When to plant in Brookhaven, NY
Planting dates worked out from Brookhaven's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyApr 99 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 20about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outMay 41 year in 10 gets a later frost
Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.
First fall frost
- EarlyOct 141 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 27about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 79 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 192 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Shirley Brookhaven Ap · 6.2 km away · station 20 m, town 3 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 9 – Mar 23 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 28 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | May 4 – May 18 | Jul 3 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 21 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 7 |
| Peas | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 22 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 16 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 8 – May 20 | Jun 7 |
| Beet | — | Apr 8 – May 20 | May 28 |
| Potato | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jun 17 |
| Kale | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 17 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | May 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 23 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 18 |
| Winter squash | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jul 23 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 26 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jun 26 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 13 – Nov 10 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 5 |
| Basil | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 30 |
Brookhaven'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 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | May 1 |
| 2001 | May 8 |
| 2002 | May 4 |
| 2003 | May 5 |
| 2004 | Apr 10 |
| 2005 | Apr 17 |
| 2006 | Apr 29 |
| 2007 | Apr 21 |
| 2008 | Apr 17 |
| 2009 | Apr 17 |
| 2010 | Mar 27 |
| 2011 | Apr 22 |
| 2012 | Apr 28 |
| 2013 | Apr 7 |
| 2014 | Apr 21 |
| 2015 | Apr 25 |
| 2016 | Apr 16 |
| 2017 | Apr 9 |
| 2018 | Apr 23 |
| 2019 | Apr 11 |
| 2020 | Apr 23 |
| 2021 | Apr 4 |
| 2022 | Apr 18 |
| 2023 | Apr 10 |
| 2024 | Apr 26 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 198 |
| 2001 | 153 |
| 2002 | 172 |
| 2003 | 171 |
| 2004 | 207 |
| 2005 | 193 |
| 2006 | 167 |
| 2007 | 199 |
| 2008 | 188 |
| 2009 | 200 |
| 2010 | 219 |
| 2011 | 190 |
| 2012 | 167 |
| 2013 | 201 |
| 2014 | 200 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 198 |
| 2018 | 178 |
| 2019 | 204 |
| 2020 | 189 |
| 2021 | 213 |
| 2022 | 209 |
| 2023 | 205 |
| 2024 | 190 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.9 °C |
| 2001 | 17.7 °C |
| 2002 | 18.4 °C |
| 2003 | 17.7 °C |
| 2004 | 17.7 °C |
| 2005 | 18.3 °C |
| 2006 | 18.0 °C |
| 2007 | 17.6 °C |
| 2008 | 18.2 °C |
| 2009 | 17.5 °C |
| 2010 | 19.7 °C |
| 2011 | 19.0 °C |
| 2012 | 19.1 °C |
| 2013 | 18.2 °C |
| 2014 | 17.9 °C |
| 2015 | 19.1 °C |
| 2016 | 18.7 °C |
| 2017 | 18.8 °C |
| 2018 | 18.8 °C |
| 2019 | 18.5 °C |
| 2020 | 18.9 °C |
| 2021 | 19.2 °C |
| 2022 | 19.3 °C |
| 2023 | 18.8 °C |
| 2024 | 19.2 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Shirley Brookhaven Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.