Brown County, in Nebraska, sits in USDA hardiness zone 5b — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.
Crops well matched to these conditions include sweet corn, tomato, cottonwood, and sunflower — though what thrives on any one site still turns on its specific soil, sun, and drainage.
Brown County lies within the Nebraska Sandhills — a regional growing area with its own character.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Brown County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Brown 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
5b
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Apr 11
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Oct 26
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
782K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Brown County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Brown County
Across Brown County, the ground is predominantly Entisols, where Valentine, Els, and Simeon are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally excessively drained with a fine sand surface. Topsoil pH runs about 6.5, slightly acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group A soils.
Soil order
Entisols
Drainage
Excessively drained
Hydric soils
5%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Brown County
Plants matched to Brown County's USDA zones 5b — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Brown 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 Mar 14; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 11 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 26 — 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.
Growing Challenges in Nebraska
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Low western rainfall (15 inches) requires irrigation
In the west, drip lines and deep mulch are the season — design the water first and the garden follows.
Extreme wind exposure on open plains
A windbreak earns its ground: even a shrub row or a snow fence cuts plant stress dramatically.
Hail damage during severe storm season
Keep row cover or hail netting staged through the storm months — five minutes of cover can save the whole bed.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Nebraska, the Nebraska Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Brown County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Brown County — 79 documented sites across 4 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 6 concentrated animal feeding operations. Large-scale animal operations that can contaminate soil and groundwater with nitrates and pathogens.
The federal record across Brown 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, 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.
Total Sites
79
across Brown County
Risk Level
Moderate
Highest-severity
6 concentrated animal feeding operations
Sources Checked
across Brown County
Severity Distribution
across Brown County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Brown County, two things run higher than the national average — CAFO (6 sites) and Nitrate (58 sites). That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.
Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.
Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.
Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).
Check your specific parcel in Brown 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
Brown County Average
- ●USDA Zones 5b
- ●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 Brown County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Brown County, Nebraska — 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 Brown County, Nebraska
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 5b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 11 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 26 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~198 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 782K 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 Brown 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 Brown County, Nebraska?
Brown County sits in USDA hardiness zone 5b, 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 Brown 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 Mar 14; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 11 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 26 — 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.
When does frost risk typically end in Brown County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Brown County typically lands around Apr 11, 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 Brown County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Brown County sees about 198 frost-free days — roughly Apr 11 through Oct 26, 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 Brown County?
Brown County's zone 5b supports a wide range — strong performers include Sweet Corn, Tomato, Cottonwood, and Sunflower. 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 Brown County, really?
Officially, Brown County sits in USDA zone 5b (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 Brown County?
The federal record around Brown County shows 79 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.
Just moved to Brown County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Brown County sits in USDA zone 5b, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Apr 11, with about 198 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 79 documented sites sit on the federal record — a typical footprint for a growing area, worth a look on the contamination map before food beds. From there, matching plants to your actual soil and sun is the fun part.
Everything on this page is a Brown 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 Nebraska's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.