What to plant this week in Charleston, SC
With last frost officially averaging Feb 6 and temperatures dipping near 20°F only during deep freezes, Charleston's mild 9a climate allows you to aggressively sow heat-lovers like okra, malabar spinach, and bush beans this week. While your garden is already bursting with harvest-ready squash, melons, and beans from earlier plantings, the focus now shifts to maximizing yield on these summer staples before the mid-December first frost arrives.
The next 7 days
Charleston, SCGrowing in Charleston right now
- Charleston's clay-heavy coastal plain soil retains moisture but can become compacted; aerate beds heavily before sowing bush beans or cucumbers this week to ensure quick germination in our humid heat.
- Our intense afternoon thunderstorms often wash away freshly sown seeds, so use a fine mulch or cover new sowings of French marigolds and zinnias immediately after planting to retain moisture and protect seedlings.
- With the growing season extending well into December due to our lack of a hard freeze, plan your final transplanting schedule now; you can still get a late crop of pole beans if you start them indoors next week for an early fall harvest before Dec 15.
Sow this week
18 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cucumber
- French Marigold
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
36 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow bush beans every two weeks for a continuous harvest throughout the summer heat.
- Mulch around newly transplanted squash and pumpkins to retain moisture and suppress weeds as temperatures rise.
- Pinch back the tops of basil plants regularly to encourage bushier growth and prevent flowering.
Pest & disease watch
- Watch closely for spider mites and aphids on your newly sown basil and shiso plants, as Charleston's humid spring weather creates perfect breeding conditions for these soft-bodied insects.
- Root-knot nematodes are a persistent local issue in Lowcountry soils; rotate your summer squash and zucchini to a different spot this year or use black plastic mulch to suppress them before transplanting.
- Powdery mildew can quickly attack Malabar spinach and okra during our long, hot days with high humidity; ensure good air circulation between rows and consider spraying neem oil at the first sign of white dust on leaves.
Watering this week
Water deeply in the early morning to help plants withstand afternoon heat while minimizing evaporation losses.
Harvest watermelon and cantaloupe regularly to signal the plant to continue producing fruit rather than stopping growth.
Charleston gardening questions
3Can I still plant tomatoes this week in Charleston?
Technically you could try, but it is too late for optimal tomato establishment before our peak heat wave; focus your energy on direct-sowing warm-season crops like cucumbers and beans that are already listed as sowable now.
My watermelon vines have stopped growing despite the heat, what's wrong?
This often happens in Charleston when clay soils dry out too fast between heavy rains; check for root rot or nutrient lockout by watering deeply every other day and side-dressing with a balanced fertilizer to jumpstart fruiting.
When should I pull my garlic and harvest the winter squash?
Your garlic is ready for harvest any time now as it matures in our mild climate, while your winter squash varieties like butternut or delicata can stay in the ground until after Dec 15 if you watch closely for yellowing leaves.
Other cities in zone 9a
9See the full zone 9a guide → · Plan your Charleston garden in SproutGuide →