Harrison County, in Ohio, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b — room for a real mix of vegetables, fruit, and perennials matched to the local frost calendar.
A short list that earns its place here — tomato, sweet corn, apple, and pawpaw — with any one site's soil, sun, and drainage making the final cut.
Harrison County lies within Appalachia — a regional growing area with its own character.
Grounded in USDA PHZM 2023 · Growable Ground suitability scoring · NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
Harrison County holds more than one microclimate.
Soils and elevations shift across Harrison 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
6b
Last Hard Freeze (28°F)
Mar 26
County normal — light frosts run a few weeks later
First Hard Freeze (28°F)
Nov 19
County normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier
County Area
257K acres
Hardiness Zone Range
Zone maps are averages across Harrison County. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.
Soil in Harrison County
Across Harrison County, the ground is predominantly Alfisols, where Westmoreland, Guernsey, and Coshocton are the most extensive named soil series. The soil is generally well drained with a silty clay loam surface. Topsoil pH runs about 5.3–6.7, moderately acidic. Rainfall drains through hydrologic group B soils.
Soil order
Alfisols
Drainage
Well drained
Prime farmland
2%
Hydric soils
1%
Soil still varies lot by lot — soil types explained.
What Grows in Harrison County
Plants matched to Harrison County's USDA zones 6b — each links to its full growing profile.
Is it too late to plant in Harrison 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 Feb 26; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 26 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 19 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. With a season this long, “too late” mostly means “switch crops” — second sowings and a full fall garden are the norm, with garlic closing the year.
Growing Challenges in Ohio
What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.
Heavy clay soils across much of northern Ohio require amendment for drainage
A raised bed fixes the drainage in one weekend — and amended clay repays the effort as some of the richest soil there is.
Variable spring weather with late frost risk through mid-May
Watch your local last-frost normal, not the region's — holding tender plants two extra weeks beats replanting a bed.
Japanese beetles and tomato hornworms are common garden pests
Hand-pick early, row-cover young plants, and skip broad sprays — extension IPM guides keep the beneficial insects on your side.
Wet springs can delay planting and promote root rot
Raised or mounded rows shed spring water and warm earlier — where puddles linger, drainage is the first project worth doing.
For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Ohio, the Ohio State University Extension is the authoritative local source.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Harrison County — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Harrison County — 135 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 1 Superfund site. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
There's a meaningful federal record across Harrison County — worth a look before you plant food, not a reason to hold back from growing. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis of any one yard. A soil test before new food beds is the sensible precaution here, and the map shows exactly which sites sit where, so you can see what's actually near you.
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.
Sources Checked
across Harrison County
Severity Distribution
across Harrison County
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Harrison County, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 88 sites nearby. Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.
Underground Storage Tanks: Underground storage tanks are the single most common source of soil contamination near homes and gardens.
Use raised beds with imported soil — this eliminates the primary soil-contact pathway.
Check your specific parcel in Harrison 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
Harrison County Average
- ●USDA Zones 6b
- ●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 Harrison County
Pull a site-specific report for your exact address in Harrison County, Ohio — 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 Harrison County, Ohio
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 6b (USDA PHZM 2023)
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 26 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 19 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
- Days Between Hard Freezes: ~238 (county normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
- County Land Area: 257K 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 Harrison 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 Harrison County, Ohio?
Harrison County sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b, 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 Harrison 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 Feb 26; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 26 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 19 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. With a season this long, “too late” mostly means “switch crops” — second sowings and a full fall garden are the norm, with garlic closing the year.
When does frost risk typically end in Harrison County?
The last hard freeze (28°F) in Harrison County typically lands around Mar 26, 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 Harrison County?
Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Harrison County sees about 238 frost-free days — roughly Mar 26 through Nov 19, 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 Harrison County?
Harrison County's zone 6b supports a wide range — strong performers include Tomato, Sweet Corn, Apple, Pawpaw, and Buckeye. 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 Harrison County, really?
Officially, Harrison County sits in USDA zone 6b (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 Harrison County?
The federal record around Harrison County is a meaningful one — 135 documented sites — 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.
Just moved to Harrison County — what should I know before planting?
Start with three facts. Harrison County sits in USDA zone 6b, which sets what survives winter; the last 28°F hard freeze typically clears around Mar 26, with about 238 frost-free days to work with (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and 135 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 Harrison 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 Ohio's frost window, season length, and soil profile against the plant's real requirements.