What Grows in Wellsville, Pennsylvania

USDA Zones 6a-7b · 92 acres

Wellsville, Pennsylvania, sits in USDA hardiness zones 6a-7b — enough range to grow cool-season vegetables, hardy fruit, and warm-season crops that mature before the first hard frost.

Among the crops suited to this profile: apple, tomato, grape, and mountain laurel. The site-level story — soil, sun, drainage — decides the rest.

Score your parcel · free

Even in Wellsville, 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 Wellsville lot. 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

6a-7b

Last Hard Freeze (28°F)

Mar 21

Town normal — light frosts run a few weeks later

First Hard Freeze (28°F)

Nov 24

Town normal — light frosts arrive a few weeks earlier

Town Area

92 acres

Hardiness Zone Range

6a
7b
3a (Cold)13b (Hot)

Zone maps are averages across Wellsville. Your yard's slope, trees, and frost pockets shift what actually grows — see your land's exact reading.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

Is it too late to plant in Wellsville?

For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 21; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 21 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 24 — 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.

Growing Challenges in Pennsylvania

What an experienced grower plans around here — each one has a move.

Rocky shale soils in the ridge-and-valley region

Build up over shale rather than into it — raised beds with imported soil give roots depth the ridge won't.

Short mountain seasons in the Poconos and Alleghenies

Mountain growers stretch the season with cold frames and fast varieties — the missing weeks are recoverable.

Deer pressure is among the highest in the US

In the hardest-hit deer country, a tall fence is the only reliable line — resistant plants cover the rest.

For cultivar selection, pest pressure, and planting-time guidance specific to Pennsylvania, the Penn State Extension is the authoritative local source.

Environmental Intelligence

Understanding what's nearby helps you make informed decisions about where and how to grow.

Total Sites

439

within ~10 miles of Wellsville

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

1 Superfund site

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Wellsville

High3Moderate186Low250

Highest-Severity Sites

Dillsburg Area Authority
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
Ph Glatfelter Hsca
Superfund · Superfund (Non-NPL)
Suez Newberry System
PFAS Sampling · PFAS Detected
658 Wyndamere Rd
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)
7 Eleven 40447
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Wellsville, two things run higher than the national average — CAFO (9 sites) and Nitrate (120 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.

Nitrate: Nitrate contamination primarily comes from agricultural fertilizer runoff and failing septic systems.

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

Test well water for nitrate if you rely on a private well for irrigation (EPA standard: 10 mg/L).

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Wellsville

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:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

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

Wellsville Average

  • USDA Zones 6a-7b
  • 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

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Wellsville

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

Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

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 Wellsville, Pennsylvania

  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6a-7b (USDA PHZM 2023)
  • Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 21 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can follow for a few weeks)
  • First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 24 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals — light frosts can arrive a few weeks earlier)
  • Days Between Hard Freezes: ~248 (town normal, NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals)
  • Land Area: 92 acres (US Census TIGER 2025)

Zone data: USDA ARS Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Climate data: NOAA NCEI. Boundaries: US Census TIGER/Line 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hardiness zone is Wellsville, Pennsylvania?

Wellsville sits in USDA hardiness zones 6a-7b, 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 Wellsville?

For most of the year, no — what changes is which crops still fit the days remaining. Cool-season crops can go in from around Feb 21; tender transplants wait until two to three weeks after the last 28°F hard freeze, which lands near Mar 21 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals); and from midsummer, planting counts back from the first fall freeze around Nov 24 — 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.

When does frost risk typically end in Wellsville?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Wellsville typically lands around Mar 21, 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.

When is the first frost in Wellsville?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Wellsville typically arrives around Nov 24, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point most tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts usually reach a couple of weeks earlier, so watch the forecast from late summer on and harvest or cover tender plants before the first cold night.

What vegetables grow in Wellsville?

Wellsville's zones 6a-7b support a wide range — strong performers include Apple, Tomato, Grape, Mountain Laurel, and Mushroom. 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 Wellsville, really?

Officially, Wellsville sits in USDA zones 6a-7b (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 Wellsville?

The federal record around Wellsville is a meaningful one — 439 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.

How do I protect my plants from frost in Wellsville?

As the season closes around the first 28°F hard freeze near Nov 24 (NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals), a few moves buy time: cover tender plants with floating row cover or an old sheet on still, clear nights, water the soil the afternoon before a freeze so it holds warmth overnight, and harvest frost-tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, and basil before the first hard night. Hardy greens and root crops shrug off light frost and often sweeten after it, so leave them in.

Everything on this page is a Wellsville 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.