When to plant in Dexter, NY

Planting dates worked out from Dexter's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

Early · riskyApr 299 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalMay 14about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outMay 261 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

EarlySep 171 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalSep 29about half of years have had frost
LateOct 139 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 138 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Watertown Ap · 2.6 km away · station 95 m, town 86 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Mar 31 – Apr 14	May 26 – Jun 9	Jul 20
Sweet pepper	Mar 17 – Mar 31	May 26 – Jun 9	Jul 25
Lettuce (leaf)	Mar 12 – Mar 19	Apr 16 – Apr 30	May 26
Peas	—	Apr 14 – May 12	Jun 8
Bush beans	—	May 19 – Jun 9	Jul 8
Carrot	—	Apr 23 – Jun 4	Jun 22
Beet	—	Apr 23 – Jun 4	Jun 12
Potato	—	Apr 23 – May 14	Jul 2
Kale	Mar 10 – Mar 24	Apr 21 – May 5	Jun 3
Broccoli	Mar 5 – Mar 19	Apr 16 – May 7	Jun 15
Cucumber	Apr 28 – May 5	May 26 – Jun 9	Jul 15
Summer squash and zucchini	Apr 28 – May 5	May 26 – Jun 9	Jul 10
Winter squash	Apr 28 – May 5	May 26 – Jun 9	Aug 14
Sweet corn	—	May 19 – Jun 9	Jul 18
Onion (from sets)	—	Apr 16 – May 7	Jul 15
Garlic	—	Sep 15 – Oct 13 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Apr 14 – May 12	May 22
Basil	Apr 14 – Apr 28	May 26 – Jun 9	Jul 22

Plan all 65 crops for Dexter

Dexter'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
1950	May 14
1951	Apr 21
1952	May 5
1953	Apr 20
1954	May 7
1955	May 9
1956	May 25
1957	May 17
1958	May 6
1959	May 16
1960	Apr 29
1961	May 30
1962	May 12
1963	May 12
1964	Jun 5
1965	Jun 4
1966	Jun 1
1967	May 31
1968	May 8
1969	May 27
1970	May 29
1971	Jun 1
1972	Jun 11
1973	May 15
1974	May 5
1975	Apr 28
1976	Apr 26
1977	May 15
1978	May 4
1979	May 2
1980	Apr 23
1981	May 20
1982	May 4
1984	May 17
1985	May 2
1986	Jun 3
1987	May 16
1988	Jun 10
1989	Apr 28
1990	May 22
1991	May 5
1992	May 25
1993	May 30
1994	May 14
1995	May 8
1996	May 30
1997	May 26
1998	Apr 28
1999	May 20
2000	Apr 29
2001	May 15
2002	May 25
2003	May 4
2004	Apr 28
2005	May 13
2006	May 7
2007	May 21
2008	May 28
2009	May 26
2010	May 13
2011	May 6
2012	Apr 30
2013	May 15
2014	May 7
2015	May 23
2016	May 18
2017	May 11
2018	May 12
2019	Apr 29
2020	May 14
2021	May 1
2022	May 8
2023	May 25
2024	Apr 26

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1950	133
1951	161
1952	151
1953	169
1954	153
1955	139
1956	124
1957	133
1958	151
1959	122
1960	154
1961	109
1962	130
1963	132
1964	99
1965	114
1966	106
1967	93
1968	170
1969	91
1970	139
1971	155
1972	103
1973	124
1974	139
1975	156
1976	129
1977	144
1978	144
1979	139
1980	158
1981	132
1982	137
1984	122
1985	153
1986	102
1987	133
1988	109
1989	151
1990	108
1991	137
1992	121
1993	111
1994	140
1995	138
1996	125
1997	100
1998	147
1999	138
2000	129
2001	144
2002	135
2003	150
2004	158
2005	159
2006	144
2007	144
2008	113
2009	115
2010	148
2011	152
2012	164
2013	124
2014	134
2015	139
2016	129
2017	157
2018	154
2019	157
2020	123
2021	174
2022	147
2023	140
2024	165

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

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1950	14.8 °C
1951	15.6 °C
1952	16.3 °C
1953	15.9 °C
1954	15.2 °C
1955	17.4 °C
1956	14.2 °C
1957	15.9 °C
1958	15.0 °C
1959	16.8 °C
1960	15.8 °C
1961	15.0 °C
1962	14.2 °C
1963	14.8 °C
1964	15.5 °C
1965	14.5 °C
1966	14.7 °C
1967	15.4 °C
1968	15.4 °C
1969	14.6 °C
1970	15.9 °C
1971	15.6 °C
1972	14.3 °C
1973	16.1 °C
1974	14.9 °C
1975	15.3 °C
1976	15.4 °C
1977	15.5 °C
1978	15.3 °C
1979	14.8 °C
1980	15.6 °C
1981	14.9 °C
1982	14.3 °C
1984	14.5 °C
1985	15.1 °C
1986	15.1 °C
1987	16.2 °C
1988	15.5 °C
1989	14.8 °C
1990	15.1 °C
1991	16.1 °C
1992	14.1 °C
1993	15.5 °C
1994	15.3 °C
1995	15.3 °C
1996	15.1 °C
1997	14.1 °C
1998	16.2 °C
1999	16.2 °C
2000	14.3 °C
2001	15.8 °C
2002	15.6 °C
2003	15.2 °C
2004	14.9 °C
2005	16.2 °C
2006	15.9 °C
2007	15.5 °C
2008	15.5 °C
2009	14.9 °C
2010	16.8 °C
2011	16.5 °C
2012	16.6 °C
2013	15.9 °C
2014	15.9 °C
2015	16.0 °C
2016	15.9 °C
2017	15.7 °C
2018	16.1 °C
2019	15.2 °C
2020	15.8 °C
2021	16.4 °C
2022	16.3 °C
2023	15.9 °C
2024	17.3 °C

What this means for you: Since 1950, Dexter's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

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

Nearby towns

Brownville Sackets Harbor Watertown Calcium Adams Center Black River