What Grows in Schuyler County, Missouri

USDA Zones 6a · 197K acres

Schuyler County, in Missouri, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.

Among the crops suited to this profile: cabbage, hazelnut, lavender, and collard greens. The site-level story — soil, sun, drainage — decides the rest.

Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Score your parcel · free

Schuyler County holds more than one microclimate.

Soils and elevations shift across Schuyler County, so your frost dates and drainage aren't the county average. 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 Schuyler County — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

No card required · your full report in seconds

Schuyler County — the short answer

Schuyler County, Missouri: USDA zone 6a, about 207 days between hard freezes, across 197K acres.

USDA zone
6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 6
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F
First hard freeze (28°F)
Oct 30
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F
Days between freezes
~207
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F
County area
197K acres
US Census TIGER/Line 2025

Every figure names the dataset it came from. Hard-freeze dates are county 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)

Zone 6a is Schuyler County's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Schuyler County's 207-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Heat in Schuyler County

Across a year, Schuyler County accumulates about 3,208 growing degree days above 50°F, about 545 fewer than the middle Missouri county — ahead of 3 of Missouri’s 115 counties. Degree days are the heat a crop actually gets to work with — more of them is more room to ripen a long-season crop before the freeze closes the window.

Grounded in PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University — 1991–2020 monthly normals

Soil in Schuyler County

Across Schuyler County, the ground is predominantly Alfisols, where Gara, Winnegan, and Armstrong are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally somewhat poorly drained with a loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.9–6.8, slightly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group D soils.

Soil order

Alfisols

Drainage

Somewhat poorly drained

Prime farmland

14%

Hydric soils

17%

Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

How the ground varies across Schuyler County

The USDA soil survey maps 32% of Schuyler County as somewhat poorly drained — but another 68% drains differently: 31% moderately well drained, 20% poorly drained.

Gara is the most extensive named soil at 25% of mapped acres, then Winnegan (15%) and Armstrong (15%).

Which of them your own lot sits on is a parcel question, not a county one. Check your address for the survey at your boundary.

What this means for growing in Schuyler County

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

Drainage

Measured

The dominant soils across Schuyler County are somewhat poorly drained, in hydrologic group D — ground that sheds water slowly.

Beds can stay saturated for days after heavy rain, and the roots of most vegetables, berries, and fruit trees suffocate or rot in soil that never drains.

Raised beds or mounded rows lift roots above the wet zone; choose water-tolerant crops for the lowest spots.

USDA NRCS SSURGO

Surface pH

Measured

Topsoil across Schuyler County runs about pH 5.9–6.8, close to neutral.

This is the range most vegetables prefer — one correction you probably do not have to make, which is genuinely good news for a new bed.

Keep it there with compost rather than lime or sulfur, and only amend if your own soil test says otherwise.

USDA NRCS SSURGO

Season length

Measured

Schuyler County runs about 207 days between hard freezes — a long growing season.

There is slack for succession plantings and slow-finishing crops: many vegetables can be sown twice, and the heat-lovers have time to ripen fully.

Plan a second sowing of quick crops after the first comes out, and use the fall window most gardeners let sit idle.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Schuyler County 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.

USDA PHZM 2023

The kind of country Schuyler County is in

Schuyler County sits in the Central Irregular Plains — EPA Level III, inside the wider Great Plains. One consistent ecological setting across the whole county.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Schuyler County

We scored all 1,086 plants against Schuyler County's own USDA zone 6a and its own 207-day season between hard freezes, using the same matching engine that runs a full parcel report. These cleared both. Sun, soil pH and drainage vary lot by lot — those are the parcel questions below. Each card opens that plant's Missouri profile.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in MissouriZones 2–11Schuyler County's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Missouri hazelnut guideZones 4–9Schuyler County's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in MissouriZones 5–8Schuyler County's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Missouri growing notesZones 2–11Schuyler County's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blueberry, photograph
Growing blueberry in MissouriZones 3–8Schuyler County's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Missouri california poppy guideZones 6–10Schuyler County's 6a is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in MissouriZones 2–10Schuyler County's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Blackberry: Missouri growing notesZones 5–8Schuyler County's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in MissouriZones 3–8Schuyler County's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
kale, photograph
Missouri kale guideZones 2–11Schuyler County's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
cranberry, photograph
Cranberry in MissouriZones 2–7Schuyler County's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Turkish rocket: Missouri growing notesSchuyler County's 207 days clear the ~90 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in MissouriZones 2–11Schuyler County's 207 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Missouri okra guideZones 2–12Schuyler County's 207 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in MissouriZones 2–11Schuyler County's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Missouri growing notesZones 3–8Schuyler County's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in MissouriZones 2–11Schuyler County's 207 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
Missouri azalea guideZones 4–8Schuyler County's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in MissouriZones 3–8Schuyler County's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Missouri growing notesZones 3–10Schuyler County's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in MissouriSchuyler County's 207 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Missouri lilac guideZones 4–10Schuyler County's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in MissouriZones 3–8Schuyler County's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Missouri growing notesZones 6–8Schuyler County's 6a is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in MissouriZones 3–9Schuyler County's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Missouri ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Schuyler County's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in MissouriZones 2–7Schuyler County's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Missouri growing notesZones 4–10Schuyler County's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in MissouriZones 2–10Schuyler County's 207 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
Missouri canada wild rye guideZones 3–8Schuyler County's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Schuyler County?

Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 9; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 6 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 30 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. A long window like this one runs successions deep into fall — and even its last weeks take quick greens and garlic.

What gets applied to farmland in Schuyler County

USGS estimates 48,044 lb of Glyphosate on Schuyler County farmland in 2019, its largest by weight, ahead of Metolachlor & Metolachlor-s (17,662 lb) and Atrazine (12,499 lb).

Farmland across the whole county, not any one lot. Check your address for the site-by-site record.

Safe to Grow Here?

What the federal record shows across Schuyler County — and how to grow with it.

Federal record: Moderate

We checked the federal record across Schuyler County20 documented sites across 5 of the 9 source types we track.

The most significant on record: 1 concentrated animal feeding operation. Large-scale animal operations that can contaminate soil and groundwater with nitrates and pathogens.

The federal record across Schuyler County is a modest one — a typical footprint for a growing area. Nothing here calls for alarm; it's worth knowing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and each one on the map carries its type and location. If one turns out to be a near neighbor, a one-time soil test settles the question.

Sources: EPA, USGS1.8M documented sites tracked nationwide across 9 federal source types.

What's on the federal record near Schuyler County

Closest first, across Schuyler County. Listing isn't leaking, and distance isn't exposure.

  1. LANCASTER AMOCO FOODSHOPUnderground Storage Tanks · 3.2 mi
  2. T66N R15W 24BBA1Nitrate · 3.6 mi
  3. BEELER MOTOR COMPANYUnderground Storage Tanks · 3.6 mi
  4. CASEYS GENERAL STORE #2410Underground Storage Tanks · 3.7 mi
  5. SCHUYLER COUNTY CONSOLIDATED PWSD 1PFAS · 4.1 mi
  6. QUEEN CITY MAINT LOTUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.2 mi
  7. LANCASTER MAINT LOTUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.3 mi
  8. CHUCKS BODY GARAGE & USED CARS LLCBrownfields · 4.4 mi
  9. SIMMONS TRUCKING, INCUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.4 mi
  10. CASEYS GENERAL STORE #1034Underground Storage Tanks · 4.4 mi
  11. LASLEY MFA SERVICEUnderground Storage Tanks · 4.8 mi
  12. JONES AUTO BODYBrownfields · 4.9 mi

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

Measured from Schuyler County'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 Schuyler County.

Total Sites

20

across Schuyler County

Risk Level

Moderate

Highest-severity

1 concentrated animal feeding operation

Severity Distribution

across Schuyler County

High1Moderate8Low11

Highest-Severity Sites

Schuyler County Consolidated Pwsd 1
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Caseys General Store #1034
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Caseys General Store #2410
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Hwy 63 Conoco
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Lancaster Amoco Foodshop
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

Know Before You Grow

  • Underground tanks leak petroleum as they age — near a former filling station, test the soil.
  • On a private well, test for nitrates: above 10 mg/L the water needs treatment before irrigating.
  • Near a brownfield, raised beds of imported soil give your food clean ground.
Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Schuyler County

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 Schuyler County average

Your land is one point inside Schuyler County

Everything above resolves to Schuyler County as a whole — one PHZM band and one county frost record, read across 197K 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 county 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 county average.

Your Lot vs the Schuyler County Average

Schuyler County Average

  • USDA Zones 6a, averaged across Schuyler County
  • One soil character for all of Schuyler County
  • Frost dates read at Schuyler County's scale: Apr 6 to Oct 30

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your parcel in Schuyler County

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Schuyler County averages 207Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Schuyler County

The datasets: hardiness from the USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, read at county grain; hard-freeze dates from NOAA 1991–2020 28°F normals at this county’s own record where one resolves, and the labelled statewide window where none does; soils from the USDA NRCS SSURGO survey, area-weighted across the county’s own map units; boundaries and acreage from US Census TIGER/Line 2025; the contamination and pesticide records from the federal sources named in their beats above. Where Schuyler County carries no record of its own, the figure is inherited and labelled — the resolution ledger below names each.

Common questions about Schuyler County

When does frost risk typically end in Schuyler County?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Schuyler County typically lands around Apr 6, 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 Apr 27.

How long is the growing season in Schuyler County?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Schuyler County sees about 207 frost-free days — roughly Apr 6 through Oct 30, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Apr 27 to Oct 16, about 172 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Schuyler County?

The federal record around Schuyler County shows 20 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (12), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 3.2 miles out — a typical footprint for a growing area, and proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. It's worth seeing which recorded sites sit closest to where you grow, and testing the soil before new food beds near any of them.

Everything above is measured at Schuyler County's scale — its 6a band and its 207-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Schuyler County'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 Schuyler County’s own scale

8 of the readings below were taken at Schuyler County's own scale — its own ~207-day span between 28°F freezes, the 3 most extensive soil series mapped here and 20 documented sites inside its boundary; one is borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Schuyler County's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Schuyler County's own 28°F hard-freeze dates and its ~207-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • The soil order, drainage, surface pH, and the 3 most extensive named soil series mapped in Schuyler CountyUSDA NRCS SSURGO
  • 20 documented contamination sites inside the county boundary, distance-sorted from its center — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 3.2 miles outFederal environmental registers
  • Schuyler County's boundary and the 196,675 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6a and a ~207-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • Schuyler County sitting wholly inside the Central Irregular PlainsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • Which agricultural compounds go onto Schuyler County farmland, and roughly how muchUSGS NAWQA EPest county estimates

Inherited from a wider read

  • The growing challenges every Missouri grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Missouri

What this page can’t tell you

  • How the season shifts across Schuyler County — the ~207 days above is one reading at its centre; the 12 towns below each carry their owntowns in this county
  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Schuyler County's 196,675 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which of those 20 documented sites actually reaches your soil — that needs your address, the wind, and the groundwater directionhow we read the record
  • Where cold air settles, which slopes face the sun, and which way the wind runs on your own ground — none of it survives being averaged over Schuyler Countyread your own land
Go one step finer: towns in Schuyler County