When to plant · 22 cities · zones 7b–8a
When to plant tomatillos in Tennessee
Start Tomatillo seeds indoors around Feb 23 and transplant around Apr 13 — the Tennessee statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 6 across 636 ZIP codes and 154 NOAA stations.
The rule: Six weeks indoors, transplant after the last frost, and give each plant 30 inches and a large cage.
Tennessee tomatillos, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 6, first fall frost Oct 29, 2027 season. Each cultivar's own indoor lead time and days to maturity, same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Cultivar | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TomatilloToma Verde | Feb 23 | Apr 13 | Jun 22 | 70 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost. Statewide dates are the ZIP-weighted median of every NOAA 1991–2020 station Tennessee's ZIP codes resolve to.
Tomatillos in Tennessee, city by city
Tomatillo, scheduled from each city's nearest NOAA station — the same dates as its frost page.
| City | Last frost | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashvillezone 7b | Apr 1 | Feb 18 | Apr 8 | Jun 17 |
| Memphiszone 8a | Mar 16 | Feb 2 | Mar 23 | Jun 1 |
| Knoxvillezone 7b | Apr 11 | Feb 28 | Apr 18 | Jun 27 |
| Chattanoogazone 8a | Mar 24 | Feb 10 | Mar 31 | Jun 9 |
| Clarksvillezone 7b | Apr 10 | Feb 27 | Apr 17 | Jun 26 |
| Murfreesborozone 7b | Apr 9 | Feb 26 | Apr 16 | Jun 25 |
| Franklinzone 7b | Apr 15 | Mar 4 | Apr 22 | Jul 1 |
| Johnson Cityzone 7b | Apr 19 | Mar 8 | Apr 26 | Jul 5 |
| Jacksonzone 7b | Apr 2 | Feb 19 | Apr 9 | Jun 18 |
| Hendersonvillezone 7b | Apr 11 | Feb 28 | Apr 18 | Jun 27 |
| Smyrnazone 7b | Apr 13 | Mar 2 | Apr 20 | Jun 29 |
| Spring Hillzone 7b | Apr 3 | Feb 20 | Apr 10 | Jun 19 |
| Kingsportzone 7b | Apr 9 | Feb 26 | Apr 16 | Jun 25 |
| Bartlettzone 8a | Mar 29 | Feb 15 | Apr 5 | Jun 14 |
| Gallatinzone 7b | Apr 16 | Mar 5 | Apr 23 | Jul 2 |
| Colliervillezone 8a | Mar 29 | Feb 15 | Apr 5 | Jun 14 |
| Lebanonzone 7b | Apr 10 | Feb 27 | Apr 17 | Jun 26 |
| Clevelandzone 7b | Apr 6 | Feb 23 | Apr 13 | Jun 22 |
| Columbiazone 7b | Apr 10 | Feb 27 | Apr 17 | Jun 26 |
| Brentwoodzone 7b | Apr 15 | Mar 4 | Apr 22 | Jul 1 |
| Mount Julietzone 7b | Apr 1 | Feb 18 | Apr 8 | Jun 17 |
| La Vergnezone 7b | Apr 13 | Mar 2 | Apr 20 | Jun 29 |
What Tennessee tomatillos need
Toma Verde Tomatillo SeedMust have
Salsa verde is not a green tomato sauce — it is a tomatillo sauce, and the difference is the tartness and the natural pectin that makes it cling. There is no substitute.
Organic Seed Starter Potting MixMust have
Seed-starting mix is not potting soil with a nicer label — it is finer, lighter, and low in nutrients on purpose, because a seedling's first roots want air and moisture, not fertiliser.
Seedling Heat Mat + Digital ThermostatMust have
Peppers germinate on soil temperature, not air temperature. At 65 °F a habanero takes a month and half of them rot; at 85 °F it is up in eight days. The thermostat is the half that matters.
T8 Full-Spectrum Grow Lights, 1 ft 4-packMust have
A south window in March delivers a fraction of the light a pepper seedling needs, and the plant tells you by stretching. Two inches of LED above the canopy for 16 hours a day fixes it permanently.
5-Gallon Fabric Grow Bags, 5-Pack
Fabric pots air-prune roots and drain faster than a plastic pot can, which is the entire reason container tomatoes fail. Five gallons is the honest minimum for a pepper; a tomato wants ten.
Ocean Forest Potting SoilMust have
Pre-charged with enough nutrition to carry a transplant for its first month without feeding, which is exactly the window when most container plants stall.
Organic Tomato-Tone 3-4-6 with 8% CalciumMust have
The NPK ratio is the point: low nitrogen, higher potassium. Feed a tomato a high-nitrogen lawn fertiliser and you get a magnificent six-foot plant with four tomatoes on it.
58" Square Tomato Cages, 3-PackMust have
The conical wire tomato ring from the hardware store is 33 inches tall and an indeterminate San Marzano will laugh at it in July. Height and square geometry are what actually hold a loaded plant.
Garden Harvest Basket with Tool Caddy
A harvest basket that doubles as a colander means the hose rinse happens in the garden, and the dirt stays outside. On a 20-pound tomato day that is a genuine time saving.
Stainless Steel Food Mill, 3 discsMust have
A blender pulverises tomato skins and seeds into the sauce, which is where bitterness comes from. A mill separates them out — no blanching, no peeling, no ice bath. It removes an entire hour from sauce day.
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Tomatillos in Tennessee: questions
When should I plant tomatillos in Tennessee?
Transplant around Apr 13 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Apr 4 in the warmest tenth of Tennessee's ZIP codes to Apr 27 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from Apr 23 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When do I start tomatillos seeds indoors in Tennessee?
Around Feb 23 for Tomatillo: 6 weeks before the statewide median last frost, on soil held at 75–85 °F.
When is the last frost in Tennessee?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 6. In the warmest tenth of Tennessee's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Mar 28; in the coldest tenth, on or after Apr 20.
When will Tennessee tomatillos be ready to harvest?
Tomatillo planted on the statewide date is ready around Jun 22: 70 days from transplant.
More for Tennessee
- When to plant tomatoes
- When to plant peppers
- When to plant basil
- When to plant onions
- When to plant cilantro
- When to plant carrots
- When to plant mustard greens
Tomatillos in every state → · Tennessee frost dates → · How frost-date math works →