Hi Morgan – and Welcome to Ohio !

A short answer to your question is – All of the vegetables you grew work well for home gardening in Central Ohio. I recommend you grow them here. Your gardening practices may need to change slightly, however.   Some difference to be aware of:

Central Ohio is in hardiness zone 6, which may or may not be the same as that of your home in Utah, depending on the area of Utah. Our last average frost here in zone 6 is considered mid-May, so it is time to start planting most vegetables. Kale and greens, of course, can start much earlier. Kale sometimes grows all year if you protect it in the winter, although this winter was very cold and more difficult for overwintering.

We have much higher humidity here and you will need to a) water less in most cases, b) place plants further apart and c) carefully watch out for mildew, fungus and blight. Tomatoes and other plants may need pruning of the bottom stems to improve airflow. Mulch carefully to avoid fungus transmission from splashing of water to plant. Intense periods of rain, or variable rain, can cause Blossom End Rot and cracking in the tomatoes, and again, mulching is key. But weather is never predictable, and last summer we had a drought – so you have to remain flexible on the watering. Weed growth can be quick as well in this humidity, so again, mulching is important. Resources include: https://u.osu.edu/senecacountyanr/2025/07/08/downy-and-powdery-mildew/

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/vegetable-disease-quick-reference/

Soils are also often different. I don’t know the specific soil in your area of Grove City, but there is a lot of clay in Ohio, which holds water a much longer time than many western soils - so again, watch so that you don’t overwater - and again, watch for mildew, fungus and blight. Raised beds are often used to avoid the clay. In any case, check for soil type and add compost and other amendments as needed based upon your soil.

Pests in this area include slugs – especially on strawberries !, squash bugs and vine borers, Japanese beetles and hornworms (tomatoes, peppers). Here is a good resource from the Franklin county extension. https://franklin.osu.edu/sites/franklin/files/imce/Program_Pages/ANR/controlvegpests.pdf

As far as “Ohio crops”, I would guess that we are most known for corn, as you will see when you travel the countryside – lots and lots of cornfields. Home growers must grow corn in blocks however for proper fertilization, and of course, corn requires more room than most vegetables. I would recommend you try pumpkin and winter squash. They grow well in Ohio, but you have to watch out for those vine borers and squash bugs. Resources include: https://extension.illinois.edu/gardening/corn and

https://share.google/77byZRdotOvdZYRYU

Edible Gardening for the Midwest (Vanderlinden, C. and Beck, A) and Midwest Fruit and Vegetable Gardening: Plant, Grow and Harvest the Best Edibles (Elzer-Peters, K.) are two books that discuss vegetable gardening in this area.

Again – welcome to Ohio ! and I wish you a great gardening year ! Thank you for contacting Ohio’s Ask A Master Gardener Volunteer program. Feel free to contact us again if needed–