When to plant in Northfield (near Livingston), NJ

Planting dates worked out from Northfield (near Livingston)'s own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Safe to plant out

May 14

1 year in 10 has a later frost

Average last frost

Apr 22

about a 50% chance of a later one

Average first fall frost

Oct 22

1 year in 10 by Oct 10

Frost-free days

183

median, 1991–2020

Station used: Canoe Brook · 4.2 km away · station 55 m, town 80 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

Build my Northfield (near Livingston) plan

Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Mar 19 – Apr 2	May 14 – May 28	Jul 8
Sweet pepper	Mar 5 – Mar 19	May 14 – May 28	Jul 13
Lettuce (leaf)	Feb 18 – Feb 25	Mar 25 – Apr 8	May 4
Peas	—	Mar 24 – Apr 21	May 18
Bush beans	—	May 7 – May 28	Jun 26
Carrot	—	Apr 3 – May 15	Jun 2
Beet	—	Apr 3 – May 15	May 23
Potato	—	Apr 3 – Apr 24	Jun 12
Kale	Feb 17 – Mar 3	Mar 31 – Apr 14	May 13
Broccoli	Feb 11 – Feb 25	Mar 25 – Apr 15	May 24
Cucumber	Apr 16 – Apr 23	May 14 – May 28	Jul 3
Summer squash and zucchini	Apr 16 – Apr 23	May 14 – May 28	Jun 28
Winter squash	Apr 16 – Apr 23	May 14 – May 28	Aug 2
Sweet corn	—	May 7 – May 28	Jul 6
Onion (from sets)	—	Mar 25 – Apr 15	Jun 23
Garlic	—	Oct 8 – Nov 5 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Mar 24 – Apr 21	May 1
Basil	Apr 2 – Apr 16	May 14 – May 28	Jul 10

Plan all 65 crops for Northfield (near Livingston)

Northfield (near Livingston)'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
1931	May 5
1932	Jun 8
1933	May 5
1934	May 13
1935	May 25
1936	May 31
1937	May 16
1938	Jun 1
1939	May 15
1940	May 12
1941	May 19
1942	May 6
1943	May 5
1944	May 19
1946	May 10
1947	May 12
1948	May 9
1949	May 30
1950	May 9
1951	May 14
1952	May 5
1953	Apr 29
1954	May 7
1955	May 10
1956	May 25
1957	Apr 16
1958	May 14
1959	Apr 24
1960	May 4
1961	May 6
1962	May 11
1963	May 24
1964	May 4
1965	Apr 25
1966	May 11
1967	May 13
1968	Apr 29
1969	Apr 14
1970	May 7
1971	Apr 18
1972	May 11
1973	May 6
1974	May 8
1975	Apr 28
1976	May 9
1977	May 9
1978	May 4
1979	Apr 21
1980	Apr 23
1981	May 8
1982	Apr 29
1983	May 18
1984	May 17
1985	May 9
1986	May 10
1987	Apr 27
1988	Apr 26
1989	Apr 24
1990	Apr 19
1991	Apr 15
1992	Apr 15
1993	Apr 28
1994	Apr 22
1995	Apr 11
1996	May 14
1997	Apr 21
1998	Apr 28
1999	May 14
2000	Apr 19
2001	May 17
2002	May 19
2003	Apr 21
2004	Apr 10
2005	Apr 17
2006	Apr 10
2007	Apr 12
2008	May 1
2009	Apr 25
2010	May 11
2013	Apr 4
2015	Apr 5
2016	Apr 11
2017	Apr 9
2018	Apr 21
2019	Apr 3
2020	Apr 22
2021	Apr 4
2022	Apr 19
2023	Apr 10
2024	Mar 26
2025	Apr 10
2026	Apr 21

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1931	160
1932	109
1933	161
1934	153
1935	121
1936	117
1937	124
1938	122
1939	150
1940	137
1941	133
1942	145
1943	144
1944	134
1946	145
1947	137
1948	147
1949	139
1950	138
1951	152
1952	155
1954	153
1955	165
1956	118
1957	163
1958	144
1959	177
1960	169
1961	151
1962	159
1963	122
1964	154
1965	162
1966	162
1967	159
1968	159
1969	191
1970	162
1971	200
1972	151
1973	165
1974	138
1975	185
1976	162
1977	161
1978	157
1979	188
1980	169
1981	156
1982	171
1983	155
1984	141
1985	157
1986	149
1987	153
1988	165
1989	168
1990	190
1991	181
1992	173
1993	165
1994	172
1995	207
1996	142
1999	153
2001	144
2002	155
2003	181
2004	196
2005	199
2006	186
2007	199
2008	171
2010	174
2013	203
2015	195
2016	197
2017	215
2018	183
2019	214
2020	191
2021	213
2022	209
2023	205
2024	222
2025	210

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1931	18.2 °C
1932	17.2 °C
1933	18.1 °C
1934	17.8 °C
1935	16.8 °C
1936	17.4 °C
1937	17.4 °C
1938	17.9 °C
1939	17.7 °C
1940	16.3 °C
1941	18.1 °C
1942	17.6 °C
1943	17.9 °C
1944	19.1 °C
1946	17.8 °C
1947	18.2 °C
1948	18.1 °C
1949	18.6 °C
1950	16.4 °C
1951	17.9 °C
1952	18.6 °C
1954	17.5 °C
1955	18.9 °C
1956	16.8 °C
1957	18.3 °C
1958	17.3 °C
1959	19.2 °C
1960	18.3 °C
1961	18.1 °C
1962	17.1 °C
1963	17.0 °C
1964	17.6 °C
1965	17.9 °C
1966	17.6 °C
1968	18.2 °C
1969	18.1 °C
1970	18.1 °C
1971	17.5 °C
1972	17.3 °C
1973	18.4 °C
1974	17.5 °C
1975	17.4 °C
1976	17.9 °C
1977	18.2 °C
1978	17.4 °C
1979	17.8 °C
1980	18.9 °C
1981	18.1 °C
1982	17.4 °C
1983	18.5 °C
1984	17.9 °C
1985	18.6 °C
1986	17.7 °C
1987	18.1 °C
1988	18.7 °C
1989	18.1 °C
1990	18.3 °C
1991	19.5 °C
1992	17.2 °C
1993	19.1 °C
1994	19.1 °C
1995	18.8 °C
1996	18.6 °C
1999	19.8 °C
2000	17.8 °C
2001	18.9 °C
2002	19.6 °C
2003	18.3 °C
2004	19.4 °C
2005	20.1 °C
2006	19.5 °C
2007	19.2 °C
2008	18.9 °C
2009	18.3 °C
2010	20.8 °C
2013	19.2 °C
2015	20.2 °C
2016	20.1 °C
2017	19.9 °C
2018	20.1 °C
2019	20.2 °C
2020	19.7 °C
2021	20.2 °C
2022	20.4 °C
2023	19.6 °C
2024	20.6 °C
2025	20.1 °C

What this means for you: Since 1931, Northfield (near Livingston)'s last spring frost has come about 4 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 7 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Canoe Brook (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

Livingston Short Hills Hanover Florham Park Millburn Roseland