When to plant kale in USDA Zone 8b

Plan your kale 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.

Charleston SC, Savannah, Mobile, Austin, Jacksonville. Average last spring frost March 15, first fall frost November 15 — a 245-day frost-free season.

Zone fit: excellent
Kale is well suited to Zone 8b. Standard planting dates work with minor adjustments for microclimates.

Key dates

Start seeds indoors
February 1 – February 15
Direct-seed or transplant outdoors
February 8 – March 1
Expected first harvest
April 11 – May 9
Fall planting window
August 30 – September 20
Fall harvest window
October 31 – November 28

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
24″
Seed depth
0.5″
Soil temperature
55–75°F
Frost tolerance
hardy
Days to harvest
55 days

Grower notes for Zone 8b

Harvest outer leaves and leave the growing tip — a single plant can produce for 3+ months.

Plant near: beets, onions, herbs

Keep away from: tomatoes

Other brassicas for Zone 8b

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.