When to plant sweet potatoes in zone 8b
In zone 8b, where the last spring frost typically comes around March 17, plant out April 21 to 28.
The zone 8b schedule for sweet potatoes
- Plant out
- April 21 to 28
- Soil warm enough (65°F), about
- April 21
- First harvest, roughly
- July 20 to August 26
From the median frost dates of the NOAA stations assigned to the 2,613 ZIP codes in zone 8b, and the timing recommended by Cooperative Extension guides for sweet potatoes.
Frost risk in zone 8b
Zones are based on winter cold, not on frost dates, so the last spring frost varies a lot within a zone. Across zone 8b, the typical last frost ranges from about March 5 in the earliest tenth of ZIP codes to April 3 in the latest tenth, and the first fall frost from November 2 to November 24. For a typical place in the zone:
- February 25Risky: a later frost happens in 9 years out of 10
- March 17Typical: frost after this date in half of years
- April 6Safe: 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 8b cities
| City | Typical last frost | Plant | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio, TX | Feb 26 | Mar 26 to Apr 2 | — |
| Dallas, TX | Mar 2 | Apr 6 to 13 | — |
| Fort Worth, TX | Mar 11 | Apr 18 to 25 | — |
| El Paso, TX | Mar 2 | Apr 9 to 16 | — |
| Las Vegas, NV | Jan 20 | Apr 4 to 11 | — |
| Virginia Beach, VA | Mar 29 | May 13 to 20 | — |
| Arlington, TX | Mar 9 | Apr 11 to 18 | — |
| Plano, TX | Mar 7 | Apr 16 to 23 | — |
| Irving, TX | Mar 2 | Apr 6 to 13 | — |
| Garland, TX | Mar 7 | Apr 16 to 23 | — |
| Frisco, TX | Mar 18 | Apr 21 to 28 | — |
| McKinney, TX | Mar 18 | Apr 21 to 28 | — |
How to grow sweet potatoesAll zonesSweet Potatoes in zone 8aSweet Potatoes in zone 9aAbout zone 8b
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