← Oregon growing regions
Growing in the Columbia Gorge
A river-cut corridor through the Cascades, running 7a to 8b across a few miles as the country dries out eastward. Orchard ground, and the smallest region here at seventeen ZIPs.
Hood River · The Dalles · Mosier
- USDA zones
- 7a to 8b
- ZIP codes
- 17
- Frost-free days
- 133–270
- Weather stations
- 4
What the weather stations record
One station per hardiness zone in the region, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals. They disagree, and the disagreement is the useful part: it tells you the region has more than one answer.
| Station | Zone | Last spring frost | Safe after | First autumn frost | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KENT, OR US17 km from 97029 | 7a | May 20 | June 9 | October 7 | 140 days |
| THE DALLES, OR US2 km from 97058 | 7b | April 12 | May 1 | October 22 | 193 days |
| BONNEVILLE DAM, OR US5 km from 97014 | 8a | March 7 | April 6 | December 2 | 270 days |
| SKAMANIA FISH HATCHERY, WA US10 km from 97010 | 8b | May 17 | June 6 | September 27 | 133 days |
A sowing calendar for growing in the Columbia Gorge
Counted from the median station in the region, KENT, OR US, where frost is usually finished by May 20 and returns around October 7. Stations in this region range from 133 to 270 frost-free days, so shift these dates if you are at the cold end.
| Crop | What to do, and when |
|---|---|
| Spinach |
|
| Peas |
|
| Onions (from sets) |
|
| Green onions (scallions) |
|
| Lettuce |
|
| Kale |
|
| Radish |
|
| Beets |
|
| Broccoli |
|
| Cabbage |
|
| Carrots |
|
| Potatoes |
|
| Chard |
|
| Beans (bush) |
|
| Summer squash and zucchini |
|
| Cucumber |
|
| Tomatoes |
|
| Garlic |
|
These are frost dates, not heat. A long season is not the same as a warm one, and on the Oregon coast the two come apart further than anywhere else in the state: there is room in the calendar for a pepper and rarely enough summer to ripen it.
How much room the slowest crops have
Days of slack between a crop finishing and the first autumn frost, at this region’s shortest station. Every one of these finishes somewhere in Oregon; the number is how much margin you have if the season runs short.
- Potatoes27 days spare
- Tomatoes34 days spare
- Onions (from sets)51 days spare
- Cucumber54 days spare
- Cabbage57 days spare
- Broccoli62 days spare
- Summer squash and zucchini64 days spare
- Beans (bush)66 days spare
Farm rooted clothing · Est. 2005
The guides are free. The shop is the business.
Sun & Rain Works is a small apparel outfit in Eugene, Oregon, with agricultural roots and a slow path toward farming. The columbia gorge growing guide you just read comes from the same place as the shirts.