Zone 7b Planting Guide 2026 | Charlotte, Memphis, Dallas Garden Calendar

Zone 7b's 215-to-240-day season is one of the most productive in the country — long enough for spring and fall gardens, heat-lovers like okra and sweet potatoes, and superhots that fully mature. The real challenge here is heat, not cold. Here are your 2026 dates, frost windows, and best varieties.

Major cities in Zone 7b

Primary cities: Charlotte, NC • Memphis, TN • Dallas/Fort Worth, TX • Atlanta, GA (suburbs) • Oklahoma City, OK • Raleigh, NC (suburbs)

Also includes: Parts of North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and northern Alabama.

2026 Zone 7b Planting Calendar

January–February — indoor starting

February–March — cool-season crops

April — warm-season planting

Best Varieties for Zone 7b

Tomatoes — wide-open selection

• Cherokee Purple (80 days): Outstanding heirloom flavor
• Mortgage Lifter (85 days): Huge beefsteak, thrives in heat
• San Marzano (80 days): Best for sauce and canning
• Celebrity (70 days): Disease-resistant workhorse
• Brandywine (90 days): Classic heirloom with room to mature
• Cherry tomatoes: Sun Gold, Black Cherry, Sweet Million

Peppers — full spectrum

• Sweet: Big Bertha, Lunchbox, Jimmy Nardello
• Mild Hot: Poblano, Banana, Shishito, Cubanelle
• Medium Hot: Jalapeño, Serrano, Cayenne
• Superhot: Habanero, Carolina Reaper, Ghost Pepper — all mature fully in zone 7b

Heat-loving stars

• Okra: Clemson Spineless, Burgundy, Star of David
• Sweet potatoes: Beauregard, Jewel, Covington
• Southern peas: Purple Hull, Zipper Cream, Mississippi Silver
• Melons: Ambrosia, Hale's Best, Sugar Baby watermelon

Cool-season crops

• Lettuce: Heat-tolerant varieties — Jericho, Muir, New Red Fire
• Spinach: Space, Corvair (bolt-resistant)
• Peas: Wando (heat-tolerant), Sugar Sprint
• Carrots: Nantes, Nelson, Mokum

Zone 7b Frost Information

2026 climate considerations

• Early warmth: Zone 7b often sees 70°F+ days in February — don't be fooled, late frosts still come
• Summer heat: Extended 90-100°F periods in July-August — provide afternoon shade for cool-season holdovers
• Humidity: Charlotte and Memphis are humid — choose disease-resistant varieties and space plants for airflow
• Long fall: Mild November means an excellent fall garden with second plantings

Frost protection strategies

• Row covers: Useful for early spring transplants and extending fall harvest
• Shade cloth: 30-40% shade cloth matters more than frost cloth here — summer heat kills more plants than cold
• Mulch: 3-4 inches of straw mulch conserves moisture and keeps soil cool in summer
• Drip irrigation: Essential for hot, dry stretches in July-August

Zone 7b Success Tips

Soil and site preparation

• Soil test: Piedmont clay (Charlotte) needs gypsum and organic matter; Texas blackland prairie needs sulfur for alkaline soil
• Drainage: Heavy clay is common — raised beds solve drainage issues
• pH: Varies widely by region — test before amending
• Organic matter: Red clay and blackland both improve dramatically with annual compost additions

Season extension techniques

• Two-season garden: Zone 7b is ideal for spring AND fall gardens
• Fall planting: Direct sow lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, beets in August-September
• Winter greens: Kale, collards, and spinach often overwinter in zone 7b with light protection
• Succession planting: Plant beans and cucumbers every 3 weeks from April through July

Common Zone 7b mistakes

1. Ignoring the fall garden: The mild fall is your second chance — don't waste it
2. Not managing summer heat: Shade cloth, mulch, and consistent watering prevent midsummer crop failure
3. Planting cool-season crops too late: Lettuce and spinach must go in by mid-March or they bolt
4. Underestimating disease pressure: Humid summers mean blight and mildew — choose resistant varieties and rotate crops

Monthly Zone 7b Garden Tasks

January–February

• Start pepper, eggplant, and tomato seeds indoors
• Direct sow peas outdoors (late February)
• Prune fruit trees and berry bushes
• Prepare beds with compost as soon as soil is workable

March

• Direct sow lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, kale
• Transplant tomatoes and peppers after last frost (late March)
• Set up trellises and supports
• Mulch around transplants

April

• Plant beans, corn, squash, cucumbers, melons
• Plant okra and sweet potato slips once soil is warm
• Side-dress established plants
• Begin pest monitoring

May–June

• Harvest cool-season crops before heat
• Maintain mulch and watering schedule
• Succession plant beans and cucumbers
• Install shade cloth for remaining cool-season plants

August–September

• Plant fall garden: lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots, beets, radishes
• Start broccoli and cauliflower transplants for fall
• Reduce watering on tomatoes to concentrate flavor
• Begin fall cleanup of spent summer crops

Related Zone Guides

• Zone 7a Planting Guide
• Zone 6b Planting Guide
• Complete Spring Planting Calendar
• Tomato Planting by Zone

Last updated: March 6, 2026 | Zone 7b data based on USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 and NOAA climate normals.