What Grows in Newcastle, Maine

USDA Zones 6a · 1K acres

Newcastle, Maine, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.

Expect cabbage, hazelnut, lavender, and collard greens to be strong candidates here; the deciding factors on any one parcel stay local — soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Newcastle, no two yards are alike.

A low spot, a south-facing slope, or a stand of trees moves the frost date and sun across a single Newcastle lot. Enter your address and we'll score 1,086 plants against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.

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

No card required · your full report in seconds

Newcastle — the short answer

Newcastle, Maine: USDA zone 6a, about 194 days between hard freezes, across 1K acres of town.

USDA zone
6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 16
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Oct 27
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~194
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
1K acres
US Census TIGER/Line 2025

Every figure names the dataset it came from. Hard-freeze dates are this town’s own 28°F normals: light frosts run a few weeks past them, and tender transplants usually wait 2–3 weeks after the last hard freeze.

Hardiness Zone Range

6a6a
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)
Your USDA zone 6aSee the zone map →

Zone 6a is Newcastle's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Newcastle's 194-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Newcastle

Each reading below is measured for Newcastle itself — here is what it means for a garden here, and the move an experienced grower makes about it.

Season length

Measured

Newcastle runs about 194 days between hard freezes — a moderate growing season.

There is room for the full run of cool-season crops plus a warm-season main crop, but the calendar is tight enough that a late spring or early fall frost still decides how much finishes.

Time warm-season transplants to your last hard freeze, and a few weeks of season extension turns a near-miss harvest into a sure one.

Buying weeks at each end

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Newcastle sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a.

The zone sets which perennials, shrubs, and fruit trees live through an average winter here — a plant rated for a colder zone is a safe bet, one rated warmer needs winter protection or gets treated as an annual.

Match perennials and fruit to the zone before you buy, so nothing you plant is a gamble against the cold.

How hardiness zones work

USDA PHZM 2023

The kind of country Newcastle is in

Newcastle sits in the Acadian Plains and Hills — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Newcastle's own centroid rather than borrowed from Lincoln County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Newcastle

Every plant below cleared Newcastle's own zone 6a and its 194-day season. Each card opens that plant's Maine profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in MaineZones 2–11Newcastle's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Maine hazelnut guideZones 4–9Newcastle's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in MaineZones 5–8Newcastle's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Maine growing notesZones 2–11Newcastle's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blueberry, photograph
Growing blueberry in MaineZones 3–8Newcastle's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Maine california poppy guideZones 6–10Newcastle's 6a is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in MaineZones 2–10Newcastle's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Blackberry: Maine growing notesZones 5–8Newcastle's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in MaineZones 3–8Newcastle's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
kale, photograph
Maine kale guideZones 2–11Newcastle's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
cranberry, photograph
Cranberry in MaineZones 2–7Newcastle's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Turkish rocket: Maine growing notesNewcastle's 194 days clear the ~90 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in MaineZones 2–11Newcastle's 194 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Maine okra guideZones 2–12Newcastle's 194 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in MaineZones 2–11Newcastle's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Maine growing notesZones 3–8Newcastle's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in MaineZones 2–11Newcastle's 194 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
Maine azalea guideZones 4–8Newcastle's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in MaineZones 3–8Newcastle's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Maine growing notesZones 3–10Newcastle's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in MaineNewcastle's 194 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Maine lilac guideZones 4–10Newcastle's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in MaineZones 3–8Newcastle's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Maine growing notesZones 6–8Newcastle's 6a is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in MaineZones 3–9Newcastle's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Maine ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Newcastle's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in MaineZones 2–7Newcastle's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Maine growing notesZones 4–10Newcastle's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in MaineZones 2–10Newcastle's 194 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
Maine canada wild rye guideZones 3–8Newcastle's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Newcastle?

Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 19; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 16 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 27 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. As the window narrows, the plantings just get faster — fall brassicas, then greens, then garlic to finish.

Documented around Newcastle

Survey cells within 31 miles of Newcastle checked for spotted lanternfly, none carrying a detection — a surveyed negative, not an absence of looking. Nearest documented record 51 miles off. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Newcastle

Closest first, within ~10 miles of Newcastle. Listing isn't leaking, and distance isn't exposure.

  1. ROBINHOOD WOODWORKS INCUnderground Storage Tanks · 950 ft
  2. MILLS BULK PLANTUnderground Storage Tanks · 950 ft
  3. NEW CASTLE FARMS 10Underground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  4. SALT BAY SVCUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  5. SALT BAY SVC STATIONUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  6. BUDS SERVICE STATION INCUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  7. BELVEDERE RD BULK PLANTUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.1 mi
  8. SPRAGUE, NEIL CUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.1 mi
  9. GREAT SALT BAY SANITARY DISTUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.1 mi
  10. CHESTER A RICE INCUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.1 mi
  11. SEACOAST AUTO CARE INCUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.1 mi
  12. SCHOONER LANDINGUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.1 mi

6 more sites are on the record inside the same radius. See them on the map

Measured from Newcastle's center, not your beds. Run your own address for what's upwind of you specifically.

Environmental Intelligence

The counts behind that headline — every source type on the record near Newcastle.

Total Sites

113

within ~10 miles of Newcastle

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

1 Superfund site (none NPL-listed)

Explore the live map
Underground Storage Tanks83Brownfields25Toxics Release Inventory4Superfund1

Sources Checked

within ~10 miles of Newcastle

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Newcastle

High0Moderate22Low91

Highest-Severity Sites

Big Apple Store
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Clipper Mart
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Colby & Gale Svc Station
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Hanleys Market
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Hilltop Stop
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Newcastle, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 83 sites within ~10 miles of Newcastle. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.

Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.

Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.

build up with a clean-soil raised bedread your soil before you plantSee what's flagged near Newcastle
Explore the contamination map around Newcastle·Maine Growing Guide
Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Newcastle

Get exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,086 plant recommendations.

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

Your land is one point inside Newcastle

Everything above resolves to Newcastle as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 1K acres. Your parcel is one point inside that footprint. Slope, tree cover, a low spot that pools cold air, and what is in the soil are all resolved at the address, and none of them are visible at town scale. That is the honest boundary of this page, and the reason the next step is a reading of your own ground rather than a better local average.

Your Lot vs the Newcastle Average

Newcastle Average

  • ●USDA Zones 6a, averaged across Newcastle
  • ●One soil character for all of Newcastle
  • ●Frost dates read at Newcastle's scale: Apr 16 to Oct 27

YOUR Parcel

  • ✓Your exact zone, not Newcastle's 6a
  • ✓Your SSURGO soil type & pH
  • ✓Your sun exposure, cast in 3D

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Newcastle

Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Newcastle, Maine — soil, sun, drainage, frost risk, and scored plant recommendations.

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Newcastle averages 194Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Newcastle

The datasets: hardiness from the USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, read at this town’s own centroid; hard-freeze dates from NOAA 1991–2020 28°F normals at Newcastle’s own record; boundaries and acreage from US Census TIGER/Line 2025; the contamination records from the federal sources named in their beats above. Soil is not read at town grain anywhere on this page — there is no town-resolution survey in our data, which is why you will find no soil grid here rather than a statewide one wearing a local label. The resolution ledger below names every figure this page inherited.

Common questions about Newcastle

When does frost risk typically end in Newcastle?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Newcastle typically lands around Apr 16, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — earlier than the light-frost dates most charts quote. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost — lighter frosts keep biting past it, which is why tender transplants here wait until about May 7.

When is the first frost in Newcastle?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Newcastle typically arrives around Oct 27, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 13, so the watching starts about Sep 27 — about 194 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Newcastle?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Newcastle sees about 194 frost-free days — roughly Apr 16 through Oct 27, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 7 to Oct 13, about 159 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Newcastle?

The federal record around Newcastle is a meaningful one — 113 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (83), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.2 miles out — so a soil test before new food beds is a sensible precaution here, not a reason to hold back from growing. Remember that proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard; the contamination map shows exactly what sits where.

How do I protect my plants from frost in Newcastle?

From about Sep 27 the job here turns from planting to protecting — the last start even a 30-day crop can finish. As the season closes around the first 28°F hard freeze near Oct 27 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals), three moves buy time: row cover or an old sheet over tender plants on still, clear nights; water the soil the afternoon before a freeze, so it holds warmth overnight; and harvest tomatoes, peppers and basil before Oct 27. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Newcastle's scale — its 6a band and its 194-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Newcastle's numbers: we read soil, sun, drainage and frost at your exact address. Try it for 14 days — no card required.

What this page reads at Newcastle’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Newcastle's own scale — its own ~194-day season between 28°F freezes, the 1,387 acres it covers and 113 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Newcastle's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Newcastle's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 16 and Oct 27 and the ~194-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 113 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Newcastle, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.2 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Newcastle's boundary and the 1,387 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6a and a ~194-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Newcastle's own centroid, the Acadian Plains and HillsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • Lanternfly survey cells around Newcastle checked, none carrying a detectionlydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Newcastle's 1,387 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Lincoln County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Lincoln County
  • The growing challenges every Maine grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Maine
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Lincoln County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Newcastle's 1,387 acreswhy one lot differs from the next →
  • Which side of Newcastle you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 1,387 acresreading your own microclimate →
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.2 miles out, measured from the town centrehow we read the record →
  • Where cold air settles, which slopes face the sun, and which way the wind runs on your own ground — measured at your address, and averaged away by any Newcastle-wide figureread your own land →
The next step finer is your own address

More in Maine

Lincoln County Growing Guide·Maine Growing Guide
USDA PHZM•NOAA Climate Normals•US Census TIGER•PRISM Climate•EPA FRS