Churchill County, in Nevada, sits in USDA hardiness zone 7a — a range where zone-matched perennials and frost-aware annual timing set what succeeds.
Reliable performers under these conditions include sagebrush, grape, tomato, and pinon pine; what your own ground favors still comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Churchill County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Churchill 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)
Apr 18
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Oct 29
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
3.2M acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Churchill County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Churchill County
Across Churchill County, the ground is predominantly Aridisols, where Isolde, Trocken, and Old camp are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a very gravelly sandy loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 7.5–8.5, moderately alkaline. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group D soils.
Soil order
Aridisols
Drainage
Well drained
Hydric soils
2%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Churchill County
Plants matched to Churchill County's USDA zones 7a — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Churchill 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 21; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 18 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 29 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Even past midsummer there is room for a true fall garden here, and garlic planted near the close carries the momentum into next year.
Growing Challenges in Nevada
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Extremely low rainfall (driest US state)
Every drop gets a job: drip irrigation, deep mulch, and basin planting make the driest state genuinely growable.
Alkaline soils (pH 8-9) limit many species
A soil test confirms your pH; from there, adapted species in the ground and acid-lovers in containers of amended mix.
Extreme summer heat in southern valleys
Southern valleys garden in the shoulder seasons — plant to fall-through-spring windows and shade what stays out in July.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Nevada, the University of Nevada, Reno Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Churchill County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Churchill County — 870 documented sites across 8 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.
Churchill 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.
Severity Distribution
across Churchill County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Churchill County, two things run higher than the national average — Mining (233 sites) and Nitrate (478 sites). It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.
Mining: Mining sites — both historic and active — can leach heavy metals (arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury) into soil and water for centuries after operations cease.
Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.
Test soil for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury) — this is essential near any mining site.
Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).
Check your specific parcel in Churchill 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
Churchill 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 Churchill County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Churchill County, Nevada — 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 Churchill County, Nevada
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 7a (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Apr 18 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 29 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~194 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 3.2M 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 Churchill 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 Churchill County, Nevada?
Churchill 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 Churchill 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 21; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 18 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Oct 29 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Even past midsummer there is room for a true fall garden here, and garlic planted near the close carries the momentum into next year.
When does frost risk typically end in Churchill County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Churchill County typically lands around Apr 18, 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 Churchill County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Churchill County sees about 194 frost-free days — roughly Apr 18 through Oct 29, 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 Churchill County?
Churchill County's zone 7a supports a wide range — strong performers include Sagebrush, Grape, Tomato, Pinon Pine, and Pomegranate. 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 Churchill County, really?
Officially, Churchill 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 Churchill County?
The federal record around Churchill County runs heavier than most — 870 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 Churchill County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Churchill County sits in USDA zone 7a, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Apr 18, with about 194 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 870 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 Churchill 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 Nevada's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.