Real gardening tips for Kentucky’s clay soil, unpredictable weather, and humid summers—from an Adair County gardener figuring it out alongside you.
Welcome to Bloom & Peck’s Kentucky Zone 6 & 7 Gardening Hub—where I share what’s actually happening in my Zone 7a garden, wins and fails included.
I’m not a master gardener or an expert. I’m learning as I go, dealing with the same Kentucky clay soil, surprise spring frosts, and July heat waves that you are. Some things work great. Some things… well, let’s just say the chickens enjoyed those failed lettuce starts.
This hub is where I’m organizing everything I’m learning about gardening in Kentucky Zones 6a, 6b, and 7a—the stuff that’s working, the experiments in progress, and the honest mistakes so you can skip them
🌍 What Zone Am I In?
Kentucky spans USDA Zones 6a, 6b, and 7a depending on where you live:
Zone 6a (Northern Kentucky, higher elevations)
- Last frost: Late April/early May
- First frost: Mid-October
- Coldest winters
Zone 6b (Louisville, Lexington, central KY)
- Last frost: Mid-April
- First frost: Late October
- Most common zone in Kentucky
Zone 7a (Southern Kentucky, lower elevations like my Adair County)
- Last frost: Early-mid April
- First frost: Late October/early November
- Warmest zone
Good news: Most of what works in one zone works in the others—you just adjust your planting dates by 1-2 weeks. I’ll note when zone differences really matter!
🌱 WHAT I’M LEARNING ABOUT KENTUCKY GARDENING
Understanding Kentucky’s Zone 6b/7a Climate (The Real Version)
What “Zone 6b/7a” actually means for your garden:
- Last frost is supposed to be mid-April (but I’ve seen May frosts, so… 🤷♀️)
- First frost hits around mid-October (earlier if you’re in a valley)
- Growing season: About 200 days (when Mother Nature cooperates)
- Summer = hot, humid, and rain when you don’t want it (or drought when you do)
- Clay soil = nutrient-rich but DENSE (amending is a must)
What I’ve learned the hard way:
- Don’t rush tomatoes out in April with out protection (even if it’s 75°F that day)
- July and August require shade cloth (trust me on this)
- September is actually the best planting month
- That “last frost date” is more of a suggestion than a rule
- No matter What the weather looks like in February, wait for it….
🍅 GROWING FOOD IN KENTUCKY (My Ongoing Experiments)
Tomatoes (My Main Obsession)
I’m slightly obsessed with getting tomatoes to thrive in Kentucky’s heat and humidity. Here’s what I’m learning:
What’s working:
- Best Tomatoes to Grow in Kentucky: Zone 6 & 7 Guide
The varieties that actually survive our summers (not all heirlooms make it) - Tomato Trials Series
My ongoing experiments with trellising, companion planting, and keeping hornworms at bay
What I’m still figuring out:
- The perfect spacing for airflow (humidity is REAL)
- When to give up on a plant vs. when to keep trying
- Whether determinate or indeterminate works better here
Other Veggies I’m Growing
Sweet Potatoes:
- Starting Sweet Potato Slips in Kentucky
My trial-and-error journey with slips (spoiler: clamshell containers work!)
Cucumbers:
- Learning about trellising (my arched trellis is working great!)
- Dealing with powdery mildew (ongoing battle)
Peppers:
- They LOVE Kentucky’s heat (one success story!)
- Still learning optimal planting times
Coming soon as I try them:
- Thelma Sanders Squash- The post is coming I love these preformed well in 2025 Arched cattle panel trellis Trial.
- More companion plant
- Garlic, planted in november I will share my success and failures
- Onions – plants, I did not get see in on time.
- Beets
- Cabbage
- and more! I will share as I “Grow”
🌼 COMPANION PLANTING (My Favorite Experiment)
I’m all-in on companion planting because it’s like a puzzle I get to solve:
What I’m testing:
- Companion Planting for Kentucky Gardens
What grows well together here (spoiler: marigolds are my best friend) - Companion Planting Series
My ongoing tests—some wins, some “well, that didn’t work”
Current experiments:
- Pollinator rings around my raspberry bushes
- Three Sisters method in Kentucky clay (we’ll see…)
- Herbs that help (and which ones the chickens destroy)
📅 WHAT TO PLANT WHEN (As I Figure It Out)
I’m building this section as we move through the seasons! Check back for updates.
Spring in Kentucky
March:
- Cool-season starts (peas, lettuce, spinach)
- Seed starting indoors (tomatoes, peppers)
- Hoping the chickens don’t scratch up the new beds
April:
- Still frost risk—learned this the hard way
- Planting potatoes (fingerling experiment happening!)
- Getting tomato cages ready (never too early)
May:
- FINALLY safe for tomatoes (usually after May 10th)
- Warm-season planting begins
- Companion planting setup
Summer in Kentucky
June:
- Everything is growing! (Or dying from heat… one or the other)
- Companion planting starting to show results
- First harvest excitement
July:
- Shade cloth is a MUST
- Keeping plants watered (but not drowned)
- Fighting humidity and pests
- Questioning my life choices (kidding… mostly)
August:
- Some plants are thriving, some are done
- Planning fall garden
- Collecting seeds (when I remember)
Fall in Kentucky
September:
- I love the Fall Succession Planting
- Fall crops going in
- Enjoying cooler temps
October:
- Extending season with row covers
- First frost prep
- Harvesting and preserving
Winter Projects
Planning next year (and forgetting half my notes)
Winter Sowing Without Milk Jugs
Using clamshell containers (works great!)
🛠️ MY KENTUCKY GARDEN SETUP (Budget Edition)
Dealing with Clay Soil (The Struggle is Real)
What I’m learning:
- Clay isn’t BAD, just… challenging
- Amendments are your friend (compost, peat moss, perlite)
- Raised beds help A LOT
- No-till is tempting but I’m not there yet
Coming soon as I test more:
- What soil amendments work best
- Building soil over time
- When to just embrace the clay
My Garden Beds & Containers
What I’m using:
- 7 Best Metal Raised Garden Beds for Kentucky
The ones that survive our weather (I tested them so you don’t have to!) - Salt lick tubs (free from a local farm, work great!)
- Thrifted containers (whatever I can find)
- In-ground beds (with LOTS of amendments)
DIY Projects I’m working on:
- Cattle panel trellises (surprisingly affordable!)
- Shade cloth setup (trial and error happening)
- Compost system (currently a messy pile, working on it)
🐛 KENTUCKY GARDENING CHALLENGES (What I’m Dealing With)
Pests I’m Fighting
Tomato hornworms:
- Hand-picking is my go-to (gross but effective)
- Considering Bt spray from Epic Gardening
- Chickens love them (silver lining!)
Squash vine borers:
- Still learning how to prevent these jerks
- Lost some squash this year, trying again next season
Japanese beetles:
- They’re everywhere in July
- Testing companion plants that repel them
- Hand-picking gets old fast
Powdery mildew:
- Humidity + crowded plants = problem
- Learning about airflow and spacing
- Milk spray experiment coming soon
Weather Drama
- Spring frost surprises (covered plants at 10pm more than once)
- July/August heat (shade cloth saved my sanity)
- Too much rain OR drought (never just right!)
- Humidity (the root of most problems)
🌾 OTHER STUFF I’M TRYING
Berries (New Obsession)
- Growing Raspberries Series
My Tulamagi raspberry adventure with intercropping - Strawberries (planning to try next spring)
- Blueberries (researching varieties for Kentucky)
Herbs & Flowers
Working great:
- Thyme (variegated lemon thyme smells AMAZING)
- Marigolds (pest control + pretty)
- Basil (when it’s not too hot)
Still figuring out:
- Perennial herbs in clay soil
- Which flowers attract the BEST pollinators
- Keeping chickens out of flower beds (ongoing challenge)
Kentucky’s climate gives us a long growing season, but also throws some curveballs—like heavy spring rain, dense clay soil, July droughts or RAIN, and humidity that can wreck your tomato leaves overnight.
I garden in Zone 6b or 7A, depending on what grow chart is used, and here’s what that means in practice:
- You’ll plant cool-season crops as early as mid-March
- Summers are hot, humid, and stormy
- Clay soil holds nutrients, but needs major amending
- Shade, airflow, and organic mulch are your best friends
📌 RESOURCES I ACTUALLY USE
Where I get seeds:
- Epic Gardening (affiliate link – use BLOOMPECK5 for 5% off)
- Local seed swaps (when I remember to save seeds!)
- Experimenting with seed saving
Tools & supplies I recommend:
- (Building this list as I find what works!)
Local Kentucky resources:
- (Adding as I discover them!)
💬 LET’S CONNECT
Want to share what’s working in YOUR Kentucky garden?
Find me on:
Pinterest: Bloom & Peck
Instagram: @bloomandpeck
Facebook: Bloom & Peck
🧺 What Makes My Kentucky Garden Different
I don’t have a big setup or unlimited time—I garden with intention, using what I have and adjusting as I go. This year, I’m testing:
- Raised beds vs. containers vs. in-ground planting
- Shade cloth placement
- Organic-only growing
- Low-cost trellis systems
- What thrives in our Kentucky clay soil
Every test I run, I share here on the blog so you can skip the trial-and-error.
📬 Want Real-Time Bloom and Peck Garden Updates?
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