Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The USDA zone info for Oberlin should be looked at to determine when it's the best time to plant onions.

Planting Calendar for Onions

Frost tolerance for onions:	Very tolerant of frost.
When to plant:	Up to 7 weeks before last frost.

Since onions are very cold tolerant you can plant them quite a bit earlier in the year than more sensitive plants.

The earliest that you can plant onions in Oberlin is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant onions and expect a good harvest is probably September. You probably don't want to wait any later than that or else your onions may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your onions indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Oberlin. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -10°F.

Since the USDA zone info for Oberlin is an average the actual date of last frost is different every year. Half of the time in Oberlin you get a frost after April 15 so just be sure to be ready to cover your onions if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Oberlin

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-10°F
Highest Expected Low	-5°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -10°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -5°F.

Plants to Grow in Oberlin

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Oberlin.