USDA zone 6a planting guide
Zone 6a means an average annual winter low of -10°F to -5°F. That coldest-temperature band describes winter cold tolerance. Frost dates and growing-season length come separately from NOAA climate normals.
A typical location in zone 6a sees its last spring frost around April 29 and its first fall frost around October 16. Pick a crop for its zone 6a planting dates, or get dates for your exact ZIP.
Zone 6a by month
Open the months with enough source-backed tasks for a useful zone 6a checklist.
The zone 6a planting year
When to start, transplant, sow, and harvest each crop in a typical zone 6alocation. Tap a crop for its full guide.
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Browse all 69 zone 6a crop guidesComplete directory
- Ageratum
- Annual Salvia (Scarlet Sage)
- Bachelors Button
- Basil
- Beet
- Bitter Melon
- Black-Eyed Susan
- Bok Choy
- Borage
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cantaloupe
- Carrot
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Collards
- Cosmos
- Cucamelon
- Cucumber
- Dahlia
- Dill
- Eggplant
- English Lavender
- Fennel
- Forget-me-not
- French Sorrel
- French Tarragon
- Garlic
- German Chamomile
- Globe Amaranth
- Globe Artichoke
- Green Bean (Snap Bean)
- Ground Cherry
- Impatiens
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Lettuce
- Luffa Gourd
- Malabar Spinach
- Marigold
- Mexican Sunflower
- Moonflower
- Mustard Greens
- Nasturtium
- New Zealand Spinach
- Parsley
- Parsnip
- Pepper
- Petunia
- Potato
- Pumpkin
- Radish
- Rhubarb
- Romanesco
- Rutabaga
- Spinach
- Stock
- Sunflower
- Sweet Alyssum
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Marjoram
- Swiss Chard
- Tomatillo
- Tomato
- Watermelon
- Wax Begonia
- Winter Squash
- Zucchini
Not sure which zone you are in?
Browsing zone 6a but not sure it's yours? Enter your ZIP and we will confirm your USDA zone and pull your nearest station's frost dates.
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service / Oregon State University PRISM Group. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020. Zone dates are medians across the zone; your town varies.