Spring and fall are different calculations
Start with your local frost date
Texas is too large for one planting day. Spring timing is measured from the local average frost-free date. Fall timing is measured backward from the local first freeze, then checked against the Texas A&M regional anchor when one is published.
Spring rule
2–8 weeks after the local frost-free date
Use the frost-free date for your garden, not a statewide average.Fall rule
Routine fall planting not recommended
Count backward from the local first freeze and leave room for establishment.Texas A&M gardening regions
Dates by region
Texas A&M gives a frost-relative spring rule rather than a Region I–V calendar date for sweet potatoes. The same offset produces different dates because each region has a different frost-free pattern.
Region I
Spring: 2–8 weeks after local frost-free date
Northern Panhandle; use the local date and warm-soil conditions.Region II
Spring: 2–8 weeks after local frost-free date
West Texas and the High Plains; use the local date and warm-soil conditions.Region III
Spring: 2–8 weeks after local frost-free date
North, East and Central Texas; use the local date and warm-soil conditions.Region IV
Spring: 2–8 weeks after local frost-free date
South Texas; use the local date and warm-soil conditions.Region V
Spring: 2–8 weeks after local frost-free date
Lower Rio Grande Valley; use the local date and warm-soil conditions.Plant only when the crop is ready
The calendar is the first filter
A date can be inside the planning range and still be a poor planting day. Check the crop-specific conditions before committing seed or plants.
- The soil and nighttime pattern are reliably warm.
- Healthy slips are available and not cold-stressed.
- Enough warm growing time remains for the selected variety.
Method changes timing
How to start sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes start from slips and need a long warm season. They are not Irish potatoes and do not use the seed-tuber schedule.
Use slips
Do not plant Irish seed-tuber pieces or treat sweet potatoes as a seed-sown crop.
Wait for real warmth
The frost-free date is only the starting reference; cold soil can stall or injure slips.
Protect the full season
Choose a planting date that leaves enough warm time for root development before autumn cooling.
When the simple answer breaks
Too early or too late?
Check your options if you missed the planting window or the weather is not ready.
Cool spring after frost-free
Wait within the 2–8 week range
The later side is safer when nights and soil remain cold.Proposed fall crop
Do not publish a window
The Texas home guide marks fall planting not recommended; use spring unless a specific local source supports an exception.Growing notes
Spring-only is useful information
A page does not need two seasons to be complete. Refusing an unsupported fall window prevents wasted slips and keeps sweet potatoes distinct from fall Irish potato guidance.