← Oregon growing regions
Growing in the Willamette Valley
Where most of Oregon lives and most of it gardens: 212 ZIPs, 45 per cent of every ZIP in the state. Seven in ten are zone 8b, with 60 more in a warmer 9a.
Portland · Salem · Corvallis · Eugene · McMinnville
- USDA zones
- 8a to 9a
- ZIP codes
- 212
- Frost-free days
- 191–244
- Weather stations
- 3
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESTACADA 2 SE, OR US3 km from 97023 | 8a | March 30 | April 22 | November 12 | 227 days |
| SALEM MCNARY FIELD, OR US9 km from 97317 | 8b | April 18 | May 8 | October 26 | 191 days |
| OREGON CITY, OR US10 km from 97222 | 9a | March 20 | April 16 | November 19 | 244 days |
A sowing calendar for growing in the Willamette Valley
Counted from the median station in the region, ESTACADA 2 SE, OR US, where frost is usually finished by March 30 and returns around November 12. Stations in this region range from 191 to 244 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) |
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| Summer squash and zucchini |
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| Cucumber |
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| Tomatoes |
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| 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.
- Potatoes85 days spare
- Tomatoes92 days spare
- Onions (from sets)109 days spare
- Cucumber112 days spare
- Cabbage115 days spare
- Broccoli120 days spare
- Summer squash and zucchini122 days spare
- Beans (bush)124 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 willamette valley growing guide you just read comes from the same place as the shirts.