What to plant this week in Chattanooga, TN
With overnight lows hovering near 10°F and the last frost date still lingering around March 13, Chattanooga gardeners must hold fire on cold-weather transplants this week. While your summer crops like zucchini, cucumbers, and okra are ready to harvest now, focus your energy on sowing hardy garlic and ornamental alliums in the cool soil before the ground truly wakes up.
The next 7 days
Chattanooga, TNGrowing in Chattanooga right now
- Chattanooga's steep river valley creates microclimates where north-facing slopes of Lookout Mountain can be 2-3 weeks cooler than the city center; delay bean and squash plantings on these shaded hillsides until mid-March to avoid frost damage.
- Heavy clay soils in East Tennessee hold moisture well but drain poorly during our frequent spring rain showers; amend planting beds with generous amounts of compost or coarse sand before adding fall-sown garlic cloves.
- As temperatures fluctuate between the humid valley floor and higher elevations, monitor seedlings closely for 'chill injury'; protect young transplants with row covers only after soil temps consistently rise above 50°F.
Sow this week
2 crops- Garlic
- Ornamental Allium
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
44 crops- Acorn Squash
- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Butternut Squash
- Cantaloupe
- Celosia (Cockscomb)
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Delicata Squash
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gomphrena (Globe Amaranth)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Morning Glory
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Purslane
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Spaghetti Squash
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Harvest acorn, butternut, and spaghetti squash while they are still tender before the skins toughen up.
- Succession sow bush beans, cowpeas, and pole beans now to extend your bean harvest into late summer.
- Pinch back basil and borage regularly to encourage lush growth and prevent bolting as heat increases.
Pest & disease watch
- Early spring slugs and snails are particularly active in Chattanooga's damp river bottom soils; place beer traps or copper tape around newly sown garlic beds this week.
- Spider mites can emerge early if winter drought conditions persist, causing stippling damage on the new leaves of your overwintered basil and borage plants.
- Watch for late-emerging cutworms protecting their larvae in the mulch under young bean seedlings before they are easily visible to the naked eye.
Watering this week
Water deeply at the base of squash and melons every 2-3 days to keep fruits from cracking and foliage from rotting.
Don't forget to harvest garlic that is listed for both sowing now and harvesting soon, as it may be a late spring crop or early fall storage bulb depending on your specific microclimate.
Chattanooga gardening questions
3Can I transplant my tender summer vegetables like tomatoes or peppers right now?
No, even though the weather feels warm during the day, overnight lows near 10°F will kill cold-sensitive plants. Wait until after the average last frost date of March 13 before moving anything outside.
What should I do with my harvest-ready acorn squash and butternut?
Since these squashes are maturing now, pick them when they have a deep rind sound to the tap and leave at least an inch of stem attached. Cure them in a dry, warm spot for about two weeks before storing them in a cool basement or garage.
Is it too late to plant garlic for next year's fall harvest?
Not at all; this is actually prime time to sow hardneck garlic varieties specific to Zone 8a. Push the cloves into the soil immediately so they can establish roots before the ground freezes again later in winter.
Other cities in zone 8a
11See the full zone 8a guide → · Plan your Chattanooga garden in SproutGuide →