Cheatham County, in Tennessee, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7a — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.
The conditions favor tomato, pawpaw, iris, and muscadine grape, among others — though every individual site edits that list with its own soil, sun, and drainage.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Cheatham County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Cheatham County, so your frost dates and drainage aren't the county average. Enter your address and we'll score 1,112 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Quick Facts
USDA Zones
7a
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Feb 16
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Dec 12
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
194K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Cheatham County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Cheatham County
Across Cheatham County, the ground is predominantly Inceptisols, where Hawthorne, Sengtown, and Sulphura are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally somewhat excessively drained with a gravelly silt loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 4.5–6.3, strongly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group B soils.
Soil order
Inceptisols
Drainage
Somewhat excessively drained
Prime farmland
15%
Hydric soils
2%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Cheatham County
Plants matched to Cheatham County's USDA zones 7a — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Cheatham County?
Too late for some crops, right on time for others — a growing season is a sequence, not a deadline. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 19; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 16 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 12 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the calendar nearly circles: cool-season crops take the winter shift, and the next window is always close.
Growing Challenges in Tennessee
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Heavy clay soils in the Nashville Basin
Basin clay is fertile once it drains — a raised bed handles that immediately, and yearly compost makes it permanent.
High humidity promotes disease in summer
Morning base-watering, breathing room between plants, and resistant varieties — the humid-summer basics from your extension.
Variable spring weather with late frost risk
Let your local frost normals set the schedule — Tennessee springs reward the growers who wait out the last cold snap.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Tennessee, the UT Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Cheatham County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Cheatham County — 102 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 1 Superfund site. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
There's a meaningful federal record across Cheatham County — worth a look before you plant food, not a reason to hold back from growing. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. A soil test before new food beds is the sensible precaution here, and the map shows exactly which sites sit where, so you can see what's actually near you.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
Environmental Intelligence
Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.
Sources Checked
across Cheatham County
Severity Distribution
across Cheatham County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Cheatham County, two things run higher than the national average — PFAS (3 sites) and Toxic Release Inventory (8 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
PFAS: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are called "forever chemicals" because they do not biodegrade.
Toxic Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.
Test irrigation water source — this is the primary pathway for PFAS to reach garden crops.
Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.
Check your specific parcel in Cheatham County
Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,112 plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Your Specific Parcel Matters
Cheatham County Average
- ●USDA Zones 7a
- ●Generic soil type for the area
- ●State-average frost dates
YOUR Parcel
- ✓Your exact hardiness zone
- ✓Your SSURGO soil type & pH
- ✓Your sun exposure, cast in 3D
See MY Growing Report
Read your parcel in Cheatham County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Cheatham County, Tennessee — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Key Growing Facts for Cheatham County, Tennessee
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 7a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 16 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 12 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~299 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 194K acres (US Census TIGER 2025)
Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. County boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.
Frost dates here are the Cheatham County average. Low spots and tree cover move them by days on any one yard — see your exact frost windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zone is Cheatham County, Tennessee?
Cheatham County sits in USDA hardiness zone 7a, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.
Is it too late to plant in Cheatham County?
Too late for some crops, right on time for others — a growing season is a sequence, not a deadline. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 19; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 16 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 12 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the calendar nearly circles: cool-season crops take the winter shift, and the next window is always close.
When does frost risk typically end in Cheatham County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Cheatham County typically lands around Feb 16, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — an earlier marker than the light-frost dates many planting charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — light frosts can still bite for a few more weeks, so tender transplants usually wait another 2–3 weeks.
How long is the growing season in Cheatham County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Cheatham County sees about 299 frost-free days — roughly Feb 16 through Dec 12, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops get a somewhat shorter practical window, since lighter frosts reach a few weeks past the hard-freeze dates on both ends.
What vegetables grow in Cheatham County?
Cheatham County's zone 7a supports a wide range — strong performers include Tomato, Pawpaw, Iris, Muscadine Grape, and Tulip Poplar. What actually takes on any one site comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage, and we score each plant against the real conditions at your address.
Which hardiness zone is Cheatham County, really?
Officially, Cheatham County sits in USDA zone 7a (USDA PHZM 2023) — but a zone is a 30-year average of winter's coldest night across an area, and it can't see any one yard. A south-facing slope, a tree line, or a low frost pocket can shift a single site by half a zone either way, which is why neighboring gardeners often quote different numbers. We read the conditions at your exact address — soil, sun, slope, and frost — and score 1,112 plants against what's actually there.
Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Cheatham County?
The federal record around Cheatham County is a meaningful one — 102 documented sites — so a soil test before new food beds is a sensible precaution here, not a reason to hold back from growing. Remember that proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what sits where.
Just moved to Cheatham County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Cheatham County sits in USDA zone 7a, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Feb 16, with about 299 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 102 documented sites sit on the federal record here, so a soil test before food beds is the smart first step. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Cheatham County average. Your yard writes its own version — we read soil, sun, drainage, and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.
Will It Grow Here?
Zone fit is the first question — each answer below reads Tennessee's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.