Lake County, in Tennessee, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b — 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.
Lake County lies within the Mississippi Delta — a regional growing area with its own character.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Lake County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Lake 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
7b
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Feb 14
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Dec 17
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
106K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Lake County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Lake County
Across Lake County, the ground is predominantly Mollisols, where Commerce, Reelfoot, and Roellen are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally somewhat poorly drained with a silt loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 6.2–7.0, neutral. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group C/D soils.
Soil order
Mollisols
Drainage
Somewhat poorly drained
Prime farmland
62%
Hydric soils
49%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Lake County
Plants matched to Lake County's USDA zones 7b — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Lake County?
For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 17; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 14 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 17 — 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 Lake County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Lake County — 83 documented sites across 4 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 3 Toxics Release Inventory facilities. Active industrial facilities reporting chemical releases to air, water, and land.
The federal record across Lake County is a modest one — a typical footprint for a growing area. Nothing here calls for alarm; it's worth knowing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and each one on the map carries its type and location. If one turns out to be a near neighbor, a one-time soil test settles the question.
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.
Total Sites
83
across Lake County
Risk Level
Moderate
Highest-severity
3 Toxics Release Inventory facilities
Sources Checked
across Lake County
Severity Distribution
across Lake County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Lake County, two things run higher than the national average — Nitrate (26 sites) and Underground Storage Tanks (53 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.
Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.
Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).
Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.
Check your specific parcel in Lake 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
Lake County Average
- ●USDA Zones 7b
- ●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 Lake County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Lake 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 Lake County, Tennessee
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 7b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 14 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 17 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~306 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 106K 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 Lake 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 Lake County, Tennessee?
Lake County sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b, 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 Lake County?
For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 17; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 14 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 17 — 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 Lake County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Lake County typically lands around Feb 14, 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 Lake County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Lake County sees about 306 frost-free days — roughly Feb 14 through Dec 17, 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 Lake County?
Lake County's zone 7b 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 Lake County, really?
Officially, Lake County sits in USDA zone 7b (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 Lake County?
The federal record around Lake County shows 83 documented sites — a typical footprint for a growing area, and proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. It's worth seeing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and testing the soil before new food beds near any of them.
Just moved to Lake County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Lake County sits in USDA zone 7b, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Feb 14, with about 306 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 83 documented sites sit on the federal record — a typical footprint for a growing area, worth a look on the contamination map before food beds. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Lake 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.