What Grows in New London, Ohio

USDA Zones 6a · 1K acres

New London, Ohio, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.

Reliable performers under these conditions include cabbage, hazelnut, lavender, and collard greens; what your own ground favors still comes down to its soil, sun, and drainage.

Score your parcel · free

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

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New London — the short answer

New London, Ohio: USDA zone 6a, about 201 days between hard freezes, across 1K acres of town.

USDA zone
6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 16
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 3
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~201
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
1K 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)
Your USDA zone 6aSee the zone map →

Zone 6a is New London's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against New London's 201-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in New London

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

Season length

Measured

New London runs about 201 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.

Making the most of a long season

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals

Winter hardiness

Measured

New London 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.

How hardiness zones work

USDA PHZM 2023

The kind of country New London is in

New London sits in the Erie Drift Plain — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at New London's own centroid, and it is not what its county reads: Huron County is mostly Eastern Corn Belt Plains. The wider page above you is answering a different question about different ground.

What that means for soil

What Grows in New London

Every plant below cleared New London's own zone 6a and its 201-day season. Each card opens that plant's Ohio profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in OhioZones 2–11New London's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Ohio hazelnut guideZones 4–9New London's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in OhioZones 5–8New London's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Ohio growing notesZones 2–11New London's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blueberry, photograph
Growing blueberry in OhioZones 3–8New London's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Ohio california poppy guideZones 6–10New London's 6a is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in OhioZones 2–10New London's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Blackberry: Ohio growing notesZones 5–8New London's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in OhioZones 3–8New London's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
kale, photograph
Ohio kale guideZones 2–11New London's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
cranberry, photograph
Cranberry in OhioZones 2–7New London's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Turkish rocket: Ohio growing notesNew London's 201 days clear the ~90 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in OhioZones 2–11New London's 201 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Ohio okra guideZones 2–12New London's 201 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in OhioZones 2–11New London's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Ohio growing notesZones 3–8New London's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in OhioZones 2–11New London's 201 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
Ohio azalea guideZones 4–8New London's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in OhioZones 3–8New London's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Ohio growing notesZones 3–10New London's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in OhioNew London's 201 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Ohio lilac guideZones 4–10New London's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in OhioZones 3–8New London's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Ohio growing notesZones 6–8New London's 6a is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in OhioZones 3–9New London's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Ohio ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10New London's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in OhioZones 2–7New London's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Ohio growing notesZones 4–10New London's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in OhioZones 2–10New London's 201 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
Ohio canada wild rye guideZones 3–8New London's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in New London?

Almost never — the real question is what to plant next. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 19; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 16 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 3 — 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.

Documented around New London

Spotted lanternfly documented 24 miles from New London, first recorded 2023. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near New London

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

  1. ANDREW CORDASUnderground Storage Tanks · 2000 ft
  2. NEW LONDON LANES, INC.Underground Storage Tanks · 2200 ft
  3. PERRY CHEVROLET, INC.Underground Storage Tanks · 2200 ft
  4. FIRELANDS ELECTRIC COOP., INC.Underground Storage Tanks · 2500 ft
  5. WHITE TRUCKING CO.Underground Storage Tanks · 0.5 mi
  6. SOHIO #05324Underground Storage Tanks · 0.5 mi
  7. GAS DEPOT INCUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.5 mi
  8. KELLEY OIL CO.Underground Storage Tanks · 0.5 mi
  9. NEW LONDON MICKEY MARTUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.6 mi
  10. FORMER GULFUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.6 mi
  11. DOLLAR GENERAL STORE #10895Brownfields · 0.6 mi
  12. KENT SPORTING GOODS CO INCUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.7 mi

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

Measured from New London'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 New London.

Total Sites

78

within ~10 miles of New London

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

1 Superfund site (none NPL-listed)

Explore the live map
Underground Storage Tanks56Brownfields18Toxics Release Inventory3Superfund1

Sources Checked

within ~10 miles of New London

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of New London

High0Moderate16Low62

Highest-Severity Sites

Akron Control Center
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Dave'S Food Mart
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Fitchville Market, INC.
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Gas Depot INC
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Greenwich Mickey Mart
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around New London, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 56 sites within ~10 miles of New London. 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.

build up with a clean-soil raised bedread your soil before you plantSee what's flagged near New London
Explore the contamination map around New London·Ohio Growing Guide
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Check your specific parcel in New London

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 New London average

Your land is one point inside New London

Everything above resolves to New London as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 1K 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 New London Average

New London Average

  • ●USDA Zones 6a, averaged across New London
  • ●One soil character for all of New London
  • ●Frost dates read at New London's scale: Apr 16 to Nov 3

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in New London

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — New London averages 201Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about New London

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 New London’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 New London

When does frost risk typically end in New London?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in New London typically lands around Apr 16, 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 7.

When is the first frost in New London?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in New London typically arrives around Nov 3, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 20, so the watching starts about Oct 4 — about 201 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in New London?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, New London sees about 201 frost-free days — roughly Apr 16 through Nov 3, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 7 to Oct 20, about 166 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in New London?

The federal record around New London is a meaningful one — 78 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (56), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.4 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 New London?

From about Oct 4 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 3 (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 3. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at New London's scale — its 6a band and its 201-day season. Your yard writes its own version of New London'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 New London’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at New London's own scale — its own ~201-day season between 28°F freezes, the 1,411 acres it covers and 78 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • New London's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • New London's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 16 and Nov 3 and the ~201-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 78 documented contamination sites on the federal record near New London, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.4 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • New London's boundary and the 1,411 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6a and a ~201-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • New London sits in the Erie Drift Plain — not the ecoregion its county mostly readsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of New Londonlydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so New London's 1,411 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Huron County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Huron 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 Huron County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among New London's 1,411 acreswhy one lot differs from the next →
  • Which side of New London you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 1,411 acresreading your own microclimate →
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.4 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 New London-wide figureread your own land →
The next step finer is your own address

More in Ohio

Huron County Growing Guide·Ohio Growing Guide

Wider growing context

What grows across Ohio

New London sits outside our named growing regions, so Ohio as a whole is its closest context here.

USDA PHZM•NOAA Climate Normals•US Census TIGER•PRISM Climate•EPA FRS