USDA Zone 6b β€” Garden & Frost Dates for Columbus, OH (43085)

This is the local garden report for ZIP code 43085 (Columbus, OH). It pairs the official USDA 2023 hardiness zone with NOAA-based frost dates so you can plan seeds, transplants, and fall crops with real numbers for your neighborhood.

What does zone 6b mean for Columbus?

Zone 6b is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone for ZIP 43085, based on the 30-year (1991-2020) average annual extreme minimum winter temperature. Perennial plants labeled for zone 6b or lower should survive a typical winter here. The last spring frost averages 04-20 and the first fall frost averages 10-15, giving roughly 178 frost-free growing days β€” the window that most vegetables need to go from seed to harvest.

Start your Columbus planting calendar

This calendar is pre-loaded with the exact frost dates for ZIP 43085 (Columbus, OH) β€” more precise than a state-wide average. Pick a crop and print the plan.

In this ZIP (typical zone 5–6), last frost β‰ˆ Apr 20, first frost β‰ˆ Oct 15 (178-day season), your Tomato plan:

Start seeds indoors
Mar 9
Sow / transplant outdoors
May 4
First harvest
Jul 13
Spacing / depth
24β€³ / 0.25β€³

Month-by-month (this ZIP, 2026)

MonthAction
Janβ€”
Febβ€”
MarStart indoors
Aprβ€”
MaySow Β· Transplant
Junβ€”
JulHarvest
Augβ€”
Sepβ€”
Octβ€”
Novβ€”
Decβ€”

Start indoors 6 weeks before last frost; transplant after soil warms. Zones 3–13 suitable. Dates are typical; confirm with your county extension and watch the 10-day forecast.

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