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Place guide

Planting zones in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

This metro spans USDA zones 7a to 7b, so there is no single zone for Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN and anyone who gives you one is rounding. 93% of its ZIP codes are zone 7b; the rest are not.

USDA zones 7a–7b 2 zones across 110 ZIP codes
ZIP codes 110 110 have a NOAA station within range
Weather stations 39 NOAA 1991–2020 normals, across 6,302 sq mi

Your ZIP code

Get the exact answer for your address

Everything above describes Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN as a whole. Hardiness zones and freeze dates are published per ZIP code, so yours is exact β€” enter it and this page will tell you your zone, which NOAA station it comes from and how far away that station is.

Works for all 40,502 US ZIP codes. Freeze dates need a NOAA station within 100 km; where there is none, the page says so rather than estimating one.

The growing season in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN is closing

Nothing in the 32-crop table still has time to mature here. The first fall freeze normally arrives October 21 – November 4 across the 39 NOAA stations serving this metro area .

Your next season already has a date

The first job of it is πŸ§… Green Onions, start indoors, around February 3 – February 20 β€” counted back from a last spring freeze of March 31 – April 17 here.

Every spring date for your ZIP β†’

These are ranges across the whole metro area. The ZIP lookup above gives the dates from your own nearest station instead.

Growing season across Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN A one-year bar. Every one of the 39 NOAA stations serving this metro area counts April 17 to October 21 as growing season, 187 days. At least one counts March 31 to November 4, 218 days. The same figures are written out below this chart. JFMAMJJASONDApril 17October 21

All 39 stations agreeAt least one station

Every one of the 39 NOAA stations serving this metro area counts April 17 – October 21 as growing season (187 days). Widening to any single station gives March 31 – November 4 (218 days).

That is a 31-day difference inside one metro area β€” which is why this page gives ranges rather than a single planting date. The ZIP lookup above resolves it to one station.

Which zone you are in depends where you are

Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN covers 2 hardiness zones. A guide that gives the metro one zone has picked whichever is largest and rounded everyone else into it β€” which is fine for the 93% in zone 7b and wrong for the other 7%. Here is the actual split.

Zone ZIP codes Share  
7b 102 93%
7a 8 7%

Zones are published per ZIP code, so yours is exact even though the metro's is not. The hardiness tool will tell you which one you are in.

Your freeze dates

Last spring freeze March 31 – April 17
First fall freeze October 21 – November 4

Those are the earliest and latest medians among the 39 stations serving this metro β€” not an average, and not one station standing in for the rest. Half of years freeze later than a station's own median.

The spread is the point. Even in a metro that is one hardiness zone throughout, its stations disagree about the last spring freeze. Hardiness zone and frost date measure different things β€” a zone is the average annual coldest night, a freeze date is when the season turns β€” and a place can be uniform in one and varied in the other. Use the tools below with your own ZIP rather than the ends of this range.

Your growing season

NOAA publishes a growing-season length for each station, and across the 39 stations serving Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN it runs 184–217 days . That figure is published, not computed from the two freeze dates β€” subtracting one from the other gives the wrong answer wherever a season crosses New Year. Mean summer high (June–August) runs 85–90 Β°F , below the 90 Β°F point where cool-season crops reliably bolt. Summer rain over the same months runs 11.2–15.2" across those 35 stations, against the rough inch a week β€” about 13 inches over the same 92 days β€” that a vegetable garden is usually reckoned to want. The middle station covers about 99% of it, so expect to make up the rest. The inches are NOAA's published normals; the inch a week is a rule of thumb, and it takes no account of a 88 Β°F summer afternoon drying the soil faster than a cool one.

When to start seeds in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

Every spring job for 63 crop dates, counted from this metro's own last spring freeze. Each is a range across all 39 stations β€” the earliest and latest that job falls anywhere in the metro β€” because no one station speaks for the whole area.

Crop Job When Offset
Green Onions Start indoors February 3 – February 20 8 weeks before
Peppers Start indoors February 3 – February 20 8 weeks before
Broccoli Start indoors February 17 – March 6 6 weeks before
Cabbage Start indoors February 17 – March 6 6 weeks before
Collards Start indoors February 17 – March 6 6 weeks before
Kale Start indoors February 17 – March 6 6 weeks before
Leaf Lettuce Start indoors February 17 – March 6 6 weeks before
Peas Direct sow February 17 – March 6 6 weeks before
Spinach Direct sow February 17 – March 6 6 weeks before
Sweet Potato Start indoors February 17 – March 6 6 weeks before
Tomatoes Start indoors February 17 – March 6 6 weeks before
Bok Choy Start indoors February 24 – March 13 5 weeks before
Kohlrabi Start indoors February 24 – March 13 5 weeks before
Swiss Chard Start indoors February 24 – March 13 5 weeks before
Arugula Direct sow March 3 – March 20 4 weeks before
Baby Salad Greens Direct sow March 3 – March 20 4 weeks before
Beets Direct sow March 3 – March 20 4 weeks before
Green Onions Direct sow March 3 – March 20 4 weeks before
Mustard Greens Direct sow March 3 – March 20 4 weeks before
Okra Start indoors March 3 – March 20 4 weeks before
Radishes Direct sow March 3 – March 20 4 weeks before
Turnips Direct sow March 3 – March 20 4 weeks before
Cabbage Set out March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Carrots Direct sow March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Collards Direct sow March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Collards Set out March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Cucumbers Start indoors March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Green Onions Set out March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Kale Direct sow March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Kale Set out March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Kohlrabi Direct sow March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Kohlrabi Set out March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Leaf Lettuce Direct sow March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Pumpkins Start indoors March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Summer Squash Start indoors March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Winter Squash Start indoors March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Zucchini Start indoors March 10 – March 27 3 weeks before
Bok Choy Direct sow March 17 – April 3 2 weeks before
Bok Choy Set out March 17 – April 3 2 weeks before
Broccoli Set out March 17 – April 3 2 weeks before
Cilantro Direct sow March 17 – April 3 2 weeks before
Leaf Lettuce Set out March 17 – April 3 2 weeks before
Swiss Chard Direct sow March 17 – April 3 2 weeks before
Swiss Chard Set out March 17 – April 3 2 weeks before
Dill Direct sow March 24 – April 10 1 week before
Bush Beans Direct sow April 7 – April 24 1 week after
Cucumbers Set out April 7 – April 24 1 week after
Pumpkins Direct sow April 7 – April 24 1 week after
Pumpkins Set out April 7 – April 24 1 week after
Summer Squash Direct sow April 7 – April 24 1 week after
Summer Squash Set out April 7 – April 24 1 week after
Sweet Corn Direct sow April 7 – April 24 1 week after
Tomatoes Set out April 7 – April 24 1 week after
Winter Squash Direct sow April 7 – April 24 1 week after
Winter Squash Set out April 7 – April 24 1 week after
Zucchini Direct sow April 7 – April 24 1 week after
Zucchini Set out April 7 – April 24 1 week after
Cucumbers Direct sow April 14 – May 1 2 weeks after
Okra Direct sow April 14 – May 1 2 weeks after
Okra Set out April 14 – May 1 2 weeks after
Peppers Set out April 14 – May 1 2 weeks after
Southern Peas Direct sow April 14 – May 1 2 weeks after
Sweet Potato Set out April 14 – May 1 2 weeks after

The week offsets are conventional extension guidance and vary by variety; the freeze dates they are counted from are measured. For a single date rather than a range, run when do I start my seeds? with your own ZIP code.

What survives the winter changes across Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

Of 74 perennial fruits, nuts, berries, vegetables and herbs, 58 come through the winter in zone 7a and only 56 in zone 7b. That is a different garden at each end of the same metro.

Zone ZIPs Survive Fail for being too warm
7a 8 58 of 74 1
7b 102 56 of 74 3

The last column is the counterintuitive one, and it is why the totals do not simply rise as the winters get milder. Most temperate fruit needs a documented number of hours below about 45 Β°F to break dormancy and set a crop, so an apple fails in a winter that is too warm; currants and rhubarb cook in the summer heat that comes with it. See the full list with reasons.

How certain the freeze dates are in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN Two rows. Each runs from the cautious date, which shortens the growing season, to the optimistic one. The median dates sit between them. Every figure is repeated in the text below this chart. JFMAMJJASONDLast spring freezeFirst fall freeze

Cautious β€” shortens the seasonMedian across stationsOptimistic

Last spring freeze
Plan to May 4 to be careful. Median March 31 – April 17 across 39 stations; March 13 is the optimistic end.
First fall freeze
Plan to October 7 to be careful. Median October 21 – November 4 across 39 stations; November 20 is the optimistic end.

NOAA publishes these as probabilities, not averages β€” the middle figure is a median, so half of years fall either side of it. The cautious end is the 10% tail: in roughly nine years in ten the freeze falls on the safe side of it.

The 39 stations behind these numbers

The 39 NOAA stations serving Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN A relative sketch of where the stations sit, about 148 kilometres north to south. Each is named with its NOAA identifier in the station list on this page, which carries the same information as text. BETHPAGE 1 S, TN US (USC00400669)BRENTWOOD, TN US (USC00401039)CARTHAGE, TN US (USC00401480)CENTERVILLE 4NE, TN US (USC00401585)CENTERVILLE WATER PL, TN US (USC00401587)CHARLOTTE, TN US (USC00401640)CHEATHAM L&D, TN US (USC00401663)CHRISTIANA 5W, TN US (USC00401720)CLARKSVILLE WWTP, TN US (USC00401790)COLUMBIA 3 WNW, TN US (USC00401957)DICKSON, TN US (USC00402489)FAIRVIEW BOWIE NAT CTR, TN US (USC00402989)FRANKLIN SEWAGE PLT, TN US (USC00403280)GLADEVILLE, TN US (USC00403465)GOODLETTSVILLE 7WNW, TN US (USC00403636)HARTSVILLE, TN US (USC00403938)KINGSTON SPRINGS, TN US (USC00404876)LAFAYETTE, TN US (USC00404987)LANCASTER EDGAR EVINS MARINA, TN US (USC00405035)LEBANON 7 N, TN US (USC00405118)LEBANON, TN US (USC00405108)LEWISBURG EXP STN, TN US (USC00405187)LOBELVILLE, TN US (USC00405358)MONTGOMERY BELL SP, TN US (USC00406180)MT PLEASANT 1N, TN US (USC00406340)MURFREESBORO 5 N, TN US (USC00406371)NASHVILLE BERRY FLD, TN US (USC00406403)NASHVILLE INTL AP, TN US (USW00013897)OLD HICKORY DAM, TN US (USC00406803)OLD HICKORY WFO, TN US (USC00406806)PORTLAND SEWAGE PLT, TN US (USC00407359)SCOTTSVILLE, KY US (USC00157215)SHELBY BOTTOMS NATURE, TN US (USC00408238)SMYRNA 6S, TN US (USC00408414)SPRINGFIELD EXP STN, TN US (USC00408562)THOMPSON STN, TN US (USC00408953)WARNER PARK, TN US (USC00409431)WHITE HOUSE, TN US (USC00409709)WOODBURY 1 WNW, TN US (USC00409866) ~148 km north to south

All 39 NOAA stations whose normals this page quotes, spanning about 148 km north to south. Every one is named with its identifier in the station list below β€” this page does not single one out, because no one station speaks for a whole metro area.

A relative sketch, not a map with a projection: longitude is adjusted for latitude so the shape is not stretched, and there is no basemap. For the one station nearest a specific address, with its real distance, use the ZIP lookup above.

Every figure above comes from these, and each is named so you can check it. Which station serves a given ZIP code, and how far away it is, varies across the metro β€” the table below gives it per ZIP code rather than this page averaging it.

Station NOAA ID Last spring freeze First fall freeze Season
Bethpage 1 S, TN USC00400669 April 16 October 23 189 days
Brentwood, TN USC00401039 April 15 October 26 193 days
Carthage, TN USC00401480 April 10 October 29 201 days
Centerville 4Ne, TN USC00401585 April 11 October 27 199 days
Centerville Water Pl, TN USC00401587 April 11 October 24 196 days
Charlotte, TN USC00401640 April 11 October 26 198 days
Cheatham L&D, TN USC00401663 April 9 November 1 206 days
Christiana 5W, TN USC00401720 April 14 October 25 192 days
Clarksville WWTP, TN USC00401790 April 3 November 1 212 days
Columbia 3 Wnw, TN USC00401957 April 10 October 27 199 days
Dickson, TN USC00402489 April 13 October 25 195 days
Fairview Bowie Nat Ctr, TN USC00402989 April 7 October 31 209 days
Franklin Sewage Plt, TN USC00403280 April 3 October 31 210 days
Gladeville, TN USC00403465 April 16 October 21 187 days
Goodlettsville 7Wnw, TN USC00403636 April 7 October 28 204 days
Hartsville, TN USC00403938 April 12 October 26 196 days
Kingston Springs, TN USC00404876 April 13 October 25 195 days
Lafayette, TN USC00404987 April 3 November 1 213 days
Lancaster Edgar Evins Marina, TN USC00405035 April 3 November 4 215 days
Lebanon 7 N, TN USC00405118 April 10 October 30 202 days
Lebanon, TN USC00405108 April 6 October 28 206 days
Lewisburg Exp Stn, TN USC00405187 April 14 October 22 192 days
Lobelville, TN USC00405358 April 13 October 24 195 days
Montgomery Bell SP, TN USC00406180 April 16 October 26 193 days
Mt Pleasant 1N, TN USC00406340 April 5 October 28 204 days
Murfreesboro 5 N, TN USC00406371 April 9 October 27 202 days
Nashville Berry FLD, TN USC00406403 April 4 October 31 209 days
Nashville INTL AP, TN USW00013897 March 31 November 3 217 days
Old Hickory Dam, TN USC00406803 April 11 October 29 200 days
Old Hickory Wfo, TN USC00406806 April 1 November 4 216 days
Portland Sewage Plt, TN USC00407359 April 5 November 1 210 days
Scottsville, KY USC00157215 April 15 October 25 194 days
Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN USC00408238 April 1 October 31 213 days
Smyrna 6S, TN USC00408414 April 13 October 21 189 days
Springfield Exp Stn, TN USC00408562 April 9 October 28 201 days
Thompson Stn, TN USC00408953 April 3 November 1 211 days
Warner Park, TN USC00409431 April 6 November 1 208 days
White House, TN USC00409709 April 7 October 30 206 days
Woodbury 1 Wnw, TN USC00409866 April 17 October 21 184 days

These are medians, not averages β€” NOAA publishes freeze dates as a probability distribution, and half of years freeze later than the date shown.

Every ZIP code in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN

Zones are published per ZIP code, not per metro area, so this is the exact answer rather than the metro area's average. The station column is the nearest one to that ZIP code's centroid and how far away it is β€” the same figure the tools use, shown here so you can see which ZIP codes are well covered and which are reaching.

ZIP code USDA zone Nearest NOAA station Distance
37010 7b Clarksville WWTP, TN 20.4 km
37013 7b Nashville Berry FLD, TN 8.0 km
37014 7b Smyrna 6S, TN 8.0 km
37015 7b Cheatham L&D, TN 11.9 km
37016 7b Woodbury 1 Wnw, TN 14.2 km
37022 7b Bethpage 1 S, TN 6.3 km
37025 7b Fairview Bowie Nat Ctr, TN 15.6 km
37026 7b Woodbury 1 Wnw, TN 15.8 km
37027 7b Brentwood, TN 1.2 km
37029 7b Montgomery Bell SP, TN 6.6 km
37030 7b Carthage, TN 2.9 km
37031 7b Bethpage 1 S, TN 9.2 km
37032 7a Springfield Exp Stn, TN 16.8 km
37033 7b Centerville Water Pl, TN 11.9 km
37035 7a Cheatham L&D, TN 10.3 km
37036 7b Charlotte, TN 10.1 km
37037 7b Christiana 5W, TN 12.3 km
37046 7b Smyrna 6S, TN 19.3 km
37048 7b White House, TN 6.5 km
37049 7b White House, TN 12.8 km
37051 7b Cheatham L&D, TN 17.3 km
37055 7b Dickson, TN 4.2 km
37057 7b Lafayette, TN 11.2 km
37060 7b Christiana 5W, TN 14.2 km
37062 7b Fairview Bowie Nat Ctr, TN 2.4 km
37064 7b Franklin Sewage Plt, TN 10.0 km
37066 7b Bethpage 1 S, TN 13.5 km
37067 7b Brentwood, TN 8.7 km
37069 7b Franklin Sewage Plt, TN 5.6 km
37072 7b Goodlettsville 7Wnw, TN 7.3 km
37073 7a Springfield Exp Stn, TN 4.8 km
37074 7b Hartsville, TN 6.1 km
37075 7b Old Hickory Dam, TN 6.6 km
37076 7b Nashville Berry FLD, TN 9.8 km
37080 7a Goodlettsville 7Wnw, TN 8.1 km
37082 7b Kingston Springs, TN 0.9 km
37083 7b Lafayette, TN 3.3 km
37085 7b Murfreesboro 5 N, TN 9.2 km
37086 7b Smyrna 6S, TN 12.4 km
37087 7b Lebanon 7 N, TN 3.8 km
37090 7b Gladeville, TN 12.1 km
37098 7b Centerville 4Ne, TN 11.2 km
37115 7b Old Hickory Dam, TN 5.8 km
37118 7b Woodbury 1 Wnw, TN 13.3 km
37122 7b Old Hickory Wfo, TN 10.3 km
37127 7b Murfreesboro 5 N, TN 16.2 km
37128 7b Christiana 5W, TN 11.0 km
37129 7b Murfreesboro 5 N, TN 7.1 km
37130 7b Murfreesboro 5 N, TN 6.5 km
37132 7b Murfreesboro 5 N, TN 8.0 km
37135 7b Smyrna 6S, TN 10.7 km
37137 7b Centerville 4Ne, TN 9.5 km
37138 7b Old Hickory Wfo, TN 4.1 km
37140 7b Lobelville, TN 17.9 km
37141 7a Portland Sewage Plt, TN 15.7 km
37143 7b Kingston Springs, TN 8.2 km
37145 7b Carthage, TN 15.3 km
37146 7a Springfield Exp Stn, TN 18.6 km
37148 7b Portland Sewage Plt, TN 2.8 km
37149 7b Woodbury 1 Wnw, TN 9.9 km
37150 7b Lafayette, TN 19.8 km
37151 7b Carthage, TN 11.3 km
37153 7b Christiana 5W, TN 9.1 km
37165 7b Cheatham L&D, TN 23.0 km
37167 7b Smyrna 6S, TN 6.3 km
37172 7a Springfield Exp Stn, TN 8.6 km
37174 7b Thompson Stn, TN 5.8 km
37179 7b Thompson Stn, TN 5.8 km
37181 7b Dickson, TN 21.3 km
37184 7b Lebanon, TN 22.2 km
37186 7b Scottsville, KY 16.6 km
37187 7b Charlotte, TN 3.5 km
37188 7a White House, TN 4.5 km
37189 7b Goodlettsville 7Wnw, TN 6.9 km
37190 7b Woodbury 1 Wnw, TN 4.6 km
37201 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 4.8 km
37203 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 6.1 km
37204 7b Nashville INTL AP, TN 7.8 km
37205 7b Warner Park, TN 6.7 km
37206 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 1.6 km
37207 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 8.8 km
37208 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 7.7 km
37209 7b Warner Park, TN 11.1 km
37210 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 2.0 km
37211 7b Nashville INTL AP, TN 6.5 km
37212 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 7.8 km
37213 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 3.9 km
37214 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 5.6 km
37215 7b Warner Park, TN 6.8 km
37216 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 5.4 km
37217 7b Nashville Berry FLD, TN 2.0 km
37218 7b Warner Park, TN 12.3 km
37219 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 5.2 km
37220 7b Brentwood, TN 8.8 km
37221 7b Warner Park, TN 5.9 km
37228 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 7.8 km
37238 7b Shelby Bottoms Nature, TN 4.9 km
38401 7b Columbia 3 Wnw, TN 5.9 km
38451 7b Lewisburg Exp Stn, TN 17.4 km
38454 7b Centerville Water Pl, TN 7.9 km
38474 7b Mt Pleasant 1N, TN 5.1 km
38476 7b Fairview Bowie Nat Ctr, TN 15.4 km
38482 7b Columbia 3 Wnw, TN 15.6 km
38487 7b Columbia 3 Wnw, TN 16.0 km
38547 7b Carthage, TN 11.7 km
38552 7b Carthage, TN 12.2 km
38560 7b Carthage, TN 8.4 km
38563 7b Carthage, TN 7.9 km
38567 7b Lancaster Edgar Evins Marina, TN 10.5 km
38569 7b Lancaster Edgar Evins Marina, TN 5.0 km

ZIP-code positions are area centroids, so a large rural ZIP code's listed distance is measured from the middle of its area rather than from any particular address in it.

Your own ZIP

Work out your own dates

Each of these takes a ZIP code and answers for that ZIP alone, citing the station it used and how far away it is. There is a ZIP box in the header of every page.

Other places to compare

These metros span exactly the same zones β€” 7a–7b β€” so the same plants are in and out of range across them. The freeze dates and the spring calendar are their own.

Gardening in Tennessee β€” zones 6b– 8a covers the whole state: how its 633 ZIP codes divide between 4 hardiness zones, and the freeze dates across every NOAA station in it.

Other metro areas in TN:

All 388 metro areas, by state

Gear

If you want to act on this

Each link opens an Amazon search rather than a product we picked. We have not tested these and do not rank them β€” the search is the honest version, and you choose.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. That costs you nothing extra, and it buys no influence over anything on this site: the dates come from NOAA normals and the zones from the USDA, and no product affects either.

Sources

Where these numbers come from

The hardiness zone is the USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, published per ZIP code by PRISM at Oregon State. The freeze dates are NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals, read from every station whose normals cover a ZIP code in this metro. Nothing here is estimated, and no station stands in for another.

This page names no single station on purpose. Picking one to represent a metro sounds reasonable and is not: the station serving the most ZIP codes is an artifact of where ZIP centroids happen to fall, and it selects a lock on the Monongahela for Pittsburgh and a far southern suburb for Chicago. A range across every station is true; a single cited date for a whole metro is not.

All metro areas