When to plant sweet potatoes in USDA Zone 7a

Plan your sweet potatoes planting around local frost risk and soil temperature, then work backward from the harvest week your buyers need. The calendar below is a starting point, not a field-level weather forecast.

Asheville, Winston-Salem, Roanoke, Nashville, Little Rock. Average last spring frost April 15, first fall frost October 15 — a 183-day frost-free season.

Zone fit: good
Sweet potatoes is frost-tender, so timing the outdoor transplant to the last frost matters more here than in warmer zones. Row cover buys 2 weeks of head start.

Key dates

Start seeds indoors
February 25 – March 11
Transplant outdoors
April 29 – May 20
Expected first harvest
August 14 – September 11

Windows are calculated from your zone's average frost dates. Adjust ±1 week for microclimates, elevation, and your own frost records.

Spacing and soil

Plant spacing
12″
Row spacing
42″
Seed depth
4″
Soil temperature
75–90°F
Frost tolerance
tender
Days to harvest
100 days

Grower notes for Zone 7a

Set slips on 6–8 inch hills for better tuber shape. Cure at 85°F and 85% humidity for 7–10 days after harvest.

Plant near: beans, peas

Keep away from: squash

Other root crops for Zone 7a

Same crop, other zones

Track your own plantings

BAU Farm Intelligence turns these windows into per-field tasks — indoor seed-start reminders, transplant dates, harvest projections — using your farm's actual frost history.