Will Spinach Bolt Early in Tennessee?
Yes. Middle Tennessee’s summer days stretch to 14 hours and 28 minutes at their longest, long enough on their own to push spinach into flower.
Gardening in Tennessee
Everything we have worked out for Tennessee: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Nashville, the last spring freeze runs March 31 to April 12 and the first fall freeze runs October 28 to November 8, USDA zones 5b-8a, 4,937 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 21.8 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Tennessee: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
When to Sow Parsnips in Tennessee
Sow parsnip seed directly in the ground two to three weeks before the last spring frost, which lands between March 31 and April 12 across most of…
Will Parsnips Sweeten in Tennessee?
Middle Tennessee gets the frost exposure a parsnip needs. The coldest month there averages a nightly low of 30.1°F, cold enough, often enough, to turn…
Will Tennessee Soil Hold an Asparagus Bed for Fifteen Years?
Yes, in most cases, but the answer hinges entirely on drainage, not on the state soil chart.
When to Plant Asparagus Crowns in Tennessee
Plant asparagus crowns in Tennessee in early spring, once the soil has dried out enough to work and the ground has warmed past that last hard freeze.
Growing Sweet Corn in Tennessee: Will It Ripen?
Sweet corn ripens reliably in Tennessee, but the calendar that matters isn’t the frost date circled on your calendar app.
Growing Asparagus in Tennessee: Fifteen Years in One Spot
Once asparagus crowns take hold, most gardeners plan on harvesting from that same row for a decade or more.
When Does the Heating Season Start in Tennessee?
Heating season in Tennessee typically opens in October and runs through April, with demand peaking in January. That’s the short version.
When to Sow Pumpkins in Tennessee
In Tennessee, pumpkins go into the ground once soil temperature holds at 65 F, typically several weeks after the last spring frost window of March 31 to…
Will Pumpkins Ripen Before Frost in Tennessee?
Most years, yes: pumpkins planted with Tennessee’s growing season in mind finish coloring before the first hard freeze arrives between October 28 and…