But you may want to try green and red leaf lettuce, Boston lettuce, romaine lettuce, radish, parsley, and cilantro. These vegetables will handle a frost and temperatures in the low twenties with very little damage. The speed at which this happens will depend on how warm it is. High temperatures, along with an intermediate day length, can cause bolting premature seed stalk formation before the head is ready for harvest. The degree of bolting depends a lot on variety selection.
Some varieties bolt faster than others.
If you can't find what you need, check with your county's Clemson Extension agent as to which varieties do best in your region of South Carolina. Now is the time to start seeding lettuce. Since lettuce seeds will not germinate if the temperature around them is above 85 degrees F, you can start lettuce plants indoors, where it is cool. When temperatures exceed 85 degrees F, the seed goes dormant, which means it will not germinate even though it is still alive. Once it germinates, it takes between three to four weeks for a lettuce plant to be ready for transplanting into the garden.