New York, NY · zone 7b · ~234 frost-free days
When to plant in New York: frost dates and zone 7b.
In New York, the typical last spring frost lands around Mar 30 and the first fall frost around Nov 19, giving you about 234 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 York, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Feb 23 to Apr 25 | Apr 6 to Jun 6 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Feb 20 to Apr 6 | Sep 5 to Nov 4 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 20 to Mar 25 | Aug 24 to Sep 19 |
| Bush Bean | — | Mar 30 to May 20 | Aug 5 to Sep 7 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 6 to Jul 6 | Jul 19 to Aug 19 |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 4 to Apr 25 | Apr 15 to Jun 6 | — |
| Kale | Jan 9 to Feb 6 | Feb 20 to Mar 20 | Aug 19 to Oct 4 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 6 to Mar 20 | Sep 5 to Oct 24 |
New York sits in Zone 7b, 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 York 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 10001 in about 60 seconds.
New York planting questions
What planting zone is New York, NY?+
New York is in USDA hardiness zone 7b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 7b 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 York?+
The typical last spring frost in New York, NY is around Mar 30. 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 York?+
The typical first fall frost in New York, NY arrives around Nov 19, closing a growing season of roughly 234 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 York?+
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 Mar 30. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.