Spring Gardening Ideas for Tennessee Yards: What to Plant and When
Gardeners in Tennessee need to consider the temperature of the soil when determining when the planting season begins․ When the soil temperature reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately mid-March in Middle Tennessee and early April in the eastern mountains of Tennessee)‚ hardy plants can be started from seed and perennials planted․ This gives your peach trees‚ milkweed‚ and ground covers time to establish their roots before the June heat sets in․
Although the huge majority of the state of Tennessee is USDA Zones 6b-7b‚ with some pockets of 8a in the far west near Memphis and 6a in the Smokies at the higher elevations‚ it matters more than people realize․ The last frost in Memphis occurs around March 25‚ while in Knoxville and the Cumberland Plateau it occurs around mid-April․ Fruit trees and tender perennials should not be planted until after the frost date for the local area and a few days of warmth․
Why Spring Beats Fall for Most New Plantings Here
Spring is a better option‚ since the soil is warming up‚ not cooling down․ A plant in the ground in March has at least eight months of warm weather to establish roots before going dormant in winter․ And if planted in the fall‚ they will only have maybe six to eight weeks․
Much of the watering is done in Tennessee by the spring rains․ In April‚ for example‚ the rainfall in all parts of the state averages 4 to 5 inches‚ so trees and shrubs planted in the spring do not require so much additional water as those planted in July․ However‚ don't skip watering if you have had a rain the day before; check the moisture level in the plant's root zone by inserting a finger two inches down․
Test Your Soil Before You Plant Anything
This is the step most spring gardening guides skip‚ and it's the one that actually determines whether your plants thrive or limp along․ The soil in Middle Tennessee is mostly clay․ The pH level is slightly acidic (5․5 to 6․5)․ To find out what your soil is really like‚ test it at your county UT Extension office for about $8-15‚ and (if possible) do it in early March so you will know your soil before the growing season․
If your soil test shows that you have heavy clay soil‚ mix 2 to 3 inches of compost or well-aged pine bark fines into the soil before you plant your peach tree or any plant with a true root system․ This is the number one reason new trees struggle their first year in Tennessee clay․
Plants Well Worth Adding This Spring
Peach trees are a fine addition to a Tennessee garden․ Our climate is well suited to tree growth․ Most varieties need 750-900 chill hours each winter‚ well above the usual number for Middle Tennessee․ These trees need full sun and good drainage․ If planting more than one tree‚ space them 15-20 feet apart․ Expect the first fruit crop in year two or three‚ not year one․
Milkweed is a pollinator plant and a truly beautiful perennial․ Common milkweed and swamp milkweed can take Tennessee's humidity better than butterfly weed‚ which may be wet on heavy soils․ It will self-seed and form colonies over the course of a few seasons‚ so plant accordingly․
Partridgeberry and Ajuga are both plants that solve the problem of having ground cover under the tall oak and hickory trees on many yards in Tennessee when they reach maturity․ Partridgeberry is a low growing evergreen with red berries․ Ajuga spreads out faster‚ but‚ then‚ you have the contrasting purple/blue foliage․ They both do well in the acidic‚ humus-rich soils under hardwood forests․
Kits for making terrariums are sometimes sold as garden novelties․ For gardeners who have balconies in apartments or dark courtyards where nothing can be grown in the ground‚ a closed terrarium with moss‚ small ferns and cuttings of partridgeberry requires little care once it is established․
Bloodroot blooms early before most of us have thought about spring‚ sometimes as early as late February or early March in the southern half of the state․ Bloodroot prefers dappled shade at most‚ so on the edges of a wooded lot‚ and a moist‚ well-drained soil․ Although flowers only last one or two weeks‚ the foliage that follows makes a good ground cover in woodlands․
Vinca minor is the least demanding of the list‚ tolerating sun‚ shade‚ drought once established‚ and clay soil in Tennessee․ It can be used on slopes where mowing is difficult or on land susceptible to erosion․
Coneflower is probably the single best return-on-effort perennial for Tennessee pollinator gardens․ It does better in Tennessee's summer heat and humidity than most native perennials‚ flowers from June to September (with deadheading)‚ and its seed heads feed goldfinches all winter if you leave them standing․ Plant in full sun with good drainage; coneflower tolerates drought better than it tolerates soil that is too moist․
A Timeline on When to Plant in Tennessee
- Early March‚ when soil is workable: Prune dormant fruit trees‚ and direct-sow cool-season crops if you also grow vegetables․ - In mid- to late March‚ plant bare-root trees‚ including peach trees‚ and shrubs while they're still dormant․ April (after last frost): Milkweed‚ coneflower‚ ground covers․ A good month to put out perennials‚ plus terrarium plantings‚ as light levels indoors also rise․ - May: As temperatures rise‚ add 2-3 inches of mulch to keep moisture in the ground‚ and look for signs of transplant shock in newly planted trees․
One thing worth saying plainly: success with spring planting in Tennessee comes down to matching plants to your actual soil and light conditions‚ not blindly picking what's blooming at the garden center․ TN Nursery ships plants suited to Southeast growing conditions specifically; that's more important here than in a lot of regions because our clay soil and humidity punish anything that isn't adapted to it․ Do a soil test‚ plant at the right time - right after the last frost and before the heat of summer - and give new plantings consistent moisture for the first six weeks․ That's most of what determines whether your spring garden actually takes off․
