Plant Help
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Plant Help
Our growers’ guide for Tennessee gardens — what to plant, when to plant it, and what to do about whatever is eating it. Every guide is written for the Upper Cumberland, zone 7a.
506 guides · 11 topics · Livingston, TN
Flowers & Color (82)
Annuals, perennials, bulbs and flowering vines for Upper Cumberland gardens.
- Ajuga
- Alliums
- Angelonia
- Annual Salvia
- Annual Vinca
- Asiatic Lilies
- Astilbe
- Bearded Iris
- Bee Balm
- Begonias
- Black-Eyed Susans
- Blanket Flower
- Bleeding Heart
- Caladiums
- Calibrachoa
- Cannas
- Catmint
- Celosia
- Clematis
- Climbing Roses
- Coleus
- Columbine
- Coral Bells
- Coreopsis
- Cosmos
- Creeping Phlox
- Crocus
- Daffodils
- Dahlias
- Daylilies
- Delphinium
- Dianthus
- Dusty Miller
- Elephant Ears
- Foxglove
- Garden Geraniums
- Garden Mums
- Garden Phlox
- Gladiolus
- Hardy Geranium
- Hardy Hibiscus
- Hellebores
- Hollyhocks
- Hostas
- Hyacinth Bean Vine
- Hyacinths
- Impatiens
- Lambs Ear
- Lantana
- Lily of the Valley
- Liriope
- Mandevilla
- Marigolds
- Mondo Grass
- Moonflower
- Morning Glories
- Moss Rose
- Nasturtiums
- Ornamental Grasses
- Ornamental Kale
- Pansies
- Peonies
- Perennial Asters
- Perennial Salvia
- Petunias
- Purple Coneflower
- Russian Sage
- Scaevola
- Shade Ferns
- Shasta Daisies
- Snapdragons
- Sunflowers
- Sweet Alyssum
- Sweet Peas
- Sweet Potato Vine
- Torenia
- Tulips
- Upright Sedum
- Verbena
- Vinca Minor
- Yarrow
- Zinnias
Trees & Shrubs (81)
Shade trees, ornamentals, evergreens, fruit trees and small fruit for zone 7a.
- Abelia
- Apple Trees
- Arborvitae
- Azaleas
- Bald Cypress
- Beautyberry
- Black Gum Trees
- Black Walnut Trees
- Blackberries
- Blue Spruce
- Blueberries
- Boxwoods
- Bradford and Callery Pears
- Butterfly Bush
- Camellias
- Cherry Laurel
- Crape Myrtles
- Deutzia
- Eastern Hemlock
- Eastern Redbuds
- Eastern White Pine
- Elderberries
- Fig Trees
- Flowering Cherries
- Flowering Dogwoods
- Flowering Quince
- Forsythia
- Fringe Tree
- Gardenias
- Ginkgo Trees
- Gooseberries and Currants
- Grapes
- Green Giant Arborvitae
- Hardy Kiwi
- Hazelnut Bushes
- Hollies
- Hydrangeas
- Itea (Virginia Sweetspire)
- Japanese Maples
- Junipers
- Landscape Roses
- Leyland Cypress
- Lilacs
- Loropetalum
- Mock Orange
- Mountain Laurel
- Mulberry Trees
- Muscadine Grapes
- Ninebark
- Norway Spruce
- Pawpaw Trees
- Peach Trees
- Pear Trees
- Pecan Trees
- Persimmon Trees
- Pin Oaks
- Plum Trees
- Privet
- Raspberries
- Red Maple
- Rhododendrons
- River Birches
- Rose of Sharon
- Saucer Magnolia
- Serviceberry Trees
- Smoke Tree
- Sour Cherry Trees
- Southern Magnolias
- Spirea
- Star Magnolia
- Sugar Maples
- Sweet Cherry Trees
- Tulip Poplars
- Viburnum
- Weeping Willows
- Weigela
- White Oaks
- Willow Oaks
- Witch Hazel
- Yews
- Zelkova Trees
Vegetables & Herbs (87)
What to grow, when to plant it, and how to keep it producing in Tennessee.
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Basil
- Bay Laurel
- Beets
- Bok Choy
- Borage
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Bulb Onions
- Bush Beans
- Cabbage
- Cantaloupes
- Carrots
- Catnip
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Celery
- Chamomile
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Collards
- Cucumbers
- Dill
- Edamame
- Eggplant
- Endive and Escarole
- Fennel
- Garden Peas
- Garlic
- Gourds
- Green Onions
- Ground Cherries
- Horseradish
- Hot Peppers
- Jerusalem Artichokes
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Lavender
- Leeks
- Lemon Balm
- Lemongrass
- Lettuce
- Lima Beans
- Luffa Gourds
- Malabar Spinach
- Marjoram
- Mint
- Mustard Greens
- Napa Cabbage
- Okra
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Parsnips
- Peanuts
- Peppers
- Pole Beans
- Popcorn
- Potatoes
- Pumpkins
- Radicchio
- Radishes
- Rhubarb
- Rosemary
- Rutabagas
- Sage
- Shallots
- Sorrel
- Southern Peas
- Spinach
- Stevia
- Strawberries
- Summer Savory
- Summer Squash
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Potatoes
- Swiss Chard
- Tarragon
- Thyme
- Tomatillos
- Tomatoes
- Turnips
- Watermelons
- Winter Squash
- Yardlong Beans
- Zucchini
Lawn & Grass (26)
Fescue and bermuda care — seeding, feeding, mowing and problem-solving.
- Bermuda Grass
- Broadleaf Weed Control
- Brown Patch in Fescue
- Core Aeration
- Crabgrass Control
- Dandelion Control
- Full Lawn Renovation Steps
- Growing Lawn Grass in Shade
- Grubs in the Lawn
- Lawn Fertilizer Timing
- Lawn Irrigation
- Lawn Thatch
- Leaves on the Lawn
- Moss in Lawns
- Mowing Bermuda
- Mowing Tall Fescue
- Pre-Emergent Timing for Crabgrass
- Repairing Bare Lawn Spots
- Reseeding Tall Fescue
- Ryegrass Winter Overseeding
- Soil Testing a Lawn
- Summer Lawn Stress and Dormancy
- Tall Fescue Basics
- White Clover in the Lawn
- Winter Lawn Care Basics
- Zoysia Grass Basics
Bugs & Pests (46)
Identify what is chewing, sucking or tunneling — and what to check before treating.
- Aphids
- Asparagus Beetle
- Bagworms
- Borers in Trees
- Cabbage Worms
- Carpenter Bees
- Chiggers
- Colorado Potato Beetle
- Corn Earworm
- Cucumber Beetles
- Cutworms
- Earwigs
- Eastern Tent Caterpillars
- Fall Armyworms
- Fall Webworms
- Fire Ants
- Flea Beetles
- Fleas in the Yard
- Fungus Gnats
- Garden Ants
- Grasshoppers
- Harlequin Bugs
- Japanese Beetles and Grub Control
- Leaf Miners
- Leafhoppers
- Mealybugs
- Mosquitoes Around the Yard
- Peachtree Borer
- Periodical Cicadas
- Pillbugs and Sowbugs
- Root-Knot Nematodes
- Sawfly Larvae
- Scale Insects
- Slugs and Snails
- Spider Mites
- Spotted Lanternfly Watch
- Squash Bugs
- Squash Vine Borers
- Stink Bugs
- Thrips
- Ticks Around the Yard
- Tomato Hornworms
- Wasps and Hornets
- Whiteflies
- Wireworms
- Yellowjackets
Plant Diseases (38)
Spots, wilts, rots and mildews: confirm the disease before you treat it.
- Anthracnose
- Apple Scab
- Bacterial Wilt
- Black Spot on Roses
- Blossom-End Rot
- Botrytis Gray Mold
- Boxwood Blight
- Brown Rot of Stone Fruit
- Canker Diseases
- Cedar Apple Rust
- Crown Gall
- Damping Off
- Dollar Spot
- Downy Mildew
- Early Blight on Tomatoes
- Fairy Rings
- Fire Blight
- Fusarium Wilt
- Large Patch
- Late Blight Watch
- Leaf Spot
- Mosaic Virus
- Needle Cast on Spruce
- Oak Wilt Watch
- Peach Leaf Curl
- Powdery Mildew
- Red Thread
- Root Rot
- Rose Rosette Disease
- Rust Diseases
- Seiridium Canker on Leyland Cypress
- Septoria Leaf Spot
- Shot Hole Disease
- Slime Mold on Mulch
- Sooty Mold
- Southern Blight
- Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
- Verticillium Wilt
Moles, Deer & Critters (18)
Wildlife pressure on Tennessee yards, from moles and voles to deer.
- Armadillos in the Garden
- Bats Around the Property
- Box Turtles in the Garden
- Chipmunk Management
- Crows and Grackles in the Garden
- Deer-Resistant Planting
- Groundhog Management
- Mole Control
- Opossums Around the Property
- Protecting Fruit from Birds
- Rabbit Damage
- Raccoons in the Garden
- Skunks in the Yard
- Snakes in the Garden
- Squirrel Garden Damage
- Stray Cats Using Garden Beds
- Vole Control
- Wild Turkeys in the Yard
Soil, Mulch & Fertilizer (28)
Soil tests, amendments, mulch choices and reading a fertilizer label.
- Biochar Basics for Garden Soil
- Building Organic Matter
- Choosing Mulch
- Coffee Grounds and Eggshells
- Compost Basics
- Container Potting Mix
- Cover Crops for the Garden
- Epsom Salt in the Garden
- Fertilizer Safety
- Garden Soil and Topsoil
- Gardening in Clay Soil
- Gypsum for Clay Soil
- How to Take a Soil Test
- Improving Garden Drainage
- Lime and Soil pH
- Liquid Fertilizer
- Peat Moss and Alternatives
- Perlite and Vermiculite Uses
- Pine Bark Mulch
- Raised Bed Soil Mix
- Reading Fertilizer Labels
- Reusing Old Potting Soil
- Sand in Clay Soil
- Slow-Release Fertilizer
- Soil Prep for Fruit Trees
- Straw Mulch
- Using Composted Manure
- Wood Ash in the Garden
When to Plant (26)
Month-by-month timing for the Upper Cumberland, zone 7a.
- April Garden Calendar
- August Garden Calendar
- Bare-Root Planting Season
- Cool-Season Color Changeover
- December Garden Calendar
- Direct Sowing Versus Transplants
- Dormant Pruning Window
- Fall Bulb Planting Timing
- Fall Frost Dates and Season End
- February Garden Calendar
- January Garden Calendar
- July Garden Calendar
- June Garden Calendar
- March Garden Calendar
- May Garden Calendar
- November Garden Calendar
- October Garden Calendar
- Overwintering Tender Plants
- Planting Under Summer Heat
- Second-Chance July Plantings
- September Garden Calendar
- Spring Frost Dates for the Area
- Starting Seeds Indoors, Timed Right
- Succession Planting for Continuous Harvest
- Timing a Fall Vegetable Garden
- Warm-Season Changeover After Frost
Farm, Feed & Birds (32)
Feed-room basics for flocks, livestock and backyard birds.
- All-Stock Feed Basics
- Backyard Flock Hygiene
- Barn & Coop Fly Control
- Bird Seed Basics
- Broody Hen Care
- Cattle Mineral Basics
- Chick Brooder Setup
- Chick Starter Feed
- Choosing Bird Feeders
- Coop Bedding Choices
- Deer Corn and Wildlife Feed
- Egg Handling & Storage
- Flock Predator-Proofing
- Goat Feed Basics
- Grit & Oyster Shell Basics
- Horse Feed Basics
- Hummingbird Feeding
- Layer Feed Basics
- Meat Bird & Broiler Feed
- Molting Season Flock Care
- Pig & Swine Feed Basics
- Pullet to Layer Feed Switch
- Rabbit Feed Basics
- Safe Feed Storage
- Salt & Mineral Blocks
- Scratch Grains: Treat, Not Feed
- Sheep Feed Basics
- Suet for Birds
- Summer Heat & the Flock
- Turkey & Gamebird Feed
- Waterfowl & Duck Feed
- Winter Flock Care Basics
How-To Basics (42)
The fundamentals: planting, watering, pruning, mulching and more.
- Attracting Butterflies to the Garden
- Building a Raised Bed
- Cold Frames & Row Covers
- Companion Planting
- Container Drainage Myths
- Container Gardening
- Crop Rotation Basics
- Cut Flower Garden Basics
- Deadheading Flowers
- Dividing Perennials
- Drip Irrigation Basics
- Forcing Bulbs Indoors
- Frost Protection
- Hardening Off Seedlings
- Houseplant Winter Care
- How to Mulch
- How to Plant a Tree
- How to Plant Perennials
- How to Plant Shrubs
- How to Water Garden Plants
- Lasagna & No-Dig Beds
- Moving Houseplants Outside for Summer
- Mulch Volcanoes: Why to Avoid Them
- Overwintering Tender Tropicals
- Pollinator Garden Basics
- Propagation from Cuttings
- Pruning Basics
- Pruning Fruit Trees
- Pruning Hydrangeas Correctly
- Rain Barrel Basics
- Rain Garden Basics
- Rejuvenation Pruning Overgrown Shrubs
- Saving Seeds from the Garden
- Seed Starting Basics
- Square Foot Gardening Basics
- Staking Newly Planted Trees
- Staking Tomatoes
- Tool Care & Sharpening
- Transplanting Garden Plants
- Trellising Vining Crops
- Watering Newly Planted Trees
- Winter Sowing in Containers