New Haven, CT · zone 6a · ~193 frost-free days
When to plant in New Haven: frost dates and zone 6a.
In New Haven, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 17 and the first fall frost around Oct 27, giving you about 193 frost-free days. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost; warm-season crops wait until after it.
The 2026 windows
Sow dates for New Haven, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 13 to May 13 | Apr 24 to Jun 24 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 10 to Apr 24 | Aug 13 to Oct 12 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 10 to Apr 12 | Aug 1 to Aug 27 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 17 to Jun 7 | Jul 13 to Aug 15 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 24 to Jul 24 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 22 to May 13 | May 3 to Jun 24 | — |
| Kale | Jan 27 to Feb 24 | Mar 10 to Apr 7 | Jul 27 to Sep 11 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 24 to Apr 7 | Aug 13 to Oct 1 |
New Haven sits in Zone 6a, but two gardens in the same city can be a week or two apart. The planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not the zone, so the dates land right for your block, not the metro average.
Build your New Haven garden plan.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for ZIP 06510 in about 60 seconds.
New Haven planting questions
What planting zone is New Haven, CT?+
New Haven is in USDA hardiness zone 6a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 6a here. It tells you what survives winter, not when to plant. Frost dates set your planting time, and the free planner uses your exact ZIP code's frost dates, which can differ by weeks across one metro.
When is the last frost date in New Haven?+
The typical last spring frost in New Haven, CT is around Apr 17. That is an average from local history, not a guarantee, so tender crops like tomatoes and peppers are safer with a week of buffer after it.
When is the first frost date in New Haven?+
The typical first fall frost in New Haven, CT arrives around Oct 27, closing a growing season of roughly 193 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in New Haven?+
It depends on the date. Cool-season crops like lettuce, kale, and spinach go out weeks before the last frost; warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers wait until after Apr 17. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.