When to plant in Long Valley, NJ
Planting dates worked out from Long Valley's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 12
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 25
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 20
1 year in 10 by Oct 5
Frost-free days
178
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Schooley's Mtn 1 Sw · 4.4 km away · station 301 m, town 164 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 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 6 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 11 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 13 |
| Peas | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 28 |
| Bush beans | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jun 24 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | Jun 10 |
| Beet | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | May 31 |
| Potato | — | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jun 20 |
| Kale | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 23 |
| Broccoli | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jun 2 |
| Cucumber | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 1 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jun 26 |
| Winter squash | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 31 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jul 4 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jul 2 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 6 – Nov 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 11 |
| Basil | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 8 |
Long Valley'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 |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Apr 12 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | Apr 21 |
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 1999 | Apr 24 |
| 2000 | Apr 14 |
| 2001 | Apr 20 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 19 |
| 2004 | Apr 28 |
| 2005 | May 3 |
| 2006 | Apr 26 |
| 2007 | Apr 17 |
| 2008 | Apr 15 |
| 2009 | Apr 17 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | Apr 22 |
| 2012 | Apr 30 |
| 2013 | Apr 22 |
| 2014 | Apr 22 |
| 2015 | Apr 26 |
| 2016 | Apr 15 |
| 2017 | Apr 9 |
| 2018 | Apr 22 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | Apr 30 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 26 |
| 2025 | Apr 13 |
| 2026 | Apr 22 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 205 |
| 1996 | 142 |
| 1997 | 163 |
| 1998 | 176 |
| 1999 | 165 |
| 2000 | 167 |
| 2001 | 171 |
| 2002 | 152 |
| 2003 | 183 |
| 2004 | 189 |
| 2005 | 177 |
| 2006 | 169 |
| 2007 | 194 |
| 2008 | 187 |
| 2009 | 184 |
| 2010 | 173 |
| 2011 | 188 |
| 2012 | 165 |
| 2013 | 185 |
| 2014 | 180 |
| 2015 | 174 |
| 2016 | 193 |
| 2017 | 190 |
| 2018 | 179 |
| 2019 | 186 |
| 2020 | 170 |
| 2021 | 193 |
| 2022 | 171 |
| 2023 | 167 |
| 2024 | 173 |
| 2025 | 196 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 16.3 °C |
| 1996 | 15.8 °C |
| 1997 | 15.1 °C |
| 1998 | 16.9 °C |
| 1999 | 17.5 °C |
| 2000 | 15.9 °C |
| 2001 | 16.6 °C |
| 2002 | 17.1 °C |
| 2003 | 16.1 °C |
| 2004 | 16.9 °C |
| 2005 | 17.8 °C |
| 2006 | 17.2 °C |
| 2007 | 16.8 °C |
| 2008 | 17.0 °C |
| 2009 | 16.6 °C |
| 2010 | 18.4 °C |
| 2011 | 17.7 °C |
| 2012 | 17.6 °C |
| 2013 | 16.9 °C |
| 2014 | 16.7 °C |
| 2015 | 17.9 °C |
| 2016 | 17.7 °C |
| 2017 | 17.3 °C |
| 2018 | 17.7 °C |
| 2019 | 17.7 °C |
| 2020 | 17.0 °C |
| 2021 | 17.6 °C |
| 2022 | 17.8 °C |
| 2023 | 17.5 °C |
| 2024 | 18.1 °C |
| 2025 | 18.0 °C |
| 2026 | 17.8 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1995, Long Valley's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Schooley's Mtn 1 Sw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.