Can I Grow Stock in Oregon?

USDA Zones 5a-10a · Plant zone range Data pending

Yes — Strong Match

stock is grown as an annual, so season length decides it here, not a winter zone — and Oregon's typical season runs ~213 frost-free days against the ~50 stock needs.

Sow by about Aug 23

Stock is grown as an annual, so what decides it here is season length, not a winter zone. It needs about 50 frost-free days and a typical Oregon season runs ~213 frost-free days, leaving 163 days of slack. That is room to sow as late as about Aug 23 and still finish before the usual first freeze (Nov 6), or to run a second succession.

Want more weeks at either end of that window? How to buy the weeks →

50 frost-free days required against Oregon’s ~213-day season. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS 1991-2020 (28°F killing freeze), state median across counties, via stateClimateData.ts.

Score your parcel · free

Your yard isn't the whole zone.

Stock is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Oregon site runs ~213 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score stock against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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Zone Comparison

Stock Needs

  • USDA Zones: Data pending
  • Frost-Free Days: 50+
  • Sun: Full Sun
  • Mature size: 2 ft tall
  • Picking window: ~60 days of harvest
  • Drought tolerance: Low

Oregon Has

  • USDA Zones: 5a-10a
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 25 - Apr 26
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 19 - Nov 26
  • Annual Rainfall: 8-90 inches
  • Common Soils: Volcanic, Silt loam (Willamette), Sandy loam

Preferred Soil pH

3.5 (Acidic)7.0 (Neutral)9.0 (Alkaline)
Highlighted range: pH 6.07.5

Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / Growable Ground plant catalog. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.

When to Plant Stock in Oregon

The frost window

Across Oregon, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 25 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 19 and Nov 26 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 176-day window you can count on — up to 274 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.

When to start the seed

Those dates are when stock goes out, not when it starts. It is sown under cover about 6 weeks ahead, so counting back from Oregon's late-side last freeze of Apr 26 is what fixes your sowing date — and a yard that clears frost earlier than the state's late date starts earlier still.

Days to maturity vs. the window

At 75 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 101 days to spare even in Oregon's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.

Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Klamath County, not the statewide average.

Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: USDA PLANTS Database. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.

Growing Season Fit

Frost-free days

Stock wants 50+ frost-free days; a typical Oregon site sees ~213 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.

Growing degree days

Stock needs ~600 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~1666 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Oregon's typical season clears that easily.

GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.

Soil + Drainage Fit

Stock likes near-neutral soil (pH 6-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Oregon's volcanic and silt loam (willamette) — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Oregon soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Oregon site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.

Your land, not the state average

Oregon's soils run mostly silt loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. What matters for stock is the horizon its roots actually work, not the surface. That map unit, not the state average, decides how stock performs.

Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.

Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Oregon soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.

Stock in Oregon — Quick Answer

  • Verdict: Yes — Strong Match
  • Plant Zones: Data pending (USDA PLANTS Database)
  • State Zones: 5a-10a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
  • Growing Season: 28°F hard freezes about Feb 25 - Apr 26 to Oct 19 - Nov 26 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020)
  • Days to Maturity: 75 days

What Else to Consider for Stock in Oregon

Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Oregon growers also need to think about:

West side: excessive rain and overcast skies reduce sun for warm-season crops

East side: arid conditions (8-15 inches rainfall) require irrigation

Slug pressure is extreme in western Oregon

Mountain areas have very short seasons (60-90 frost-free days)

Growing stock here specifically

Stock needs pH 6.0–7.5; Oregon's dominant silt loam soils may or may not deliver that, so your parcel's SSURGO map unit is the real test.

Start with a soil test on your own ground and adjust pH and texture to fit stock's 6.0–7.5 range. How to handle it →

What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Oregon grower, not just stock — is covered on the Oregon growing guide.

Timing shifts within Oregon

Oregon isn't one climate. In Klamath County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Jun 9 — roughly 67 days later than the recorded state median — so plant stock to your county's window, not the statewide date.

Stock needs about 50 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Klamath County — Oregon’s shortest season at 86 frost-free days — clears that by 36 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Oregon. What varies is your own parcel.

Across Oregon’s 36 counties the frost-free season runs from 86 days in Klamath County to 308 days in Lincoln County — a spread of 222 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Oregon county sees 213 frost-free days, leaving stock about 163 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.

County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Stock's 50-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.

Pollinator + Wildlife Value

Stock draws honeybees, butterflies, and moths (moderate value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, stock can only work that bloom inside Oregon's frost window — roughly 213 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 25 - Apr 26) and closing at the first (Oct 19 - Nov 26), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.

Recommended Stock Varieties for Oregon

Oregon publishes no state variety trial for stock, so we won't invent a "best for Oregon" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (5a-10a), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.

Oregon Cooperative Extension

For Oregon-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for stock, the canonical source is OSU Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.

Is Stock native to Oregon?

No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Stock as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Oregon's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Oregon natives keeps local pollinators fed too.

Looking for plants that belong here? The Oregon growing guide lists USDA-documented natives for the state.

Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.

Common Questions About Growing Stock in Oregon

When can I plant Stock in Oregon?

Oregon's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 25 and Apr 26, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 19 and Nov 26 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.

Can Stock mature before first frost in Oregon?

Yes — Stock matures in 75 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Oregon's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 176 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 101 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.

What hardiness zone is Stock grown in across Oregon?

Oregon spans USDA hardiness zones 5a-10a (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Stock carries a range of zones Data pending, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.

How many frost-free days does a typical Oregon site have?

A typical Oregon site sees ~213 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Stock needs 50+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Klamath, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.

Is Stock native to Oregon?

No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Stock as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Oregon's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Oregon natives keeps local pollinators fed too.

How should I amend the soil for Stock in Oregon?

Stock prefers pH 6-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage (Growable Ground Plant Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Oregon soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.

Will Stock actually grow on my specific land in Oregon?

State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores stock against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Oregon

State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores stock against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.

Three things about your lot that Oregon stock averages can't show:

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Oregon averages 213Your sun & shade

We read public map data around Oregon — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

25+ data sources read at your address, not the Oregon stock average

Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →

Cite this dataset

Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643

Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643

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