Tennessee vegetable planting calendar 2027: frost dates and when to plant
In Tennessee, the average last spring frost is April 1 in Nashville (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Below are planting dates for Nashville for 27 common vegetables and herbs, worked out the way the Rowtime app does it: NOAA's average frost dates for the nearest weather station, with the planting rules of state extension guides. Dates are for the 2027 season.
Rowtime: Garden Planner works these dates out for your own ZIP code in Tennessee, shows where each one comes from, and recalculates when a planting slips. Get Rowtime on the App Store.
Dates are estimates. Check your local extension office before you plant, and use your own frost records if you have them. Dates shift by a week or more within a state, so pick the city closest to your conditions.
Nashville
When to plant tomatoes in Nashville?
In Nashville, Tennessee, the average last spring frost is April 1 and the average first fall frost is October 31 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, SHELBY BOTTOMS NATURE station, 5.2 km from ZIP 37219). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors March 6 to May 12 and plant out seedlings April 16 to August 2, following University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center) and Purdue University Extension. Dates are for the 2027 season; sources last checked October 24, 2026.
Frost dates for Nashville (37219)
- Last spring frost: Apr 1 on average, Apr 16 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Oct 31 on average, Oct 18 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 7b (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Mar 19 to Apr 2 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 23 to Sep 20 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Feb 13 to Mar 22 Plant out seedlings: Mar 5 to Mar 19 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 23 to Sep 20 |
| Cabbage | Start seeds indoors: Feb 6 to Mar 5 Plant out seedlings: Mar 5 to Mar 19 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 23 to Sep 20 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Mar 19 to Apr 2 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Feb 20 to Mar 22 Plant out seedlings: Mar 19 to Apr 2 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 1 to Jul 31 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: Apr 30 to Aug 22 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Mar 23 to Apr 21 Plant out seedlings: Apr 30 to Aug 2 |
| Green onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 5 to Mar 19 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 23 to Sep 20 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Mar 5 to Mar 19 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 23 to Sep 20 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Mar 19 to Apr 2 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 23 to Sep 20 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: Apr 30 to Jul 23 |
| Okra | Plant out seedlings: Apr 30 to Aug 27 |
| Onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 5 to Mar 19 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Mar 5 to Mar 19 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Mar 6 to Apr 5 Plant out seedlings: Apr 30 to Aug 2 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Mar 5 to Mar 19 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: Apr 16 to Sep 1 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Mar 5 to Mar 19 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 23 to Sep 20 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: Apr 30 to Sep 1 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: Apr 16 to Aug 2 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: Apr 6 to May 5 Plant out slips: Apr 30 to Jun 23 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Mar 6 to May 12 Plant out seedlings: Apr 16 to Aug 2 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: Apr 30 to Jul 23 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: May 5 to Aug 4 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Feb 5 to Apr 4 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 8 to Sep 22 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Mar 20 to Apr 4 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 24 to Sep 7 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Mar 23 to Apr 21 Plant outdoors for fall: Jul 24 to Sep 22 |
Sources
Planting rules, in the order Rowtime tries them here:
- Purdue University Extension, Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar (HO-186-W). Checked October 20, 2026.
- University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center), Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central Maryland. Checked October 24, 2026.
- NC State Extension, Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-01). Checked October 21, 2026.
Frost dates, locations and zones:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (freeze probabilities).
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Gazetteer Files: ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
- PRISM Group, Oregon State University / USDA ARS, 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP code listings. PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed 20 Oct 2026.
How the dates are worked out: a guide's rule such as "two weeks after the last frost" is applied to the station's NOAA date. Purdue's dates are 10% dates, so they are counted from the station's 10% date. When a guide gives no last date, the window closes early enough for the crop's longest days to harvest before the first fall frost. When a guide gives no first date for a fall planting, no fall window is shown. "Season too short" means the guide's window would close before it opens at this station's frost dates.
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