When to plant in Dodson Branch, TN
Planting dates worked out from Dodson Branch's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 2
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 15
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 24
1 year in 10 by Oct 9
Frost-free days
188
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Livingston Radio Wliv · 19.0 km away · station 297 m, town 299 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 2 – May 16 | Jun 26 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | May 2 – May 16 | Jul 1 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 11 – Feb 18 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 27 |
| Peas | — | Mar 4 – Apr 1 | Apr 28 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 25 – May 16 | Jun 14 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 25 – May 6 | May 24 |
| Beet | — | Mar 18 – Apr 29 | May 7 |
| Potato | — | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Jun 3 |
| Kale | Feb 4 – Feb 18 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 30 |
| Broccoli | Feb 4 – Feb 18 | Mar 18 – Apr 8 | May 17 |
| Cucumber | Apr 4 – Apr 11 | May 2 – May 16 | Jun 21 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 4 – Apr 11 | May 2 – May 16 | Jun 16 |
| Winter squash | Apr 4 – Apr 11 | May 2 – May 16 | Jul 21 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 25 – May 16 | Jun 24 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 18 – Apr 8 | Jun 16 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 10 – Nov 7 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 4 – Apr 1 | Apr 11 |
| Basil | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 2 – May 16 | Jun 28 |
Dodson Branch's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1962 | Apr 21 |
| 1963 | May 2 |
| 1964 | Apr 10 |
| 1965 | Mar 27 |
| 1967 | Apr 29 |
| 1969 | Apr 30 |
| 1970 | May 7 |
| 1971 | May 4 |
| 1972 | Apr 27 |
| 1974 | Apr 25 |
| 1975 | Apr 16 |
| 1976 | May 19 |
| 1977 | May 10 |
| 1978 | Apr 22 |
| 1979 | Apr 29 |
| 1980 | May 10 |
| 1981 | Apr 7 |
| 1982 | Apr 24 |
| 1983 | Apr 21 |
| 1984 | Apr 2 |
| 1986 | Apr 24 |
| 1988 | Apr 29 |
| 1989 | Apr 16 |
| 1990 | Apr 13 |
| 1991 | Mar 31 |
| 1992 | Apr 28 |
| 1993 | Apr 22 |
| 1995 | Apr 5 |
| 1996 | Apr 24 |
| 1997 | Apr 18 |
| 1998 | Apr 11 |
| 1999 | Mar 29 |
| 2000 | Apr 10 |
| 2001 | Apr 20 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 1 |
| 2004 | Apr 15 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 10 |
| 2007 | Apr 14 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 10 |
| 2010 | Mar 28 |
| 2011 | Apr 7 |
| 2012 | Apr 13 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | Apr 17 |
| 2017 | Mar 25 |
| 2018 | Apr 18 |
| 2019 | Apr 2 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1962 | 185 |
| 1963 | 179 |
| 1964 | 178 |
| 1967 | 153 |
| 1969 | 170 |
| 1971 | 183 |
| 1974 | 160 |
| 1975 | 169 |
| 1976 | 143 |
| 1977 | 154 |
| 1978 | 168 |
| 1979 | 167 |
| 1980 | 146 |
| 1981 | 178 |
| 1982 | 175 |
| 1983 | 153 |
| 1984 | 182 |
| 1986 | 202 |
| 1988 | 165 |
| 1989 | 201 |
| 1990 | 195 |
| 1991 | 189 |
| 1993 | 188 |
| 1995 | 199 |
| 1996 | 176 |
| 1997 | 187 |
| 1999 | 207 |
| 2000 | 180 |
| 2001 | 179 |
| 2002 | 147 |
| 2003 | 184 |
| 2005 | 171 |
| 2006 | 185 |
| 2007 | 202 |
| 2008 | 181 |
| 2009 | 190 |
| 2010 | 214 |
| 2011 | 205 |
| 2012 | 201 |
| 2013 | 186 |
| 2017 | 230 |
| 2018 | 186 |
| 2019 | 213 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1962 | 20.3 °C |
| 1963 | 20.1 °C |
| 1964 | 20.8 °C |
| 1966 | 19.9 °C |
| 1967 | 19.4 °C |
| 1969 | 20.6 °C |
| 1970 | 20.6 °C |
| 1971 | 20.1 °C |
| 1972 | 19.8 °C |
| 1974 | 19.8 °C |
| 1975 | 20.2 °C |
| 1976 | 18.7 °C |
| 1977 | 21.8 °C |
| 1978 | 20.8 °C |
| 1979 | 19.9 °C |
| 1980 | 21.3 °C |
| 1981 | 20.8 °C |
| 1982 | 21.0 °C |
| 1983 | 20.6 °C |
| 1984 | 20.8 °C |
| 1989 | 20.7 °C |
| 1990 | 21.1 °C |
| 1991 | 22.4 °C |
| 1993 | 21.5 °C |
| 1995 | 21.7 °C |
| 1996 | 21.0 °C |
| 1997 | 20.1 °C |
| 1999 | 21.2 °C |
| 2000 | 20.7 °C |
| 2001 | 20.0 °C |
| 2002 | 18.7 °C |
| 2003 | 20.3 °C |
| 2004 | 20.4 °C |
| 2005 | 20.7 °C |
| 2006 | 20.8 °C |
| 2007 | 21.5 °C |
| 2008 | 20.2 °C |
| 2009 | 20.1 °C |
| 2010 | 22.1 °C |
| 2011 | 21.0 °C |
| 2012 | 21.3 °C |
| 2013 | 20.1 °C |
| 2014 | 20.2 °C |
| 2017 | 20.8 °C |
| 2018 | 21.7 °C |
| 2019 | 21.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1962, Dodson Branch's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 7 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Livingston Radio Wliv (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.