When to plant sweet potatoes in zone 8a
In zone 8a, where the last spring frost typically comes around March 29, plant out May 1 to 8.
The zone 8a schedule for sweet potatoes
- Plant out
- May 1 to 8
- Soil warm enough (65°F), about
- May 1
- First harvest, roughly
- July 30 to September 5
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 2,584 ZIP codes in zone 8a, and the timing recommended by Cooperative Extension guides for sweet potatoes.
Frost risk in zone 8a
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 8a, the typical last frost ranges from about March 18 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to April 7 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from October 31 to November 16. For a typical place in the zone:
- March 9Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- March 29Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- April 14Safe: a later frost only 1 year in 10
Sweet Potatoes are killed by frost, so if you want to be safe, plant out after the safe date rather than the typical one, or be ready to cover plants on a cold night.
Your dates for sweet potatoes
Set your ZIP code at the top of the page and we will work out when to plant sweet potatoes where you live, from the frost records of the nearest NOAA weather station. Your ZIP code is remembered on this device only.
Sweet Potatoes in zone 8a cities
| City | Typical last frost | Plant | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | Mar 30 | Apr 30 to May 7 | — |
| Memphis, TN | Mar 16 | Apr 22 to 29 | — |
| Baltimore, MD | Mar 24 | May 10 to 17 | — |
| Atlanta, GA | Mar 15 | Apr 23 to 30 | — |
| Raleigh, NC | Mar 28 | May 1 to 8 | — |
| Greensboro, NC | Mar 30 | May 6 to 13 | — |
| Durham, NC | Mar 31 | May 1 to 8 | — |
| Winston-Salem, NC | Mar 30 | May 6 to 13 | — |
| Chesapeake, VA | Mar 17 | May 3 to 10 | — |
| Huntsville, AL | Mar 24 | Apr 23 to 30 | — |
| Fayetteville, NC | Mar 30 | Apr 29 to May 6 | — |
| Little Rock, AR | Mar 21 | Apr 29 to May 6 | — |
How to grow sweet potatoesAll zonesSweet Potatoes in zone 7bSweet Potatoes in zone 8bAbout zone 8a
Sources
- Sweetpotato (HGIC 1322) · Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center
- How to Grow Sweet Potatoes in Your Garden · Utah State University Extension
- Easy Gardening: Sweet Potatoes (EHT-026) · Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
- Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (SP 103/VH021) · UF/IFAS Extension
- Vegetable Planting Calendar for Maricopa County (AZ1005) · University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
- Ipomoea batatas · NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox