What Grows in Freeport, Ohio

USDA Zones 6b · 383 acres

Freeport, Ohio, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b — a zone band wide enough that plant choice, not possibility, is the interesting question.

Among the crops suited to this profile: cabbage, hazelnut, lavender, and collard greens. The site-level story — soil, sun, drainage — decides the rest.

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

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Freeport — the short answer

Freeport, Ohio: USDA zone 6b, about 210 days between hard freezes, across 383 acres of town.

USDA zone
6b
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 10
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 6
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~210
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
383 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

6b6b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone 6b is Freeport's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Freeport's 210-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Freeport

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

Season length

Measured

Freeport runs about 210 days between hard freezes — a long growing season.

There is slack for succession plantings and slow-finishing crops: many vegetables can be sown twice, and the heat-lovers have time to ripen fully.

Plan a second sowing of quick crops after the first comes out, and use the fall window most gardeners let sit idle.

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

Freeport sits in USDA hardiness zone 6b.

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 Freeport is in

Freeport sits in the Western Allegheny Plateau — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Freeport's own centroid rather than borrowed from Harrison County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Freeport

Every plant below cleared Freeport's own zone 6b and its 210-day season. Each card opens that plant's Ohio profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in OhioZones 2–11Freeport's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Ohio hazelnut guideZones 4–9Freeport's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in OhioZones 5–8Freeport's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Ohio growing notesZones 2–11Freeport's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Growing blackberry in OhioZones 5–8Freeport's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Ohio california poppy guideZones 6–10Freeport's 6b is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in OhioZones 2–10Freeport's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
blueberry, photograph
Blueberry: Ohio growing notesZones 3–8Freeport's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in OhioFreeport's 210 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
Ohio kale guideZones 2–11Freeport's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw in OhioZones 5–9Freeport's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
angelica, photograph
Angelica: Ohio growing notesZones 4–9Freeport's 210 days clear the ~120 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in OhioZones 2–11Freeport's 210 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Ohio okra guideZones 2–12Freeport's 210 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in OhioZones 2–11Freeport's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Ohio growing notesZones 3–10Freeport's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in OhioZones 2–11Freeport's 210 days clear the ~70 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Ohio lilac guideZones 4–10Freeport's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in OhioZones 3–8Freeport's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Ohio growing notesZones 3–8Freeport's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in OhioFreeport's 210 days clear the ~50 it needs.
Apache plume, photograph
Ohio apache plume guideZones 5–11Freeport's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Virginia creeper, photograph
Virginia creeper in OhioZones 3–9Freeport's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Ohio growing notesZones 6–8Freeport's 6b is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in OhioZones 3–9Freeport's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Ohio ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Freeport's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in OhioZones 2–7Freeport's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Ohio growing notesZones 4–10Freeport's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in OhioZones 2–10Freeport's 210 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Indian grass, photograph
Ohio indian grass guideZones 4–9Freeport's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Freeport?

For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 13; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 10 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 6 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. There is slack in a calendar like this — late plantings, second rounds of favorites, and a fall bench that keeps beds working.

Documented around Freeport

Spotted lanternfly documented 30 miles from Freeport, first recorded 2023. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Freeport

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

  1. TJ'S GAS N GOUnderground Storage Tanks · 1400 ft
  2. FAMILY DOLLAR #10747Brownfields · 1500 ft
  3. JONES EQUIPMENTBrownfields · 2500 ft
  4. HR-44Nitrate · 0.8 mi
  5. GUERNSEY CO. WATER DEPT.PFAS · 1.5 mi
  6. HARRISON HILL SCHOOLUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.6 mi
  7. PERRY TOWNSHIPUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.6 mi
  8. VAIL MINEUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.6 mi
  9. ODOT FREEPORT OUTPOSTUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.6 mi
  10. UHRICHSVILLE BPUnderground Storage Tanks · 3.5 mi
  11. MARK DOUGHERTYUnderground Storage Tanks · 3.6 mi
  12. PIEDMONT MINI MARTUnderground Storage Tanks · 3.6 mi

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

Measured from Freeport'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 Freeport.

Total Sites

35

within ~10 miles of Freeport

Risk Level

Moderate

Highest-severity

7 brownfield sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Freeport

High1Moderate12Low22

Highest-Severity Sites

Guernsey CO. Water Dept.
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Certified Oil CO. #118
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Con-Way Freight INC
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Deersville General Store
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Getgo #3689
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Freeport, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 24 sites within ~10 miles of Freeport. It's not cause for alarm — it's worth knowing, and there's a sensible way to grow around it.

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.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Freeport

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 Freeport average

Your land is one point inside Freeport

Everything above resolves to Freeport as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 383 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 Freeport Average

Freeport Average

  • USDA Zones 6b, averaged across Freeport
  • One soil character for all of Freeport
  • Frost dates read at Freeport's scale: Apr 10 to Nov 6

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Freeport

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Freeport averages 210Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Freeport

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 Freeport’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 Freeport

When does frost risk typically end in Freeport?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Freeport typically lands around Apr 10, 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 1.

When is the first frost in Freeport?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Freeport typically arrives around Nov 6, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 23, so the watching starts about Oct 7 — about 210 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Freeport?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Freeport sees about 210 frost-free days — roughly Apr 10 through Nov 6, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 1 to Oct 23, about 175 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Freeport?

The federal record around Freeport shows 35 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (24), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.3 miles out — 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 Freeport?

From about Oct 7 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 6 (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 6. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Freeport's scale — its 6b band and its 210-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Freeport'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 Freeport’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Freeport's own scale — its own ~210-day season between 28°F freezes, the 383 acres it covers and 35 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Freeport's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Freeport's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 10 and Nov 6 and the ~210-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 35 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Freeport, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.3 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Freeport's boundary and the 383 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6b and a ~210-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Freeport's own centroid, the Western Allegheny PlateauUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of Freeportlydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Freeport's 383 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Harrison County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Harrison County
  • The growing challenges every Ohio grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom Ohio
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Harrison County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Freeport's 383 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Freeport you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 383 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.3 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 Freeport-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address