USDA Hardiness Zone 6A includes parts of Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, and the Missouri–Kansas border, with average annual minimum temperatures between -10°F and -5°F. The growing season runs 135 frost-free days, from the last spring frost on May 17 to the first fall frost on Sep 29. Zone 6A is a reliable region for most garden vegetables. Warm-season crops transplanted after the last spring frost have ample time to mature, and a moderate fall allows harvest of cool-season crops like kale, carrots, and spinach. To find your USDA zone by zip code, use our free planting calendar. Browse individual plant guides for detailed growing instructions, or explore how USDA zones work to better understand your growing conditions.
Zone 6A Planting Guide
Last Spring Frost
May 17
First Fall Frost
Sep 29
Growing Season
135 days
Filterable list of 100 vegetables, herbs, and flowers for Zone 6A. Each crop links to its plant page for planting dates.
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Jump directly to the detailed growing guide for any plant in Zone 6A.
Vegetables
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Growing guides for Zone 6A
Hand-picked posts from the GardeningByZone blog that apply to your zone.
Printable planting calendar and worksheet
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When to plant vegetables in eleven Southern states, from each state's own extension service. GA, NC, SC, VA, AL, TN, MS, AR, KY, LA, WV · Zones 5b through 10a. Printable PDF.
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Lay out beds, plan crop rotation and record planting dates, with a crop reference for the Southeast region. Printable PDF.
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