Rutherford County, in Tennessee, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7b — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.
Among the crops suited to this profile: tomato, pawpaw, iris, and muscadine grape. The site-level story — soil, sun, drainage — decides the rest.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Rutherford County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Rutherford 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 13
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Dec 14
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
397K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Rutherford County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Rutherford County
Across Rutherford County, the ground is predominantly Alfisols, where Gladeville, Talbott, and Bradyville are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a silt loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.6–6.7, slightly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group C soils.
Soil order
Alfisols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
36%
Hydric soils
6%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Rutherford County
Plants matched to Rutherford County's USDA zones 7b — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Rutherford County?
Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 16; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 13 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 14 — 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 Rutherford County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Rutherford County — 692 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 6 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Rutherford County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
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 Rutherford County
Severity Distribution
across Rutherford County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Rutherford County, two things run higher than the national average — Toxic Release Inventory (69 sites) and Underground Storage Tanks (425 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
Toxic Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.
Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.
Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.
Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.
Check your specific parcel in Rutherford 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
Rutherford 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 Rutherford County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Rutherford 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 Rutherford County, Tennessee
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 7b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 13 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Dec 14 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~304 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 397K 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 Rutherford 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 Rutherford County, Tennessee?
Rutherford 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 Rutherford County?
Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Jan 16; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Feb 13 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Dec 14 — 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 Rutherford County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Rutherford County typically lands around Feb 13, 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 Rutherford County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Rutherford County sees about 304 frost-free days — roughly Feb 13 through Dec 14, 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 Rutherford County?
Rutherford 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 Rutherford County, really?
Officially, Rutherford 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 Rutherford County?
The federal record around Rutherford County runs heavier than most — 692 documented sites — so test the soil before planting food in the ground, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well in the meantime. Even here, proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what's recorded and where.
Just moved to Rutherford County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Rutherford County sits in USDA zone 7b, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Feb 13, with about 304 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 692 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 Rutherford 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.