What to plant this week in Memphis, TN
Memphis gardeners are deep in the heart of summer heat, where this week marks a critical time to harvest your maturing melons and squash before the intense afternoon sun sets their sugar content. With average lows sitting at 10°F only in early March history, current conditions demand you focus on finishing crops like butternut and acorn squash while keeping new transplants shaded from our sharp humidity spikes.
The next 7 days
Memphis, TNGrowing in Memphis right now
- Memphis clay soils dry out rapidly under this week's high heat; water deeply every other day rather than frequent shallow sprinklings to encourage deep root growth in our heavy riverbank loam.
- The transition from cool nights to scorching 95°F+ days is stressing early corn and beans; apply mulch heavily around Sweet Corn and Pole Beans to retain moisture and keep soil temperatures stable.
- Plant Garlic now for a fall harvest, as these bulbs need the specific chill of our Memphis winters to develop strong cloves before spring.
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
- Spider mites are exploding in popularity on Zinnias and Cosmos this week due to the dry wind off the Mississippi River; spray with insecticidal soap early morning.
- Aphid colonies have formed on Okra and Malabar Spinach leaves, causing leaf curling; blast them off with a strong hose stream or introduce ladybugs immediately.
- Late-season squash vine borers may attack your Winter Squash and Pumpkins if the plants show wilting after hot days; check stems for entry holes and sawdust.
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.
Memphis gardening questions
3Can I still start seeds for tomatoes this week in Memphis?
No, it is too late to sow tomato seeds directly into the ground as our first frost historically arrives Nov 28; instead, plant your Garlic now or transplant any hardened-off seedlings only if they were started indoors weeks ago.
Which crops should I harvest immediately this week?
Prioritize harvesting Acorn Squash, Butternut Squash, and Cantaloupe today while the vines are still active; wait a bit longer on Bush Beans or Celosia to let them reach peak maturity for storage.
How do I protect my newly sown Garlic in Memphis clay?
Press Garlic cloves into unplanted spots of your raised beds or garden rows now, ensuring the pointed end faces up and covering them with about two inches of soil to survive our winter freeze.
Other cities in zone 8a
11See the full zone 8a guide → · Plan your Memphis garden in SproutGuide →