When to plant in Washington, NJ
Planting dates worked out from Washington's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 20
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 1
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 16
1 year in 10 by Oct 6
Frost-free days
170
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Belvidere Brg · 11.8 km away · station 80 m, town 139 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 25 – Apr 8 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 14 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 19 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 13 |
| Peas | — | Mar 31 – Apr 28 | May 25 |
| Bush beans | — | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 2 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 10 – May 22 | Jun 9 |
| Beet | — | Apr 8 – May 20 | May 28 |
| Potato | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jun 19 |
| Kale | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Apr 7 – Apr 21 | May 20 |
| Broccoli | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jun 2 |
| Cucumber | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 9 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 4 |
| Winter squash | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Aug 8 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 12 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jul 2 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 2 – Oct 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 31 – Apr 28 | May 8 |
| Basil | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 16 |
Washington'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 |
|---|---|
| 1983 | May 19 |
| 1984 | Apr 22 |
| 1985 | May 10 |
| 1987 | Apr 3 |
| 1989 | Apr 25 |
| 1990 | Apr 21 |
| 1991 | Apr 5 |
| 1992 | Apr 16 |
| 1993 | Apr 29 |
| 1994 | May 4 |
| 1996 | May 15 |
| 1998 | Apr 14 |
| 2000 | Apr 14 |
| 2001 | May 18 |
| 2004 | May 30 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 25 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2012 | May 1 |
| 2013 | May 26 |
| 2016 | Apr 17 |
| 2017 | Apr 10 |
| 2018 | May 1 |
| 2019 | Apr 30 |
| 2020 | May 15 |
| 2021 | Apr 23 |
| 2022 | May 1 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 26 |
| 2026 | Apr 22 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1983 | 154 |
| 1984 | 166 |
| 1985 | 171 |
| 1991 | 191 |
| 1992 | 172 |
| 1993 | 164 |
| 1994 | 161 |
| 1996 | 141 |
| 2000 | 177 |
| 2008 | 170 |
| 2009 | 176 |
| 2010 | 174 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 149 |
| 2016 | 176 |
| 2017 | 189 |
| 2018 | 170 |
| 2019 | 171 |
| 2020 | 155 |
| 2021 | 193 |
| 2022 | 160 |
| 2023 | 167 |
| 2024 | 173 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1982 | 16.7 °C |
| 1983 | 17.5 °C |
| 1984 | 16.9 °C |
| 1985 | 17.3 °C |
| 1987 | 18.3 °C |
| 1990 | 17.2 °C |
| 1991 | 18.3 °C |
| 1992 | 16.4 °C |
| 1993 | 18.0 °C |
| 1996 | 17.0 °C |
| 1998 | 18.4 °C |
| 2000 | 17.2 °C |
| 2001 | 18.1 °C |
| 2002 | 19.3 °C |
| 2003 | 18.0 °C |
| 2008 | 19.2 °C |
| 2009 | 17.4 °C |
| 2010 | 19.1 °C |
| 2012 | 18.4 °C |
| 2016 | 18.3 °C |
| 2017 | 17.9 °C |
| 2018 | 18.4 °C |
| 2019 | 18.4 °C |
| 2020 | 17.8 °C |
| 2021 | 17.8 °C |
| 2022 | 18.9 °C |
| 2023 | 18.4 °C |
| 2024 | 19.4 °C |
| 2026 | 18.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1983, Washington's last spring frost has come about 1 day later per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Belvidere Brg (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.