Fall Broccoli Planting Calendar for the Southeast
Transplant dates by state, variety heat tolerance, head-size targets, and how to sequence plantings for continuous cutting through frost.
Fall broccoli is the highest-margin brassica window in the Southeast — cooler weather, better head quality, and a wholesale price 30–50% above the spring crop. The hard part is transplant timing: too early and heat distorts the head, too late and a hard frost catches immature heads.
Transplant windows
- Zone 7 (VA, TN, western NC): Aug 1–20, harvest Oct 10–Nov 15.
- Zone 8 (most of NC, SC, GA, AL): Aug 15–Sep 10, harvest Oct 25–Dec 5.
- Zone 9 (coastal SC/GA, north FL): Sep 1–Oct 5, harvest Nov 15–Jan 5.
Variety selection
- Heat-tolerant (early plantings): Emerald Crown, Green Magic, Belstar.
- Standard fall: Diplomat, Imperial, Bay Meadows.
- Cold-set (late Zone 8/9): Marathon, Arcadia.
Head-size targets
Wholesale wants crowns 6–7 in diameter, 0.75–1 lb. Uneven heads under 4.5 in go to processor at half price. Uniform head size depends on uniform transplants — start with a plug-tray seedling supplier, not direct seed.
Sequence for continuous cutting
Set three plantings 10 days apart with a 65-, 75-, and 85-day variety. You cut for 6 straight weeks from one 3-acre block instead of a 10-day crush that overwhelms cooler and crew.
Run this in BAU, not a spreadsheet
The planner, calculator, and buyer marketplace are included on every plan.