Newark, NJ · zone 7a · ~216 frost-free days
When to plant in Newark: frost dates and zone 7a.
In Newark, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 4 and the first fall frost around Nov 6, giving you about 216 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 Newark, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Feb 28 to Apr 30 | Apr 11 to Jun 11 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Feb 25 to Apr 11 | Aug 23 to Oct 22 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 25 to Mar 30 | Aug 11 to Sep 6 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 4 to May 25 | Jul 23 to Aug 25 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 11 to Jul 11 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 9 to Apr 30 | Apr 20 to Jun 11 | — |
| Kale | Jan 14 to Feb 11 | Feb 25 to Mar 25 | Aug 6 to Sep 21 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 11 to Mar 25 | Aug 23 to Oct 11 |
Newark sits in Zone 7a, 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 Newark 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 07102 in about 60 seconds.
Newark planting questions
What planting zone is Newark, NJ?+
Newark is in USDA hardiness zone 7a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 7a 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 Newark?+
The typical last spring frost in Newark, NJ is around Apr 4. 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 Newark?+
The typical first fall frost in Newark, NJ arrives around Nov 6, closing a growing season of roughly 216 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Newark?+
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 4. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.