What Grows in Waynesfield, Ohio

USDA Zones 6a · 403 acres

Waynesfield, Ohio, sits in USDA hardiness zone 6a — 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 Waynesfield, 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 Waynesfield 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 Waynesfield — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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Waynesfield — the short answer

Waynesfield, Ohio: USDA zone 6a, about 210 days between hard freezes, across 403 acres of town.

USDA zone
6a
USDA PHZM 2023
Last hard freeze (28°F)
Apr 8
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
First hard freeze (28°F)
Nov 4
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~210
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
403 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 Waynesfield's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Waynesfield's 210-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Waynesfield

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

Season length

Measured

Waynesfield 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

Waynesfield 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 Waynesfield is in

Waynesfield sits in the Eastern Corn Belt Plains — EPA Level III, inside the wider Eastern Temperate Forests. That is read at Waynesfield's own centroid rather than borrowed from Auglaize County.

What that means for soil

What Grows in Waynesfield

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

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in OhioZones 2–11Waynesfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
Ohio hazelnut guideZones 4–9Waynesfield's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in OhioZones 5–8Waynesfield's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: Ohio growing notesZones 2–11Waynesfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blueberry, photograph
Growing blueberry in OhioZones 3–8Waynesfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
Ohio california poppy guideZones 6–10Waynesfield's 6a is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in OhioZones 2–10Waynesfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
apple, photograph
Apple: Ohio growing notesZones 3–8Waynesfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
St. Johns wort, photograph
Growing st. johns wort in OhioZones 3–8Waynesfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
kale, photograph
Ohio kale guideZones 2–11Waynesfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Blackberry in OhioZones 5–8Waynesfield's 6a — 1 zone of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Turkish rocket: Ohio growing notesWaynesfield's 210 days clear the ~90 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in OhioZones 2–11Waynesfield's 210 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
Ohio okra guideZones 2–12Waynesfield's 210 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in OhioZones 2–11Waynesfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: Ohio growing notesZones 3–8Waynesfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in OhioZones 2–11Waynesfield's 210 days clear the ~70 it needs.
azalea, photograph
Ohio azalea guideZones 4–8Waynesfield's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in OhioZones 3–8Waynesfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: Ohio growing notesZones 3–10Waynesfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in OhioWaynesfield's 210 days clear the ~50 it needs.
lilac, photograph
Ohio lilac guideZones 4–10Waynesfield's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
American bittersweet, photograph
American bittersweet in OhioZones 3–8Waynesfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: Ohio growing notesZones 6–8Waynesfield's 6a is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in OhioZones 3–9Waynesfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
Ohio ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Waynesfield's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in OhioZones 2–7Waynesfield's 6a — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: Ohio growing notesZones 4–10Waynesfield's 6a — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in OhioZones 2–10Waynesfield's 210 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Canada wild rye, photograph
Ohio canada wild rye guideZones 3–8Waynesfield's 6a — 3 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Waynesfield?

Rarely: the season closes in stages, not all at once, and each stage has its crops. Cool-season crops can go in from around Mar 11; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Apr 8 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 4 — long-season crops need about 90 days of runway, quick greens only 30. A long window like this one runs successions deep into fall — and even its last weeks take quick greens and garlic.

Documented around Waynesfield

Survey cells within 31 miles of Waynesfield checked for spotted lanternfly, none carrying a detection — a surveyed negative, not an absence of looking. Nearest documented record 48 miles off. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Waynesfield

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

  1. TUSSING PIZZA, LTDUnderground Storage Tanks · 550 ft
  2. WAYNESFIELD STOCKYARDUnderground Storage Tanks · 800 ft
  3. WAYNESFIELD CARRYOUTUnderground Storage Tanks · 2400 ft
  4. FETTER FINISHING LLCBrownfields · 0.8 mi
  5. 19TH HOLE RESTAURANT & LOUNGEUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.2 mi
  6. WAYNESFIELD-GOSHEN SCHOOLUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.2 mi
  7. WAYNESFIELD RUBBER FIRESuperfund · 2.2 mi
  8. NORTHWOOD ASPHALT PRODUCTSBrownfields · 3.4 mi
  9. VACANTUnderground Storage Tanks · 3.5 mi
  10. BETHEL ENGINEERINGBrownfields · 3.5 mi
  11. WILLIAMS EXCAVATING, INC.Underground Storage Tanks · 4.8 mi
  12. GREG'S PLACEUnderground Storage Tanks · 5.9 mi

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

Measured from Waynesfield'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 Waynesfield.

Total Sites

120

within ~10 miles of Waynesfield

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

2 Superfund sites (none NPL-listed)

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Waynesfield

High1Moderate31Low88

Highest-Severity Sites

Wapakoneta City
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Casey'S General Stores INC
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
City of Springfield
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Fuel Mart #782
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
Speedway #3612
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Waynesfield, Toxics Release Inventory runs higher than the national average — 9 sites within ~10 miles of Waynesfield. Knowing it is half the work — and it's nothing a thoughtful grower can't plan for.

Toxics Release Inventory: TRI facilities report annual chemical releases to air, water, and land.

Check prevailing wind direction — downwind parcels face higher exposure than upwind or crosswind locations.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Waynesfield

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 Waynesfield average

Your land is one point inside Waynesfield

Everything above resolves to Waynesfield as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 403 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 Waynesfield Average

Waynesfield Average

  • USDA Zones 6a, averaged across Waynesfield
  • One soil character for all of Waynesfield
  • Frost dates read at Waynesfield's scale: Apr 8 to Nov 4

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Waynesfield

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

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

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

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

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

How we know this about Waynesfield

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 Waynesfield’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 Waynesfield

When does frost risk typically end in Waynesfield?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Waynesfield typically lands around Apr 8, 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 Apr 29.

When is the first frost in Waynesfield?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Waynesfield typically arrives around Nov 4, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 21, so the watching starts about Oct 5 — about 210 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Waynesfield?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Waynesfield sees about 210 frost-free days — roughly Apr 8 through Nov 4, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer Apr 29 to Oct 21, about 175 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Waynesfield?

The federal record around Waynesfield is a meaningful one — 120 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (64), 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 Waynesfield?

From about Oct 5 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 4 (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 4. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

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

7 of the readings below were taken at Waynesfield's own scale — its own ~210-day season between 28°F freezes, the 403 acres it covers and 120 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Waynesfield's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6aUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Waynesfield's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 8 and Nov 4 and the ~210-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 120 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Waynesfield, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record about 0.1 miles out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Waynesfield's boundary and the 403 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6a and a ~210-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Waynesfield's own centroid, the Eastern Corn Belt PlainsUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • Lanternfly survey cells around Waynesfield checked, none carrying a detectionlydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Waynesfield's 403 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Auglaize County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Auglaize 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 Auglaize County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Waynesfield's 403 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Waynesfield you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 403 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 Waynesfield-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address

More in Ohio

Wider growing context

What grows across Ohio

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