Boyle County, in Kentucky, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7a — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.
Growers here do well with pawpaw, tomato, blackberry, and redbud — with the usual caveat that any single yard's soil, sun, and drainage cast the deciding vote.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Boyle County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Boyle County, so your frost dates and drainage aren't the county average. Enter your address and we'll score 1,112 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Quick Facts
USDA Zones
7a
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Mar 5
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Nov 28
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
115K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Boyle County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Boyle County
Across Boyle County, the ground is predominantly Alfisols, where Lowell, McAfee, and Eden are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a silt loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.8–6.5, slightly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group B soils.
Soil order
Alfisols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
25%
Hydric soils
1%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Boyle County
Plants matched to Boyle County's USDA zones 7a — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Boyle County?
Too late for some crops, right on time for others — a growing season is a sequence, not a deadline. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 5; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 5 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 28 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the calendar nearly circles: cool-season crops take the winter shift, and the next window is always close.
Growing Challenges in Kentucky
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Heavy clay soils in the Bluegrass region
Bluegrass clay opens up with steady compost — or start above it in a raised bed and grow while the ground improves.
High humidity promotes fungal diseases
Space wide, water mornings at the base, and favor resistant varieties — your extension's disease-resistant lists earn their keep here.
Karst topography creates drainage unpredictability
Karst ground drains erratically — watch where water goes in a hard rain before siting beds, and mound up where it lingers.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Kentucky, the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Boyle County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Boyle County — 179 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 3 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Boyle County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources: EPA, USGS — 1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.
Environmental Intelligence
Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.
Sources Checked
across Boyle County
Severity Distribution
across Boyle County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Boyle County, two things run higher than the national average — PFAS (5 sites) and Toxic Release Inventory (15 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
PFAS: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are called "forever chemicals" because they do not biodegrade.
Toxic Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.
Test irrigation water source — this is the primary pathway for PFAS to reach garden crops.
Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.
Check your specific parcel in Boyle County
Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,112 plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Your Specific Parcel Matters
Boyle County Average
- ●USDA Zones 7a
- ●Generic soil type for the area
- ●State-average frost dates
YOUR Parcel
- ✓Your exact hardiness zone
- ✓Your SSURGO soil type & pH
- ✓Your sun exposure, cast in 3D
See MY Growing Report
Read your parcel in Boyle County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Boyle County, Kentucky — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Key Growing Facts for Boyle County, Kentucky
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 7a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 5 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 28 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~268 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 115K acres (US Census TIGER 2025)
Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. County boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.
Frost dates here are the Boyle County average. Low spots and tree cover move them by days on any one yard — see your exact frost windows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zone is Boyle County, Kentucky?
Boyle County sits in USDA hardiness zone 7a, per the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Zones reflect average annual extreme minimum temperatures from 1991–2020 weather data.
Is it too late to plant in Boyle County?
Too late for some crops, right on time for others — a growing season is a sequence, not a deadline. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 5; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 5 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 28 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the calendar nearly circles: cool-season crops take the winter shift, and the next window is always close.
When does frost risk typically end in Boyle County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Boyle County typically lands around Mar 5, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — an earlier marker than the light-frost dates many planting charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — light frosts can still bite for a few more weeks, so tender transplants usually wait another 2–3 weeks.
How long is the growing season in Boyle County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Boyle County sees about 268 frost-free days — roughly Mar 5 through Nov 28, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops get a somewhat shorter practical window, since lighter frosts reach a few weeks past the hard-freeze dates on both ends.
What vegetables grow in Boyle County?
Boyle County's zone 7a supports a wide range — strong performers include Pawpaw, Tomato, Blackberry, Redbud, and Kentucky Bluegrass. What actually takes on any one site comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage, and we score each plant against the real conditions at your address.
Which hardiness zone is Boyle County, really?
Officially, Boyle County sits in USDA zone 7a (USDA PHZM 2023) — but a zone is a 30-year average of winter's coldest night across an area, and it can't see any one yard. A south-facing slope, a tree line, or a low frost pocket can shift a single site by half a zone either way, which is why neighboring gardeners often quote different numbers. We read the conditions at your exact address — soil, sun, slope, and frost — and score 1,112 plants against what's actually there.
Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Boyle County?
The federal record around Boyle County runs heavier than most — 179 documented sites — so test the soil before planting food in the ground, and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well in the meantime. Even here, proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what's recorded and where.
Just moved to Boyle County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Boyle County sits in USDA zone 7a, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Mar 5, with about 268 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 179 documented sites sit on the federal record here, so a soil test before food beds is the smart first step. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Boyle County average. Your yard writes its own version — we read soil, sun, drainage, and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.
Will It Grow Here?
Zone fit is the first question — each answer below reads Kentucky's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.