Frost dates · USDA zone 7b
Frost dates for Knoxville, TN
Knoxville, TN sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 11 and its first of fall around October 28 — a 198-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Mar 26 | Nov 9 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 11 | Oct 28 |
| 1 year in 10 | Apr 29 | Oct 13 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 198 days median, at least 176 in 9 years of 10, at least 220 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Mar 31 and first of Nov 6.
Knoxville planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 11) and median first frost (Oct 28) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Jan 17 | Mar 14 | Jul 2 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 11 | May 11 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Mar 28 | Mar 28 | May 12 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 14 | Apr 25 | Jun 24 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 14 | Apr 18 | Jul 2 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Jan 31 | Apr 25 | Jul 29 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 14 | Apr 18 | Jul 2 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 14 | Apr 18 | Jul 7 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 14 | Apr 18 | Jul 7 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Mar 28 | Mar 28 | Jun 6 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 28 | Apr 18 | Jun 27 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Feb 28 | Apr 18 | Jul 2 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Feb 28 | Apr 18 | Jul 7 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Knoxville grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Knoxville container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Knoxville frost questions
When is the last frost in Knoxville, TN?
The median last 32 °F freeze at KNOXVILLE EXP STN, TN is April 11: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after April 29; nine years in ten, it comes after March 26. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Knoxville, TN?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 28. One year in ten it arrives before October 13; nine years in ten, before November 9.
How long is the growing season in Knoxville, TN?
198 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 176 days; one year in ten, at least 220 days.
What growing zone is Knoxville, TN?
USDA hardiness zone 7b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 37916. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Knoxville, TN?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Feb 28 and transplant around Apr 18, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Apr 29. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 2.
When should I plant peppers in Knoxville, TN?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 14; transplant no earlier than Apr 18, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 2.
Nearby in Tennessee
- Clevelandlast frost Apr 6
- Kingsportlast frost Apr 9
- Johnson Citylast frost Apr 19
- Chattanoogalast frost Mar 24
- Lebanonlast frost Apr 10
- Murfreesborolast frost Apr 9
All Tennessee frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →