USGrowersGuide

Metro areas

Gardening in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

This metro spans USDA zones 6b to 7b, so there is no single zone for New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and anyone who gives you one is rounding. 56% of its ZIP codes are zone 7b; the rest are not.

USDA zones 6b–7b 3 zones across 878 ZIP codes
ZIP codes 878 878 have a NOAA station within range
Weather stations 63 NOAA 1991–2020 normals, across 6,140 sq mi

Which zone you are in depends where you are

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ covers 3 hardiness zones. A guide that gives the metro one zone has picked whichever is largest and rounded everyone else into it — which is fine for the 56% in zone 7b and wrong for the other 44%. Here is the actual split.

Zone ZIP codes Share  
7b 496 56%
7a 306 35%
6b 76 9%

Zones are published per ZIP code, so yours is exact even though the metro's is not. The hardiness tool will tell you which one you are in.

Your freeze dates

Last spring freeze March 26 – May 7
First fall freeze October 11 – November 25

Those are the earliest and latest medians among the 63 stations serving this metro — not an average, and not one station standing in for the rest. Half of years freeze later than a station's own median.

The spread is the point. Even in a metro that is one hardiness zone throughout, its stations disagree about the last spring freeze. Hardiness zone and frost date measure different things — a zone is the average annual coldest night, a freeze date is when the season turns — and a place can be uniform in one and varied in the other. Use the tools below with your own ZIP rather than the ends of this range.

Your growing season

NOAA publishes a growing-season length for each station, and across the 63 stations serving New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ it runs 160–244 days . That figure is published, not computed from the two freeze dates — subtracting one from the other gives the wrong answer wherever a season crosses New Year. Mean summer high (June–August) runs 76–86 °F , below the 90 °F point where cool-season crops reliably bolt.

When to start seeds in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

Every spring job for 63 crop dates, counted from this metro's own last spring freeze. Each is a range across all 63 stations — the earliest and latest that job falls anywhere in the metro — because no one station speaks for the whole area.

Crop Job When Offset
Green Onions Start indoors January 29 – March 12 8 weeks before
Peppers Start indoors January 29 – March 12 8 weeks before
Broccoli Start indoors February 12 – March 26 6 weeks before
Cabbage Start indoors February 12 – March 26 6 weeks before
Collards Start indoors February 12 – March 26 6 weeks before
Kale Start indoors February 12 – March 26 6 weeks before
Leaf Lettuce Start indoors February 12 – March 26 6 weeks before
Peas Direct sow February 12 – March 26 6 weeks before
Spinach Direct sow February 12 – March 26 6 weeks before
Sweet Potato Start indoors February 12 – March 26 6 weeks before
Tomatoes Start indoors February 12 – March 26 6 weeks before
Bok Choy Start indoors February 19 – April 2 5 weeks before
Kohlrabi Start indoors February 19 – April 2 5 weeks before
Swiss Chard Start indoors February 19 – April 2 5 weeks before
Arugula Direct sow February 26 – April 9 4 weeks before
Baby Salad Greens Direct sow February 26 – April 9 4 weeks before
Beets Direct sow February 26 – April 9 4 weeks before
Green Onions Direct sow February 26 – April 9 4 weeks before
Mustard Greens Direct sow February 26 – April 9 4 weeks before
Okra Start indoors February 26 – April 9 4 weeks before
Radishes Direct sow February 26 – April 9 4 weeks before
Turnips Direct sow February 26 – April 9 4 weeks before
Cabbage Set out March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Carrots Direct sow March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Collards Direct sow March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Collards Set out March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Cucumbers Start indoors March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Green Onions Set out March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Kale Direct sow March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Kale Set out March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Kohlrabi Direct sow March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Kohlrabi Set out March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Leaf Lettuce Direct sow March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Pumpkins Start indoors March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Summer Squash Start indoors March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Winter Squash Start indoors March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Zucchini Start indoors March 5 – April 16 3 weeks before
Bok Choy Direct sow March 12 – April 23 2 weeks before
Bok Choy Set out March 12 – April 23 2 weeks before
Broccoli Set out March 12 – April 23 2 weeks before
Cilantro Direct sow March 12 – April 23 2 weeks before
Leaf Lettuce Set out March 12 – April 23 2 weeks before
Swiss Chard Direct sow March 12 – April 23 2 weeks before
Swiss Chard Set out March 12 – April 23 2 weeks before
Dill Direct sow March 19 – April 30 1 week before
Bush Beans Direct sow April 2 – May 14 1 week after
Cucumbers Set out April 2 – May 14 1 week after
Pumpkins Direct sow April 2 – May 14 1 week after
Pumpkins Set out April 2 – May 14 1 week after
Summer Squash Direct sow April 2 – May 14 1 week after
Summer Squash Set out April 2 – May 14 1 week after
Sweet Corn Direct sow April 2 – May 14 1 week after
Tomatoes Set out April 2 – May 14 1 week after
Winter Squash Direct sow April 2 – May 14 1 week after
Winter Squash Set out April 2 – May 14 1 week after
Zucchini Direct sow April 2 – May 14 1 week after
Zucchini Set out April 2 – May 14 1 week after
Cucumbers Direct sow April 9 – May 21 2 weeks after
Okra Direct sow April 9 – May 21 2 weeks after
Okra Set out April 9 – May 21 2 weeks after
Peppers Set out April 9 – May 21 2 weeks after
Southern Peas Direct sow April 9 – May 21 2 weeks after
Sweet Potato Set out April 9 – May 21 2 weeks after

The week offsets are conventional extension guidance and vary by variety; the freeze dates they are counted from are measured. For a single date rather than a range, run when do I start my seeds? with your own ZIP code.

What survives the winter changes across New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

Of 74 perennial fruits, nuts, berries, vegetables and herbs, 58 come through the winter in zone 7a and only 51 in zone 6b. That is a different garden at each end of the same metro.

Zone ZIPs Survive Fail for being too warm
6b 76 51 of 74 0
7a 306 58 of 74 1
7b 496 56 of 74 3

The last column is the counterintuitive one, and it is why the totals do not simply rise as the winters get milder. Most temperate fruit needs a documented number of hours below about 45 °F to break dormancy and set a crop, so an apple fails in a winter that is too warm; currants and rhubarb cook in the summer heat that comes with it. See the full list with reasons.

The 63 stations behind these numbers

Every figure above comes from these, and each is named so you can check it. Distances vary by ZIP code, so the tools report yours rather than this page guessing.

Station NOAA ID Last spring freeze First fall freeze Season
Andover Aeroflex AP, NJ USW00054779 April 25 October 19 175 days
Baiting Hollow, NY USC00300364 April 24 October 25 182 days
Belvidere Brg, NJ USC00280734 April 30 October 18 168 days
Boonton 1 SE, NJ USC00280907 April 17 October 23 189 days
Brant Beach-Beach Haven, NJ USC00280990 April 1 November 15 230 days
Bridgehampton, NY USC00300889 April 23 October 24 182 days
Bronx, NY USC00300961 April 1 November 16 230 days
Bucksville, PA USC00361080 April 29 October 16 170 days
Caldwell Essex Co AP, NJ USW00054743 April 14 October 28 196 days
Canoe Brook, NJ USC00281335 April 18 October 27 189 days
Carmel 4N, NY USC00301211 April 28 October 16 170 days
Centerport, NY USC00301309 April 9 November 10 215 days
Charlotteburg Rsvr, NJ USC00281582 April 25 October 17 174 days
Cranford, NJ USC00282023 April 11 October 31 202 days
Danbury Muni AP, CT USW00054734 May 1 October 14 166 days
Dobbs Ferry-Ardsley, NY USC00302129 April 20 October 26 189 days
Essex Fells Service Bldg, NJ USC00282768 April 18 October 24 187 days
Farmingdale AP, NY USW00054787 April 6 November 6 213 days
Flemington 5 Nnw, NJ USC00283029 April 24 October 21 179 days
Freehold-Marlboro, NJ USC00283181 April 17 October 23 190 days
Groton New London AP, CT USW00014707 April 16 October 28 194 days
Harrison, NJ USC00283704 April 4 November 6 216 days
Hightstown 2 W, NJ USC00283951 April 25 October 16 173 days
Islip Li Macarthur AP, NY USW00004781 April 10 November 2 207 days
Lambertville, NJ USC00284635 April 16 October 19 185 days
Little Falls, NJ USC00284887 April 15 October 28 195 days
Long Branch-Oakhurst, NJ USC00284987 April 9 November 3 208 days
Mattituck, NY USC00305142 April 19 November 1 196 days
Mineola, NY USC00305377 April 2 November 12 224 days
Molloy Cercom, NY USC00302151 April 4 November 11 219 days
Montauk AP, NY USW00054780 April 7 November 15 222 days
Mt Sinai, NY USC00305606 April 4 November 7 215 days
New Brunswick 3 SE, NJ USC00286055 April 15 October 26 193 days
New York Cntrl Pk Twr, NY USW00094728 March 30 November 20 236 days
New York Jfk INTL AP, NY USW00094789 April 2 November 14 226 days
New York Laguardia AP, NY USW00014732 March 26 November 25 244 days
Newark INTL AP, NJ USW00014734 April 2 November 10 222 days
Newton, NJ USC00286177 April 24 October 16 176 days
Ny Ave V Brooklyn, NY USC00305796 April 1 November 19 233 days
Oceanside, NY USC00306138 April 7 November 8 212 days
Orient Pt SP, NY USC00306276 April 6 November 17 221 days
Phillipsburg-Easton Brg, NJ USC00286979 April 18 October 25 188 days
Plainfield, NJ USC00287079 April 11 October 28 198 days
Riverhead Rsch Farm, NY USC00307134 April 6 November 9 215 days
Setauket Strong, NY USC00307633 April 15 November 10 208 days
Shirley Brookhaven AP, NY USW00054790 April 18 October 28 193 days
Shrub Oak, NY USC00307742 April 30 October 17 172 days
Somerville 4 NW, NJ USC00288194 April 30 October 20 172 days
Somerville Somerset AP, NJ USW00054785 April 26 October 18 176 days
Stamford 5 N, CT USC00067970 April 17 October 23 188 days
Sussex 3 Wnw, NJ USC00288644 April 30 October 11 163 days
Sussex 8 Nnw, NJ USC00288648 April 20 October 20 181 days
Sussex AP, NJ USW00054793 May 1 October 12 164 days
Teterboro AP, NJ USW00094741 April 3 November 4 215 days
Toms River, NJ USC00288816 April 23 October 20 179 days
Upton Coop - Nwsfo New York, NY USC00308721 April 21 October 24 184 days
Wanaque Raymond Dam, NJ USC00289187 April 19 October 23 188 days
Wantagh Cedar Creek, NY USC00308946 April 3 November 11 221 days
Wertsville 4 NE, NJ USC00289363 April 16 October 27 192 days
West Point, NY USC00309292 April 10 November 1 204 days
Westchester Co AP, NY USW00094745 April 12 October 31 200 days
Westhamptn Gabreski AP, NY USW00014719 May 7 October 14 160 days
Yorktown Hts 1W, NY USC00309670 April 25 October 19 174 days

These are medians, not averages — NOAA publishes freeze dates as a probability distribution, and half of years freeze later than the date shown.

Work out your own dates

Each of these takes a ZIP code and answers for that ZIP alone, citing the station it used and how far away it is. There is a ZIP box in the header of every page.

Where these numbers come from

The hardiness zone is the USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, published per ZIP code by PRISM at Oregon State. The freeze dates are NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals, read from every station whose normals cover a ZIP code in this metro. Nothing here is estimated, and no station stands in for another.

This page names no single station on purpose. Picking one to represent a metro sounds reasonable and is not: the station serving the most ZIP codes is an artifact of where ZIP centroids happen to fall, and it selects a lock on the Monongahela for Pittsburgh and a far southern suburb for Chicago. A range across every station is true; a single cited date for a whole metro is not.

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