The Dirt on the Strip: Put Down the Iced Tea and Pick Up the Trowel—It’s Fall Planting Time!

By Barbara LeForge, Golden Strip News Editor

Well, butter my biscuits and call it July, because if this Upstate heat gets any hotter, we’re all going to turn into fried green tomatoes right where we stand!

Down here in the Golden Strip, mid-summer gardening isn’t for the faint of heart. Right about now, your spring tomatoes are looking like they’ve seen a ghost, the humidity feels like wearing a warm, wet blanket, and your soil is as dry as a Sunday sermon. But don’t lay down your trowel just yet! While everybody else is hiding inside in the AC, us real dirt-diggers know that late July and August are actually secret weapon season.

That’s right—it’s time to start talkin’ fall gardening. Because in South Carolina, autumn isn’t just for college football and pumpkin spice; it’s hands-down the best growing season of the whole year.

1. Getting the Dirt Ready (Without Passing Out)

Before you go dropping seeds in the red clay, your garden bed needs a little TLC after surviving the summer gauntlet.

• Evict the Dead and the Dying: Pull up those crispy cucumber vines and worn-out squash plants. If they’re covered in powdery mildew or harbor bugs, toss ’em in the trash—don’t compost ’em unless you want next year’s crop to suffer the same fate!

• Feed the Soil: That summer harvest sucked up every bit of juice your dirt had to offer. Work in a generous layer of fresh compost or well-rotted manure. Think of it as a nice, heavy plate of biscuits and gravy for your soil microbes.

• Mulch Like Your Life Depends On It: Upstate August sun will bake bare soil into a brick in twenty minutes flat. Lay down 2 to 3 inches of straw, leaves, or wood chips to lock in every precious drop of water.

2. What to Plant in the Upstate for Fall

Our first real frost in the Greenville area usually doesn’t show its face until early-to-mid November. That gives us a glorious, long cooling-down period where cool-weather crops absolutely thrive.

Here is what you should get into the ground and when:

• Collard Greens & Kale (Plant Late July – Mid-August): Get ’em in now! A light frost later in the fall actually turns the starches into sugar, making them extra sweet for cooking.

• Squash & Zucchini — Round 2 (Plant Late July – Early August): Put in a quick-maturing variety right now for a second harvest before the bugs catch up to you.

• Root Veggies like Carrots, Radishes & Turnips (Plant August – September): Sow these straight into the ground. Keep the seedbed damp—put a board or burlap over the row for a few days to keep the sun from scorching the tiny sprouts.

• Broccoli & Cabbage (Plant August – Early September): Grab transplants from the local nursery or start your own indoors. They love those cool October nights!

• Lettuce & Spinach (Plant September – October): Wait until the heat breaks just a little bit, or the seeds will go dormant and refuse to pop up.

A Quick Word on Water: If you’re out there watering in the late afternoon, you’re just making steam soup for fungal diseases. Soak your roots early in the morning so your plants can drink up before the sun starts beating down!

So sip some cold iced tea, pace yourself in the shade, and get those fall seeds ordered. Our gardens are about to get their second wind, and trust me—nothing beats a crisp November afternoon pulling fresh carrots out of Carolina soil!

About the Author

Barbara LeForge is a passionate storyteller, dedicated community leader, and active participant in the Mauldin community, where she serves as her neighborhood’s HOA board president. A former educator, Barbara now homeschools her four amazing children, balancing daily lessons with the vibrant chaos of a busy home. When she isn’t running community meetings or editing local news, you can find her tending to her backyard oasis as an experienced gardener or working on her next literary project as a published author. She loves sharing her practical tips, local insights, and a little Southern humor with her neighbors through her regular column space.