When to Plant Your Garden for a Veggie-filled Summer if You Live in Zone 7 (2024)

FAQs

When can you put plants outside in Zone 7? ›

April. April is the month that Zone 7 has its average last frost. After the last frost date, it is generally considered safe to plant tender seedlings outdoors.

The Best Time to Plant Warm-Season Vegetables

Avoid planting before the soil and air temperatures have warmed up above this point in spring or early summer because the seeds and plants simply won't grow. Wait until about two weeks after the average last frost date for your region to plant warm-season crops.

Zone 7. In zone 7, cool-weather vegetables can usually be planted outdoors in early February. These crops include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, onions, peas, potatoes, radishes, spinach, turnips, kale and collards.

Put your plants out only after night temperatures remain above 60°F (usually mid-May or early June). Acclimate plants to increased light by placing them in a shady area outdoors. Slowly introduce indoor plants that like sun into a sunnier location over a period of two weeks.

Tip 1: Wait for temperatures to warm up.

Most common houseplants are native to warm tropical or arid environments. To avoid potential cold damage or worse, wait until the temperature outside is consistently above 60–65 degrees Fahrenheit (15–18 degrees Celsius) before moving any plants.

Mid-March to mid-April—early spring–for planting early, hardy crops. May 1 to June 1—late spring– for planting tender crops. Late June to late July—mid-summer–for planting succession crops warm weather crops and cool-season crops for fall and winter harvest.

As a general rule, put tall veggies toward the back of the bed, mid-sized ones in the middle, and smaller plants in the front or as a border. Consider adding pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects that can not only help you get a better harvest, but will also prey on garden pests.

Tomatoes should be grown in shelter or under cover in cool climates. Tomatoes like lots of food! In a garden bed, compost and mulching will produce a crop from one or two plants. In containers, use some suitable long term fertiliser pellets or feed regularly when you water.

Where is growing Zone 7 in the United States? ›

From east to west, it begins in small areas of southern Connecticut. It then stretches south through Virginia, east through Tennessee and northern Arkansas, and southwest through the Texas panhandle and New Mexico, then narrows and winds north through Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington.

Hardiness Zone 7's coldest temperatures fall between zero and ten degrees Fahrenheit. It's subdivided into Zone 7a—encompassing territories with zero- to five-degree temperatures—and Zone 7b—encompassing territories with five- to ten-degree temperatures.

Zone 7a: This subzone has a minimum average temperature of 0° to 5° F. Zone 7b: This subzone has a minimum average temperature of 5° to 10°F.

It is important to remember that tomatoes are warm weather plants and will not grow in temperatures below 50°F (10°C). The soil should also be warm enough – ideally 60°F (16°C). In general, 'if you're growing tomatoes from seeds you can sow indoors any time from March to the end of May.

Tomatoes run on warmth; plant in late spring and early summer except in zone 10, where they are a fall and winter crop. For a head start on growing, plant starter plants instead of seeds.

It's safe to move your plants outside when the outdoor temperatures stay consistently above 50°F. Pay attention to the weather report. If nighttime temperatures are set to fall below 50°F, bring your plants in for the night. Bring them back outside when temperatures rise.

Seedlings, with their tender new leaves, often give up the ghost when temperatures dip to 32-33°F. Tropical plants have differing low-temperature thresholds. Some keel over when temps fall to 40°F; others crumble at 35°F. Other plants are just hardy by nature and can withstand temperatures as low as 18-20°F.

Some advice says that your plants will be okay once the nighttime temperature is consistently above 55 degrees F. I say wait until it's consistently above 60 degrees, and I personally do not bring my plants out until it has hit 65 in the evening at least once.

Frost Advisory - This is when the temperature is expected to fall to 36 degrees to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Freeze Warning - This is issued when there is at least an 80% chance that the temperature will hit 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Light freeze - 29° to 32° Fahrenheit will kill tender plants.