Best Planting Times in East Tennessee

Farming isn’t rocket science — it’s timing, patience, and knowing your dirt. If you’re planting in East Tennessee (Zone 7a/7b), getting your crops in at the right time can make the difference between a bumper harvest and a patch of weeds. Lucky for you, we’ve got the local lowdown — McKinney style.

Know Your Frost Dates

The magic numbers for East Tennessee:

• Last Spring Frost: ~April 10–15

• First Fall Frost: ~October 10–20

  
  

These are your anchors. Everything else — sowing, transplanting, planting by the moon — revolves around them. Keep these dates in mind when you’re plotting your garden, whether it’s a couple of raised beds or a full-on farm row.

What to Plant When

Here’s the basic vibe:

Early Spring (Feb – Mar)

• Start indoors: tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens

• Transplant hardy seedlings when the soil warms (post-April frost)

Spring Planting (Mar – May)

• Direct sow beans, cucumbers, squash, carrots

• Keep an eye on soil temperature; it’s the secret sauce

Summer Crops (Jun – Jul)

• Warm-weather vegetables: okra, corn, melons

• Keep up with watering — East TN sun doesn’t mess around

Fall Planting (Aug – Sep)

• Cool-weather crops: lettuce, spinach, radishes, turnips

• Sow root crops for a late harvest

Your Go-To Reference

We didn’t make all this up — the UT Extension Planting Calendar is the authoritative guide for East Tennessee. It tells you exactly when to start seeds indoors, plant outside, and what grows best in our climate.

Download the UT Extension Planting Guide (PDF)

Quick McKinney Tip

Print the UT calendar, keep it in your tool shed or fridge, and check it before every planting session.