Nashville, Tennessee: planting zone & frost dates
Nashville is in USDA plant hardiness zone 7b, where the average coldest winter night reaches 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C). The typical last spring frost is around Apr 7 and the first fall frost around Oct 25.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | Apr 16 | Oct 18 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | Apr 7 | Oct 25 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 1 | Oct 31 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station SHELBY BOTTOMS NATURE, TN (USC00408238), 3.4 mi (5.5 km) from the city center and 23 ft lower than the city center (-7 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 11 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Nashville
Nashville spans more than one half-zone. Share of the city's land area by zone (via its 31 ZIP codes): 7b (94%), 7a (6%). The headline zone is the one covering the most land. Look up your ZIP for your exact zone.
ZIP codes in Nashville and their zones
| ZIP | Zone | Share of city land |
|---|---|---|
| 37221 | 7b | 9.5% |
| 37013 | 7b | 8.2% |
| 37218 | 7b | 8.2% |
| 37209 | 7b | 7.1% |
| 37072 | 7b | 6.8% |
| 37080 | 7a | 6.1% |
| 37076 | 7b | 5.4% |
| 37189 | 7b | 5.3% |
| 37214 | 7b | 4.6% |
| 37115 | 7b | 4.5% |
| 37211 | 7b | 4.5% |
| 37207 | 7b | 4.1% |
| 37217 | 7b | 3.7% |
| 37138 | 7b | 2.6% |
| 37205 | 7b | 2.4% |
| 37210 | 7b | 2.0% |
| 37015 | 7b | 1.9% |
| 37206 | 7b | 1.6% |
| 37215 | 7b | 1.4% |
| 37216 | 7b | 1.4% |
| 37027 | 7b | 1.3% |
| 37143 | 7b | 1.3% |
| 37204 | 7b | 1.0% |
| 37208 | 7b | 1.0% |
| 37203 | 7b | 0.9% |
| 37212 | 7b | 0.6% |
| 37228 | 7b | 0.3% |
| 37201 | 7b | 0.1% |
| 37213 | 7b | 0.1% |
| 37219 | 7b | 0.0% |
| 37238 | 7b | 0.0% |
Vegetable planting calendar for Nashville
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost Apr 7, first frost Oct 25). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | — | — |
| Pepper | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Apr 21 – May 5 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Mar 10 – Apr 21 | Aug 16 – Sep 13 |
| Green Beans | — | — | Apr 14 – May 19 | Aug 2 – Aug 16 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 14 – May 12 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | Apr 14 – May 5 | Aug 2 – Aug 16 |
| Cucumber | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | Apr 14 – May 5 | Aug 2 – Aug 16 |
| Carrot | — | — | Mar 17 – Apr 21 | Aug 2 – Aug 16 |
| Onion | Jan 13 – Jan 27 | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | — | — |
| Basil | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Apr 21 – May 12 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Feb 24 – Mar 24 | Aug 30 – Sep 27 |
| Kale | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | Aug 16 – Sep 13 |
| Broccoli | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | — | Aug 2 – Aug 16 |
| Peas | — | — | Feb 24 – Mar 17 | Aug 16 – Aug 30 |
| Eggplant | Jan 27 – Feb 10 | Apr 21 – May 5 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | — | Aug 2 – Aug 16 |
| Radish | — | — | Mar 3 – Apr 21 | Sep 13 – Oct 11 |
| Strawberry | — | Mar 10 – Mar 31 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Mar 17 – Apr 28 | Aug 16 – Aug 30 |
Nearby cities in Tennessee
- Franklin — zone 7b, last frost Apr 10, first frost Oct 25
- Murfreesboro — zone 7b, last frost Apr 15, first frost Oct 22
- Clarksville — zone 7b, last frost Apr 10, first frost Oct 27
- Chattanooga — zone 8a, last frost Mar 31, first frost Nov 3
- Knoxville — zone 7b, last frost Apr 19, first frost Oct 22
- Memphis — zone 8a, last frost Mar 24, first frost Nov 9
More: all Tennessee cities · other zone 7b cities: New York, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Oklahoma City, OK, Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, Albuquerque, NM, Tulsa, OK, Newark, NJ
Nashville gardening questions
When is the last frost in Nashville, TN?
Plan around Apr 7. At NOAA's Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN station, 3.4 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Apr 1, and after Apr 16 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Mar 20. The 90% and 10% dates are 31 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Nashville, TN?
Start seeds indoors Feb 10 – Feb 24 and set transplants outside Apr 14 – Apr 28, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 201 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Nashville?
About 213 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 192 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 232 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Oct 18 and a 30% chance by Oct 25. That ranks 3rd longest of 7 Tennessee cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Nashville?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 25): transplant broccoli Aug 2 – Aug 16; sow kale Aug 16 – Sep 13; sow lettuce Aug 16 – Sep 13; sow radishes Sep 13 – Oct 11. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Nov 9. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Nashville's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Nashville was zone 7a on the 2012 map and is zone 7b on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
Is all of Nashville in zone 7b?
No. Zone 7b covers about 94% of the city's land; the rest is in 7a (6%), measured across the city's 31 ZIP codes. Check your own ZIP code in the table above or with the ZIP lookup.