Is it safe to plant in zone 6?
Cool season crops are much more frost hardy, but in zone 6 if you are planting anything outside right now it would be in a cold frame. A few more weeks and you can start planting some lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, beets, kale, pac choy, carrots, ect. Zone 6 has a medium length growing season. In general, it lasts from May to November. If you live in zone 6, we recommend starting certain seeds indoors before transplanting them. Plants including tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and cucumbers can be started indoors.
What is zone 6 known for?
USDA Zone 6 falls in the middle of the hardiness scale, with sub-zones 6a and 6b. These areas experience cold winters and warm summers, with a growing season of around 180 days. Zone 6 has two subzones: 6a and 6b. Zone 6a has an average minimum temperature of negative five to negative ten degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 6b experiences minimum temperatures of zero to negative five degrees Fahrenheit.
When can you plant in Zone 6?
With the last frost date as late as May 1st and the first frost date as early as November 13th, there is not a long window to start crops! The average planting season in Zone 6 is about 150 days. USDA Zones 3 to 7 growers should sow winter wheat in late summer or early fall when they remove long-season crops like peppers and tomatoes to help replenish soil following heavy feeders. Growers in Zones 8+ can wait until fall or early winter. If you miss the ideal planting window, consider rye.