Georgia · zones 7b–9a
When to plant sweet potatoes in Georgia.
Sow or transplant between Apr 26 to Jun 10 in a typical year, keyed to Georgia's median last frost around Mar 20. Dates below are state medians; your ZIP code shifts them by days to weeks.
The 2026 windows
Sweet Potatoes dates for a typical Georgia season.
1 · Start indoors
Mar 15 to Apr 29
About 6 weeks before set-out. Warm spot, real light.
2 · Set out
Apr 26 to Jun 10
Keyed to the ~Mar 20 last frost. Sow 3" deep, 14" apart.
Harvest
~110 days later
~2.5 lb per plant over ~1 weeks.
Georgia spans more than one climate: Zone 8 is the most common zone, but the state runs 7b to 9a. That's why the planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not your zone: mountain and coastal gardens in the same state can be three weeks apart.
Georgia growing notes
Georgia's long season leaves room for two crops in one bed.
The arithmetic behind double-cropping
Georgia's growing season averages about 235 frost-free days statewide, though that number swings hard by region: the north Georgia mountains see closer to 185 most years, while the coastal Plain and far south often push past 260. Sweet potatoes need about 110 of those days once slips go in the ground, so even a mountain-county garden usually has room to spare, and the gap is wide enough for many Georgia gardeners to take an early spring crop, quick lettuce, spinach, or snap peas, off the same bed before sweet potato slips ever get planted, rather than leaving that ground idle from late winter through early summer.
Georgia Jet is the variety built for exactly this squeeze: it typically finishes in the 90s, a good three to four weeks ahead of a full-season sweet potato, buying real cushion if the spring crop runs long or a wet stretch pushes slip planting back. Covington is the better choice if you are not double-cropping and would rather optimize for size and flavor over speed.
Building the ridge for whichever soil you have
Middle Georgia's sandy Piedmont and Coastal Plain transition soils generally drain well enough on their own, but sweet potatoes still reward height: hill the row into a raised strip about a foot high before slips go in, giving developing roots room to swell out sideways instead of fighting compacted ground beneath them. Skip this step in anything but pure sand and roots tend to come out long, skinny, and twisted, rather than the blocky shape you're after.
Wait until the soil holds a steady 65 degrees before slips go in; a sweet potato slip roots into the ground rather than germinating from a seed, so there is no separate depth reading to chase the way there is for a direct-sown crop. Rushing a slip into ground that has not reached that mark does not kill the plant, it just stalls it for a couple of weeks that never show up in the fall harvest weight. A soil thermometer read at the same hour on several straight mornings is worth more than trusting a warm afternoon, which can fool you into planting a week early.
Georgia's real threat lives in the soil, not on the list
Colorado potato beetle and late blight are real threats on Irish potatoes but not here: sweet potato is a morning glory relative, a different plant family entirely, and neither the beetle nor the blight fungus can use it as a host. Aphids are the exception; they genuinely do turn up on sweet potato vine tips during a humid stretch, and a firm water spray most mornings for a few days usually clears a young colony before it spreads.
The bigger risk in Georgia's sandy Coastal Plain soil is root-knot nematode, a microscopic pest that leaves roots covered in small rough bumps and cracks, ruining table quality even when the vines above ground look perfectly healthy. Rotate sweet potatoes away from any bed that grew tomatoes, peppers, or okra the year before, since all three host the same nematode, and ask your county extension office whether nematode-resistant planting stock is worth sourcing if you have seen this damage before.
In Georgia: watch for
The pests that find sweet potatoes here.
A middle-length season, about 235 frost-free days, means sweet potato overlaps sweetpotato weevil for a stretch each summer. Check plants every week or two and treat early.
Sweetpotato weevil
Narrow tunnels through roots, and a bitter taste that survives cooking.
Organic fix: Plant certified slips, rotate the bed, and destroy any vine with a wilting runner.
Wireworms & white grubs
Shallow holes and grooves chewed into the roots, found only at digging time.
Organic fix: Avoid planting into ground that was in sod last year; rotate away from grassy beds.
Clusters on the tender growing tips of new vines.
Organic fix: Hose them off in the morning, or use insecticidal soap.
Black rot
Dry, firm dark patches on the roots, usually found at harvest or in storage, with a sweet fruity smell.
Organic fix: Start from clean slips cut well above the soil line, never save roots from a bad crop, and rotate 3 years.
Your season math: Georgia gives sweet potatoes about 235 frost-free days, and it needs roughly 110 days to a first harvest. It's a one-planting crop, so time that single sowing well.
Planting sweet potatoes in Georgia: questions
When should I plant sweet potatoes in Georgia?+
In a typical Georgia year, sow sweet potatoes or set out transplants between Apr 26 to Jun 10, keyed to the state's median last frost around Mar 20. Your exact dates shift with your ZIP code and microclimate.
When do I start sweet potatoes seeds indoors in Georgia?+
Start seeds inside about 6 weeks before set-out: roughly Mar 15 to Apr 29 for a typical Georgia season.
What USDA zone is Georgia?+
Georgia spans zones 7b–9a, mostly zone 8. But frost dates, not zones, set planting time. The free planner uses your ZIP code's actual frost dates.
How many sweet potatoes plants do I need?+
Depends who you're feeding. The crop page has exact counts per household size, or the free planner does the math for your family in about 60 seconds.