What to plant this week in Columbia, SC
With the last frost date finally passing on average March 1, Columbia's spring garden is officially in full swing for Week 3. Gardeners can now aggressively harvest summer staples like acorn squash and butternut squash while sowing cool-season daikon radishes to maximize your season.
The next 7 days
Columbia, SCGrowing in Columbia right now
- Columbia's heavy clay-loam soil retains moisture well during our humid springs; ensure good drainage when planting transplants like basil or borage in low-lying areas prone to pooling water after rainstorms.
- Our typical spring rainfall pattern often brings sudden afternoon thunderstorms from April onward, so use row covers for young sunflowers and zinnias to prevent physical damage from hail or wind while they establish roots.
- Take advantage of the mild 8b winter minimums (15°F) by keeping cold-hardy edibles like garlic and malabar spinach actively growing in sheltered spots rather than pulling them back until late spring heat sets in.
Sow this week
2 crops- Daikon Radish
- Ornamental Allium
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
44 crops- Acorn Squash
- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Butternut Squash
- Cantaloupe
- Celosia (Cockscomb)
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Delicata Squash
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Morning Glory
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Purslane
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Spaghetti Squash
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow bush beans and cowpeas every two weeks for a continuous harvest through late summer.
- Mulch around heavy feeders like corn, squash, and melons to retain moisture and suppress weeds as temperatures rise.
- Pinch back the tops of basil and borage regularly to encourage bushier growth and prevent flowering.
Pest & disease watch
- Spider mites are becoming active on ornamental alliums and cosmos as humidity drops slightly after rain cycles; monitor undersides of leaves for webbing and dust off foliage weekly.
- Aphid colonies can explode quickly on bean varieties like bush beans and pole beans when temperatures climb above 70°F, so inspect new growth daily for early infestation signs.
- Slugs thrive in Columbia's damp spring conditions and will target tender seedlings like nasturtiums and morning glory; hand-pick them at dusk or use copper tape barriers around vulnerable beds.
Watering this week
Provide deep, consistent watering at the base of plants every 2-3 days to prevent blossom drop on squash and melons.
Harvest acorn and butternut squash when they have fully ripened and developed a hard rind for best winter storage.
Columbia gardening questions
3When is the best time to plant my daikon radish seeds in Columbia?
You can sow daikon radish directly into the ground now that we have passed our average last frost date of March 1. Keep the soil consistently moist for germination, as these roots grow fastest in cool, damp conditions typical of late spring.
My acorn and butternut squash plants look great; when should I start harvesting them?
You can begin harvesting your summer squashes soon if the skins have hardened enough to resist puncture by a thumbnail. Cut the fruit from the vine with a sharp knife rather than pulling, leaving about an inch of stem attached to protect against rot.
How do I manage the intense humidity in Columbia without hurting my basil and borage?
While our humid air supports lush growth for herbs like basil and borage, ensure you space plants widely to improve airflow through the canopy. This reduces fungal pressure from common issues like powdery mildew that thrive when leaves sit wet in our moist environment.
Other cities in zone 8b
12See the full zone 8b guide → · Plan your Columbia garden in SproutGuide →