When to plant in Columbus, NJ
Planting dates worked out from Columbus's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Apr 25
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 15
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 28
1 year in 10 by Oct 14
Frost-free days
199
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Philadelphia/mt Holly Wfo · 10.6 km away · station 18 m, town 24 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 19 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 24 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 13 – Feb 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | Apr 29 |
| Peas | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | May 14 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jun 7 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 31 – May 12 | May 30 |
| Beet | — | Mar 31 – May 12 | May 20 |
| Potato | — | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | Jun 9 |
| Kale | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 9 |
| Broccoli | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | May 19 |
| Cucumber | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 14 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 9 |
| Winter squash | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jul 14 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jun 17 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 20 – Apr 10 | Jun 18 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 14 – Nov 11 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | Apr 27 |
| Basil | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 21 |
Columbus's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Apr 9 |
| 1995 | Apr 17 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | Apr 21 |
| 1998 | Apr 14 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 15 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | Apr 24 |
| 2003 | Apr 8 |
| 2004 | Apr 11 |
| 2005 | Apr 18 |
| 2006 | Mar 30 |
| 2007 | Apr 12 |
| 2008 | Apr 17 |
| 2009 | Apr 18 |
| 2010 | Mar 29 |
| 2011 | Apr 6 |
| 2012 | Apr 28 |
| 2013 | Apr 4 |
| 2014 | Apr 17 |
| 2015 | Apr 25 |
| 2016 | Apr 14 |
| 2017 | Apr 9 |
| 2018 | Apr 22 |
| 2019 | Apr 3 |
| 2020 | Apr 19 |
| 2021 | Apr 4 |
| 2022 | Apr 29 |
| 2023 | Apr 10 |
| 2024 | Apr 22 |
| 2025 | Apr 9 |
| 2026 | Apr 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 201 |
| 1995 | 201 |
| 1996 | 150 |
| 1997 | 184 |
| 1998 | 204 |
| 1999 | 172 |
| 2000 | 204 |
| 2001 | 172 |
| 2002 | 190 |
| 2003 | 198 |
| 2004 | 211 |
| 2005 | 207 |
| 2006 | 197 |
| 2007 | 199 |
| 2008 | 185 |
| 2009 | 202 |
| 2010 | 216 |
| 2011 | 207 |
| 2012 | 167 |
| 2013 | 204 |
| 2014 | 185 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 194 |
| 2017 | 215 |
| 2018 | 202 |
| 2019 | 212 |
| 2020 | 194 |
| 2021 | 212 |
| 2022 | 199 |
| 2023 | 205 |
| 2024 | 188 |
| 2025 | 206 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 18.9 °C |
| 1995 | 18.9 °C |
| 1996 | 18.7 °C |
| 1997 | 18.2 °C |
| 1998 | 19.8 °C |
| 1999 | 19.9 °C |
| 2000 | 18.7 °C |
| 2001 | 19.4 °C |
| 2002 | 20.1 °C |
| 2003 | 18.8 °C |
| 2004 | 19.6 °C |
| 2005 | 20.1 °C |
| 2006 | 19.9 °C |
| 2007 | 19.5 °C |
| 2008 | 19.7 °C |
| 2009 | 19.1 °C |
| 2010 | 20.9 °C |
| 2011 | 20.7 °C |
| 2012 | 20.4 °C |
| 2013 | 19.6 °C |
| 2014 | 18.8 °C |
| 2015 | 20.0 °C |
| 2016 | 19.8 °C |
| 2017 | 19.4 °C |
| 2018 | 20.1 °C |
| 2019 | 20.5 °C |
| 2020 | 19.7 °C |
| 2021 | 20.2 °C |
| 2022 | 20.3 °C |
| 2023 | 19.9 °C |
| 2024 | 20.6 °C |
| 2025 | 20.1 °C |
| 2026 | 20.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1994, Columbus's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Philadelphia/mt Holly Wfo (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.