What Grows in Bloomfield, New York

USDA Zones 6a · 895 acres

Bloomfield, New York, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.

On paper, cabbage, hazelnut, lavender, and collard greens all suit these conditions — on the ground, soil, sun, and drainage make the final call.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Bloomfield, 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 Bloomfield 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 Bloomfield — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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Bloomfield — the short answer

Bloomfield, New York: USDA zone 6a, about 195 days between hard freezes, across 895 acres of town.

USDA zone
6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 21
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 2
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~195
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
895 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)

Zone 6a is Bloomfield's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Bloomfield's 195-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Bloomfield

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

Season length

Measured

Bloomfield runs about 195 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.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Bloomfield 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 Bloomfield is in

Bloomfield sits in the Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Bloomfield's own centroid rather than borrowed from Ontario County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Bloomfield

Every plant below cleared Bloomfield's own zone 6a and its 195-day season. Each card opens that plant's New York profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in New YorkZones 2–11Bloomfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
New York hazelnut guideZones 4–9Bloomfield's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in New YorkZones 5–8Bloomfield's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: New York growing notesZones 2–11Bloomfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blueberry, photograph
Growing blueberry in New YorkZones 3–8Bloomfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
New York california poppy guideZones 6–10Bloomfield's 6a is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in New YorkZones 2–10Bloomfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Blackberry: New York growing notesZones 5–8Bloomfield's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in New YorkZones 3–8Bloomfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
kale, photograph
New York kale guideZones 2–11Bloomfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
cranberry, photograph
Cranberry in New YorkZones 2–7Bloomfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Turkish rocket: New York growing notesBloomfield's 195 days clear the ~90 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in New YorkZones 2–11Bloomfield's 195 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
New York okra guideZones 2–12Bloomfield's 195 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in New YorkZones 2–11Bloomfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: New York growing notesZones 3–8Bloomfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in New YorkZones 2–11Bloomfield's 195 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
New York azalea guideZones 4–8Bloomfield's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in New YorkZones 3–8Bloomfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: New York growing notesZones 3–10Bloomfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in New YorkBloomfield's 195 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
New York lilac guideZones 4–10Bloomfield's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in New YorkZones 3–8Bloomfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: New York growing notesZones 6–8Bloomfield's 6a is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in New YorkZones 3–9Bloomfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
New York ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Bloomfield's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in New YorkZones 2–7Bloomfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: New York growing notesZones 4–10Bloomfield's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in New YorkZones 2–10Bloomfield's 195 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
New York canada wild rye guideZones 3–8Bloomfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Bloomfield?

Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 24; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 21 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 2 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. Late in the year the fall bench takes over — quick greens, radishes, and garlic that repays you next summer.

Documented around Bloomfield

Spotted lanternfly documented 21 miles from Bloomfield, first recorded 2023. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Bloomfield

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

  1. ROCHESTER TELEPHONE CORPORATION (FORMER)Underground Storage Tanks · 550 ft
  2. J-MART, INCUnderground Storage Tanks · 550 ft
  3. SENECA GORHAM TELEPHONE CORPORATIONUnderground Storage Tanks · 800 ft
  4. QUICKLEE'SUnderground Storage Tanks · 1500 ft
  5. OT 317, NYNitrate · 1600 ft
  6. AGWAY ENERGY PRODUCTSUnderground Storage Tanks · 1600 ft
  7. BLOOMFIELD BIG MUnderground Storage Tanks · 2000 ft
  8. TOWN OF EAST BLOOMFIELDUnderground Storage Tanks · 2100 ft
  9. OT 74Nitrate · 2100 ft
  10. E BLOOMFIELD-HOLCOMB FIRE DISTRICTUnderground Storage Tanks · 2200 ft
  11. OT 258Nitrate · 2300 ft
  12. OT2172Nitrate · 0.6 mi

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

Measured from Bloomfield'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 Bloomfield.

Total Sites

433

within ~10 miles of Bloomfield

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

7 Superfund sites (none NPL-listed)

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Bloomfield

High1Moderate117Low315

Highest-Severity Sites

Bristol Harbour Water Corp
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
3M CO
Toxics Release Inventory · 14471mcmpn127ea
7-Eleven #35080
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
7-Eleven #35081
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
7-Eleven #35085
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Bloomfield, two things run higher than the national average within ~10 miles of Bloomfield — CAFO (11 sites) and PFAS (5 sites). Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.

CAFO: CAFOs pose a different contamination profile than chemical sources.

PFAS: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are called "forever chemicals" because they do not biodegrade.

Wash all produce consumed raw thoroughly, especially leafy greens grown near CAFOs.

Test irrigation water source — this is the primary pathway for PFAS to reach garden crops.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Bloomfield

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 Bloomfield average

Your land is one point inside Bloomfield

Everything above resolves to Bloomfield as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 895 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 Bloomfield Average

Bloomfield Average

  • USDA Zones 6a, averaged across Bloomfield
  • One soil character for all of Bloomfield
  • Frost dates read at Bloomfield's scale: Apr 21 to Nov 2

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Bloomfield

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Bloomfield averages 195Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Bloomfield

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 Bloomfield’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 Bloomfield

When does frost risk typically end in Bloomfield?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Bloomfield typically lands around Apr 21, 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 12.

When is the first frost in Bloomfield?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Bloomfield typically arrives around Nov 2, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 19, so the watching starts about Oct 3 — about 195 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Bloomfield?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Bloomfield sees about 195 frost-free days — roughly Apr 21 through Nov 2, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 12 to Oct 19, about 160 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Bloomfield?

The federal record around Bloomfield is a meaningful one — 433 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (214), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.1 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 Bloomfield?

From about Oct 3 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 Nov 2 (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 Nov 2. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Bloomfield's scale — its 6a band and its 195-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Bloomfield'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 Bloomfield’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Bloomfield's own scale — its own ~195-day season between 28°F freezes, the 895 acres it covers and 433 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Bloomfield's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Bloomfield's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 21 and Nov 2 and the ~195-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 433 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Bloomfield, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.1 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Bloomfield's boundary and the 895 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6a and a ~195-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Bloomfield's own centroid, the Eastern Great Lakes LowlandsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of Bloomfieldlydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Bloomfield's 895 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Ontario County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Ontario County
  • The growing challenges every New York grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom New York
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Ontario County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Bloomfield's 895 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Bloomfield you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 895 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.1 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 Bloomfield-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address