When To Plant Your Garden in Tennessee

March 31, 2025

Tennessee has a rich agricultural history. Today, there are nearly 70,000 farms operating across the state, and according to our friends at the Tennessee Farm Bureau, farmland accounts for 39.6% of Tennessee land. At Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee, we’re proud to provide coverage for many of Tennessee’s farms.

Growing your own food can help connect you to Tennessee’s roots. Gardening can be a fulfilling hobby, but it’s also a way to better understand where your food comes from – and it might even help you save on your grocery bill.

So, is it gardening time in Tennessee? In this article, we will discuss:

• When to plant your garden in Tennessee

• What to plant in Tennessee in winter

• What to plant in Tennessee in spring

• Where to find fresh Tennessee produce

When To Plant Your Garden in Tennessee

Our state has three distinct regions, all with unique culture, geography, and weather patterns. That last one is especially important when determining what is the best time to plant a garden. It all depends on when you expect the last frost of the spring season – and that’s determined by where you live.

East Tennessee experiences, on average, the coolest temperatures in the state thanks to its mountainous terrain. Its last frost is the latest of the three, typically in early May. West Tennessee, on the other hand, tends to get warmer faster and sees its last frost in mid-April. Middle Tennessee’s last frost – fittingly enough – falls somewhere in the middle, usually in late April.

Use resources like local weather news and the Farmer’s Almanac to find out when the last frost is in your area this year.

What To Plant in Your Tennessee Garden

Now that you know when the last day to expect a frosty morning is, you can work off that date to plan your garden planting. But what should you plant, and when?

Cool Season Plants

You can consider planting cool-season plants around a month before the last frost of spring. If you want a second crop, you can replant them in late summer for a fall harvest. Some examples of cool season crops that do well in most Tennessee gardens are:

• Lettuce

• Spinach

• Carrots

• Brussels sprouts

• Broccoli

These plants tend to be hardier, which makes them more able to tolerate the colder temperatures of spring and early fall.

Warm Season Plants

It’s important to wait until after the last frost to plant warm season crops. These plants can’t handle the cold very well and may get frostbitten and die if you plant them too early. If you time it right and tend your garden well, though, you’ll have access to fresh produce all summer long. Here are some popular plants to garden in spring and summer for Tennessee:

• Tomatoes

• Peppers

• Beans

• Zucchini

• Cucumbers

Where To Find Fresh Tennessee Produce

If this all feels a little too complicated, remember that you can visit your local farmers' market for delicious, locally grown produce.

On the other hand, if your backyard garden takes off and becomes a full-blown farming or agritainment business, you can always reach out to a Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee agent to discuss our commercial insurance policies.