What Grows in Farmington, West Virginia

USDA Zones 6b · 266 acres

Farmington, West Virginia, 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 Farmington, 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 Farmington 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 Farmington — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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Farmington — the short answer

Farmington, West Virginia: USDA zone 6b, about 204 days between hard freezes, across 266 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)
Oct 31
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Days between freezes
~204
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, 28°F — this town
Town area
266 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 Farmington's average, not your lot's — a low corner or a tree line moves it. Against Farmington's 204-day season, see what your own ground reads.

Soil varies lot by lot — soil types explained.

What this means for growing in Farmington

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

Season length

Measured

Farmington runs about 204 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

Farmington 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 Farmington is in

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

What that means for soil

What Grows in Farmington

Every plant below cleared Farmington's own zone 6b and its 204-day season. Each card opens that plant's West Virginia profile. How we score.

cabbage, photograph
Growing cabbage in West VirginiaZones 2–11Farmington's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
hazelnut, photograph
West Virginia hazelnut guideZones 4–9Farmington's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
lavender, photograph
Lavender in West VirginiaZones 5–8Farmington's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
collard greens, photograph
Collard greens: West Virginia growing notesZones 2–11Farmington's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
blackberry, photograph
Growing blackberry in West VirginiaZones 5–8Farmington's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
California poppy, photograph
West Virginia california poppy guideZones 6–10Farmington's 6b is its exact cold limit.
garlic, photograph
Garlic in West VirginiaZones 2–10Farmington's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
pawpaw, photograph
Pawpaw: West Virginia growing notesZones 5–9Farmington's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Turkish rocket, photograph
Growing turkish rocket in West VirginiaFarmington's 204 days clear the ~90 it needs.
kale, photograph
West Virginia kale guideZones 2–11Farmington's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
pecan, photograph
Pecan in West VirginiaZones 5–9Farmington's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
angelica, photograph
Angelica: West Virginia growing notesZones 4–9Farmington's 204 days clear the ~120 it needs.
lentil, photograph
Growing lentil in West VirginiaZones 2–11Farmington's 204 days clear the ~70 it needs.
okra, photograph
West Virginia okra guideZones 2–12Farmington's 204 days clear the ~50 it needs.
potato, photograph
Potato in West VirginiaZones 2–11Farmington's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
iris, photograph
Iris: West Virginia growing notesZones 3–10Farmington's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
sunflower, photograph
Growing sunflower in West VirginiaZones 2–11Farmington's 204 days clear the ~70 it needs.
lilac, photograph
West Virginia lilac guideZones 4–10Farmington's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
hops, photograph
Hops in West VirginiaZones 3–8Farmington's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
hosta, photograph
Hosta: West Virginia growing notesZones 3–8Farmington's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
French marigold, photograph
Growing french marigold in West VirginiaFarmington's 204 days clear the ~50 it needs.
Oregon grape, photograph
West Virginia oregon grape guideZones 5–8Farmington's 6b — 1 zone of cold margin.
Virginia creeper, photograph
Virginia creeper in West VirginiaZones 3–9Farmington's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
tulip, photograph
Tulip: West Virginia growing notesZones 6–8Farmington's 6b is its exact cold limit.
American elm, photograph
Growing american elm in West VirginiaZones 3–9Farmington's 6b — 3 zones of cold margin.
Ethiopian mustard, photograph
West Virginia ethiopian mustard guideZones 4–10Farmington's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
Kentucky bluegrass, botanical illustration
Kentucky bluegrass in West VirginiaZones 2–7Farmington's 6b — 4 zones of cold margin.
Douglas fir, photograph
Douglas fir: West Virginia growing notesZones 4–10Farmington's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.
alfalfa, photograph
Growing alfalfa in West VirginiaZones 2–10Farmington's 204 days clear the ~100 it needs.
Indian grass, photograph
West Virginia indian grass guideZones 4–9Farmington's 6b — 2 zones of cold margin.

Is it too late to plant in Farmington?

Usually not — gardeners here simply switch what goes in the ground as the season moves. 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 Oct 31 — 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 Farmington

Spotted lanternfly documented 16 miles from Farmington, first recorded 2021. What to watch for.

What's on the federal record near Farmington

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

  1. 289-0225053Underground Storage Tanks · 100 ft
  2. Mar-0102Nitrate · 550 ft
  3. Mar-0096Nitrate · 650 ft
  4. WILFONG FOOD & GASUnderground Storage Tanks · 950 ft
  5. SHERRY'S EXXONUnderground Storage Tanks · 1300 ft
  6. JOSEPH & HELEN FLUHARTY (DECEASED)Underground Storage Tanks · 1400 ft
  7. LITTLE GENERAL STORE #7530Brownfields · 0.5 mi
  8. ALASKYSBrownfields · 0.5 mi
  9. S/S LOC #25291Underground Storage Tanks · 0.5 mi
  10. MANCHIN PROPERTYUnderground Storage Tanks · 0.5 mi
  11. MARION COUNTY SANITARY LANDFILLUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.0 mi
  12. KATY MARKETUnderground Storage Tanks · 1.9 mi

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

Measured from Farmington'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 Farmington.

Total Sites

499

within ~10 miles of Farmington

Risk Level

Elevated

Highest-severity

4 Superfund sites

Severity Distribution

within ~10 miles of Farmington

High2Moderate106Low391

Highest-Severity Sites

Big John Salvage - Hoult Road
Superfund · Superfund NPL
Sharon Steel Corp (Fairmont Coke Works)
Superfund · Superfund NPL
491 (Cell 03)
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
491 (Cell 03)
Nitrate Monitoring · Well
7-Eleven # 35943
Underground Storage Tanks · Open UST(S)

A note from Gnorman

What an experienced grower watches for around here

In and around Farmington, Underground Storage Tanks runs higher than the national average — 332 sites within ~10 miles of Farmington. 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.

Free Report

Check your specific parcel in Farmington

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 Farmington average

Your land is one point inside Farmington

Everything above resolves to Farmington as a whole — one PHZM band and one 28°F frost record, read across 266 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 Farmington Average

Farmington Average

  • USDA Zones 6b, averaged across Farmington
  • One soil character for all of Farmington
  • Frost dates read at Farmington's scale: Apr 10 to Oct 31

YOUR Parcel

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

See MY Growing Report

Free Report

Read your specific parcel in Farmington

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

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

Your soil pHYour frost-free days — Farmington averages 204Your sun & shade

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

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

How we know this about Farmington

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 Farmington’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 Farmington

When does frost risk typically end in Farmington?

The last hard freeze (28°F) in Farmington 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 Farmington?

The first hard freeze (28°F) in Farmington typically arrives around Oct 31, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals — the point tender summer crops finish. Lighter frosts run ahead of it, near Oct 17, so the watching starts about Oct 1 — about 204 days after the spring freeze cleared.

How long is the growing season in Farmington?

Measured between 28°F hard freezes, Farmington sees about 204 frost-free days — roughly Apr 10 through Oct 31, per NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. Tender crops work a shorter one: nearer May 1 to Oct 17, about 169 days.

Is the soil safe to grow vegetables in Farmington?

The federal record around Farmington is a meaningful one — 499 documented sites, mostly Underground Storage Tanks entries (332), the nearest Underground Storage Tanks record under a tenth of a mile 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 Farmington?

From about Oct 1 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 Oct 31 (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 Oct 31. Hardy greens and roots shrug off light frost and sweeten after it — leave them in.

Everything above is measured at Farmington's scale — its 6b band and its 204-day season. Your yard writes its own version of Farmington'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 Farmington’s own scale

7 of the readings below were taken at Farmington's own scale — its own ~204-day season between 28°F freezes, the 266 acres it covers and 499 documented sites around it; 4 are borrowed from a wider read, named and linked below.

Measured here

  • Farmington's own USDA hardiness band, zones 6bUSDA PHZM 2023
  • Farmington's own 28°F hard-freeze dates, about Apr 10 and Oct 31 and the ~204-day span between themNOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals
  • 499 documented contamination sites on the federal record near Farmington, the closest Underground Storage Tanks record under a tenth of a mile out from the town centreFederal environmental registers
  • Farmington's boundary and the 266 acres inside itUS Census TIGER/Line 2025
  • Which of 1,086 plants clear zones 6b and a ~204-day seasonGrowable Ground crop-matching engine
  • The ecoregion at Farmington's own centroid, the Western Allegheny PlateauUS EPA Level III Ecoregions
  • A documented spotted-lanternfly record within reach of Farmingtonlydemapr (De Bona & Helmus), 10 km survey lattice

Inherited from a wider read

  • Soil character — no town-scale survey exists, so Farmington's 266 acres read through its county's SSURGO summaryfrom Marion County
  • Growing-degree days and winter chill — measured county-wide only, so the county page carries themfrom Marion County
  • The growing challenges every West Virginia grower plans around — written at state scale, so they stay on the state guidefrom West Virginia
  • Butterfly and beetle records, and the farmland pesticide estimate — all published county-widefrom Marion County

What this page can’t tell you

  • The soil pH, drainage, sun hours, and frost pockets on any one lot among Farmington's 266 acreswhy one lot differs from the next
  • Which side of Farmington you're on — a low spot frosts first and a south wall warms early, and one normal is being asked to speak for all 266 acresreading your own microclimate
  • How close that record sits to YOUR lot — the closest Underground Storage Tanks record under a tenth of a mile 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 Farmington-wide figureread your own land
The next step finer is your own address