This lazy gardener still hasn’t planted summer vegetables on April 17. I’m in no rush.
N. Jordan Franklin, ©2023 HGIC, Clemson Extension
South Carolina gardeners often get excited towards the end of February when temperatures climb into the 60s and 70s but know spring is still a month away. As tempting as it is, it is understood February is too early to get started.
Lazy gardeners know Mother Nature ignores what the calendar says about spring. So, there is no reason to get in a rush to plant tender herbaceous vegetable plants or fertilize warm-season turfgrasses (bermudagrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass, etc.) this time of year. After all, who wants to stress about late-season frosts, replace frost-damaged plants or sod, or worry about (and treat) disease and insect problems later in the season. Sounds like more work to me; no, thank you!
In the SC Piedmont, April 15 is the last average frost date, a date past which it is considered safe to plant summer vegetables in the garden. The last average frost date along the coast is April 1. Now, these are average dates, meaning extremes can and do happen. Some vegetable plants are damaged well before temperatures reach freezing.
Another consideration for when to plant is that not all vegetable plants have the same growing season. The differences between warm- and cool-season crops are well known. But there are subtle variations within each group as well. For example, in the Piedmont, plant summer squash starting around April 15, but wait until May 1 to plant tomatoes as they are a little more cold tender than squash.
Fortunately, the Clemson HGIC takes the guesswork out of when to plant vegetable crops. Visit HGIC 1256, Planning a Garden for a vegetable planting guide split into Piedmont and Coastal SC.
Let’s switch gears to fertilizing turfgrass for a second. First, if you have tall fescue, fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizer should have stopped on March 15. Tall fescue fertilization occurs between mid-September and mid-March, usually with an application in mid-September, one in November, and the last in February. Additionally, aerating and overseeding only happen from mid-September to mid-October. Visit HGIC 1219, Tall Fescue Maintenance Calendar, for information about maintaining tall fescue lawns.
On April 17, centipedegrass is greening up, but plenty of tan areas still indicate that green-up isn’t complete.
N. Jordan Franklin, ©2023 HGIC, Clemson Extension
Fertilize warm-season turfgrasses after they green up entirely in the spring, usually around May 1. Fertilizing before this time can encourage lush, vegetative growth during a stressful period for warm-season grasses. Usual fertilization dates for warm-season turfgrasses are May and July, with no nitrogen fertilizer after August 15. Fertilizing with nitrogen after August 15 could make your lawn more susceptible to large patch disease in the fall. For more information about fertilizing warm-season turfgrass, visit When Should You Fertilize Your Lawn?
