What Grows in Hardin, Missouri

USDA Zones 6a-7b · 412 acres

Hardin, Missouri, sits in USDA hardiness zones 6a-7b — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.

A short list that earns its place here — tomato, peach, grape, and dogwood — with any one site's soil, sun, and drainage making the final cut.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Hardin, 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 Hardin lot. 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.

No card required · your full report in seconds

Quick Facts

USDA Zones

6a-7b

Last Hard Freeze (28°F)

Mar 13

Town normal — light frosts run a few weeks later

First Hard Freeze (28°F)

Nov 21

Town normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier

City Area

412 acres

Hardiness Zone Range

6a
7b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone maps are averages across Hardin. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

Is it too late to plant in Hardin?

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 13; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 13 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 21 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the season winds down slowly: late sowings, a real autumn harvest, and garlic in the ground before the first hard freeze.

Growing Challenges in Missouri

What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.

Highly variable weather with late frosts and early heat

Let your local frost normals call the plantings — Missouri springs punish the calendar-planters and reward the patient.

Heavy clay soils in many regions

Raised beds solve clay drainage the first weekend — and yearly compost turns the ground under them into loam.

Ozark soils are thin and rocky

One soil test shows what thin Ozark ground actually holds — then build up with compost or beds where the depth runs out.

For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Missouri, the MU Extension is the authoritative local source.

Environmental Intelligence

Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.

Total Sites

112

within ~10 miles of Hardin

Risk Level

Moderate

Highest-severity

7 Toxics Release Inventory facilities

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Hardin

High2Moderate42Low68

Highest-Severity Sites

Richmond Pws
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Accell Auto Total
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Arnette Enterprises INC
Toxics Release Inventory · 6408wrnttl12mai
Arnette Polymers LLC
Toxics Release Inventory · 64085pcfcp8905w
Blankenships Service
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Hardin, Toxic Release Inventory runs higher than the national average — 7 sites nearby. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.

Toxic Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.

Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Hardin

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:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

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

Hardin Average

  • USDA Zones 6a-7b
  • 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

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Hardin

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

Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

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 Hardin, Missouri

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6a-7b (USDA PHZM 2023)
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 13 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 21 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
  • Days Between Hard Freezes: ~253 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
  • Land Area: 412 acres (US Census TIGER 2025)

Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. Boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hardiness zone is Hardin, Missouri?

Hardin sits in USDA hardiness zones 6a-7b, 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 Hardin?

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 13; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 13 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 21 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Here the season winds down slowly: late sowings, a real autumn harvest, and garlic in the ground before the first hard freeze.

When does frost risk typically end in Hardin?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Hardin typically lands around Mar 13, 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.

When is the first frost in Hardin?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Hardin typically arrives around Nov 21, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point most tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts usually reach a couple of weeks earlier, so watch the forecast from late summer on and harvest or cover tender plants before the first cold night.

What vegetables grow in Hardin?

Hardin's zones 6a-7b support a wide range — strong performers include Tomato, Peach, Grape, Dogwood, and Blackberry. 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 Hardin, really?

Officially, Hardin sits in USDA zones 6a-7b (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 Hardin?

The federal record around Hardin shows 112 documented sites — 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.

How do I protect my plants from frost in Hardin?

As the season closes around the first 28°F hard freeze near Nov 21 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals), a few moves buy time: cover tender plants with floating row cover or an old sheet on still, clear nights, water the soil the afternoon before a freeze so it holds warmth overnight, and harvest frost-tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, and basil before the first hard night. Hardy greens and root crops shrug off light frost and often sweeten after it, so leave them in.

Everything on this page is a Hardin 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.