When to plant in Laurel Bay, SC
Planting dates worked out from Laurel Bay's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Mar 16
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Feb 26
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Dec 1
1 year in 10 by Nov 15
Frost-free days
275
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Beaufort Mcas · 7.4 km away · station 11 m, town 11 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Jan 19 – Feb 2 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | May 10 |
| Sweet pepper | Jan 5 – Jan 19 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | May 15 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Dec 25 – Jan 1 | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Mar 10 |
| Peas | — | Jan 15 – Feb 12 | Mar 11 |
| Bush beans Season likely too short |
— | Mar 9 – Mar 30 | Apr 28 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 6 |
| Beet | — | Jan 29 – Mar 12 | Mar 20 |
| Potato | — | Feb 5 – Feb 26 | Apr 16 |
| Kale | Dec 18 – Jan 1 | Jan 29 – Feb 12 | Mar 13 |
| Broccoli | Dec 18 – Jan 1 | Jan 29 – Feb 19 | Mar 30 |
| Cucumber | Feb 16 – Feb 23 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | May 5 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Feb 16 – Feb 23 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | Apr 30 |
| Winter squash | Feb 16 – Feb 23 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | Jun 4 |
| Sweet corn Season likely too short |
— | Mar 9 – Mar 30 | May 8 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Jan 29 – Feb 19 | Apr 29 |
| Garlic | — | Nov 17 – Dec 15 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Jan 15 – Feb 12 | Feb 22 |
| Basil | Feb 2 – Feb 16 | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | May 12 |
Laurel Bay's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1958 | Feb 21 |
| 1959 | Feb 21 |
| 1960 | Mar 14 |
| 1961 | Feb 10 |
| 1962 | Mar 18 |
| 1963 | Feb 28 |
| 1964 | Feb 24 |
| 1965 | Feb 27 |
| 1966 | Mar 7 |
| 1967 | Mar 18 |
| 1968 | Mar 25 |
| 1969 | Mar 12 |
| 1970 | Mar 17 |
| 1971 | Mar 5 |
| 1972 | Mar 10 |
| 1973 | Feb 18 |
| 1974 | Feb 28 |
| 1975 | Mar 4 |
| 1976 | Feb 10 |
| 1977 | Feb 22 |
| 1978 | Mar 6 |
| 1979 | Feb 20 |
| 1980 | Mar 4 |
| 1981 | Mar 17 |
| 1982 | Jan 28 |
| 1983 | Apr 20 |
| 1984 | Mar 10 |
| 1985 | Mar 20 |
| 1986 | Mar 23 |
| 1987 | Mar 11 |
| 1988 | Mar 17 |
| 1989 | Feb 25 |
| 1990 | Feb 26 |
| 1991 | Mar 11 |
| 1992 | Feb 9 |
| 1993 | Mar 15 |
| 1994 | Feb 4 |
| 1995 | Feb 9 |
| 1996 | Mar 23 |
| 1997 | Feb 12 |
| 1998 | Mar 14 |
| 2001 | Mar 7 |
| 2002 | Mar 6 |
| 2003 | Jan 28 |
| 2004 | Mar 23 |
| 2005 | Mar 9 |
| 2007 | Feb 19 |
| 2009 | Mar 5 |
| 2010 | Mar 7 |
| 2011 | Feb 9 |
| 2012 | Feb 13 |
| 2013 | Mar 4 |
| 2014 | Feb 28 |
| 2015 | Feb 21 |
| 2016 | Feb 14 |
| 2017 | Mar 17 |
| 2018 | Feb 1 |
| 2019 | Mar 7 |
| 2020 | Mar 1 |
| 2022 | Mar 14 |
| 2023 | Jan 28 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1958 | 292 |
| 1959 | 280 |
| 1960 | 261 |
| 1961 | 291 |
| 1962 | 262 |
| 1963 | 259 |
| 1964 | 279 |
| 1965 | 276 |
| 1966 | 241 |
| 1967 | 233 |
| 1968 | 232 |
| 1969 | 247 |
| 1970 | 244 |
| 1971 | 261 |
| 1972 | 258 |
| 1973 | 295 |
| 1974 | 273 |
| 1975 | 255 |
| 1976 | 260 |
| 1977 | 263 |
| 1978 | 279 |
| 1979 | 267 |
| 1980 | 271 |
| 1981 | 250 |
| 1982 | 318 |
| 1983 | 231 |
| 1984 | 247 |
| 1985 | 261 |
| 1986 | 282 |
| 1987 | 245 |
| 1988 | 260 |
| 1989 | 277 |
| 1990 | 281 |
| 1991 | 258 |
| 1992 | 296 |
| 1993 | 271 |
| 1994 | 329 |
| 1995 | 279 |
| 1996 | 249 |
| 1997 | 277 |
| 1998 | 278 |
| 2001 | 294 |
| 2002 | 267 |
| 2003 | 304 |
| 2004 | 247 |
| 2005 | 286 |
| 2007 | 270 |
| 2010 | 273 |
| 2011 | 275 |
| 2012 | 285 |
| 2013 | 254 |
| 2014 | 262 |
| 2015 | 312 |
| 2016 | 298 |
| 2017 | 267 |
| 2018 | 299 |
| 2019 | 250 |
| 2020 | 275 |
| 2022 | 248 |
| 2023 | 304 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1945 | 24.9 °C |
| 1958 | 24.7 °C |
| 1959 | 24.7 °C |
| 1960 | 24.7 °C |
| 1961 | 23.9 °C |
| 1962 | 24.5 °C |
| 1963 | 24.4 °C |
| 1964 | 24.3 °C |
| 1965 | 24.6 °C |
| 1966 | 23.6 °C |
| 1967 | 23.6 °C |
| 1968 | 24.7 °C |
| 1969 | 24.2 °C |
| 1970 | 25.0 °C |
| 1971 | 24.1 °C |
| 1972 | 24.6 °C |
| 1973 | 24.2 °C |
| 1974 | 24.2 °C |
| 1975 | 24.9 °C |
| 1976 | 22.7 °C |
| 1977 | 25.1 °C |
| 1978 | 25.2 °C |
| 1979 | 24.7 °C |
| 1980 | 25.5 °C |
| 1981 | 25.5 °C |
| 1982 | 25.0 °C |
| 1983 | 24.3 °C |
| 1984 | 24.9 °C |
| 1985 | 25.3 °C |
| 1986 | 25.6 °C |
| 1987 | 24.8 °C |
| 1988 | 24.2 °C |
| 1989 | 24.5 °C |
| 1990 | 25.3 °C |
| 1991 | 26.1 °C |
| 1992 | 24.7 °C |
| 1993 | 25.4 °C |
| 1994 | 25.0 °C |
| 1995 | 24.7 °C |
| 1996 | 24.4 °C |
| 1997 | 23.6 °C |
| 1998 | 25.5 °C |
| 2001 | 24.6 °C |
| 2002 | 25.6 °C |
| 2003 | 24.6 °C |
| 2004 | 24.9 °C |
| 2005 | 24.7 °C |
| 2007 | 24.7 °C |
| 2008 | 25.5 °C |
| 2010 | 25.8 °C |
| 2011 | 25.8 °C |
| 2012 | 25.1 °C |
| 2013 | 24.6 °C |
| 2014 | 25.7 °C |
| 2015 | 25.8 °C |
| 2016 | 26.1 °C |
| 2017 | 25.8 °C |
| 2018 | 26.0 °C |
| 2019 | 26.5 °C |
| 2020 | 25.6 °C |
| 2022 | 25.8 °C |
| 2023 | 25.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1958, Laurel Bay's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Beaufort Mcas (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.