← Oregon growing regions
Growing in the Klamath Basin
The clearest case in Oregon that latitude is not the variable. This is the southern edge of the state, and it runs 6a to 7a while Portland, two hundred miles north, sits at 8b and 9a. The basin is high ground, and elevation wins.
Klamath Falls · Lakeview · Chiloquin · Paisley
- USDA zones
- 6a to 7a
- ZIP codes
- 21
- Frost-free days
- 126
- Weather stations
- 2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MALIN 5 E, OR US22 km from 97623 | 6b | Frost recorded in every month. No last-frost date exists here. | |||
| KLAMATH FALLS 2 SSW, OR US12 km from 97601 | 7a | May 29 | June 23 | October 2 | 126 days |
One station here has no frost-free season at all
NOAA records freezing temperatures in every month at MALIN 5 E, OR US. That is not a gap in the data. It means a last-frost date does not exist for that ground, and any calendar below is for the rest of the region rather than for there.
A sowing calendar for growing in the Klamath Basin
Counted from the median station in the region, KLAMATH FALLS 2 SSW, OR US, where frost is usually finished by May 29 and returns around October 2.
| 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.
- Potatoes20 days spare
- Tomatoes27 days spare
- Onions (from sets)44 days spare
- Cucumber47 days spare
- Cabbage50 days spare
- Broccoli55 days spare
- Summer squash and zucchini57 days spare
- Beans (bush)59 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 klamath basin & the outback growing guide you just read comes from the same place as the shirts.