threshold later, often in the first part of May or beyond.

A long-season cultivar still needs time to finish before the first frost.

Middle Georgia

Use April 15–June 15, but wait for 70°F soil.

Early May is the crop guide’s general expectation for the middle to northern part of the state.

South Georgia

Soil can reach 70°F around mid-April.

Measure the bed rather than treating mid-April as a guaranteed statewide date.

Warm soil and a long runway

Confirm the start and the finish

Sweet potatoes need heat at planting and enough warm days to reach harvest before cold soil lowers quality.

  • Soil at planting depth has reached 70°F.
  • You have healthy slips from a dependable source, not true seed.
  • The variety’s 90–120 day timeline fits before the expected first frost.
  • The site drains well and receives 8–10 hours of sunlight.

Plant rooted slips

Treat sweet potatoes as plants, not seed potatoes

Choose a cultivar by maturity

UGA examples range from about 90 days to 120 days, which changes the latest sensible date.

Buy healthy slips

Garden-center slips are usually easier to establish and more likely to be disease resistant.

Wait for 70°F soil

Use a soil reading to decide when the regional spring window truly opens.

Leave room for vines

UGA’s home-garden guide uses about 3 feet between slips.

Calendar and maturity must agree

A June date is not equally good for every variety

The chart stays open through June 15, but a 120-day cultivar planted late needs a different frost calculation than a 90-day cultivar.

Window open, soil cold

Wait for 70°F

The crop-specific soil threshold is the deciding condition.

Warm soil, 90-day variety

More late-window margin

Confirm that 90 days still finish before the expected frost.

Warm soil, 120-day variety

Plant earlier in the window

Longer maturity makes a late June start less forgiving.

After June 15

Do not substitute a fall crop

UGA does not recommend a separate fall window for Middle Georgia.

Harvest boundary

Finish before frost and cold soil

UGA says to harvest before the first frost; cool soil reduces quality and storage life. This is why the variety timeline belongs in the planting decision.