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When to plant in Menands, NY

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

Last spring frost

  1. Early · riskyApr 139 years in 10 still get a later frost
  2. TypicalApr 24about half of years get a later frost
  3. Safe to plant outMay 101 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

  1. EarlyOct 61 year in 10 has frost by then
  2. TypicalOct 19about half of years have had frost
  3. LateNov 49 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 171 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Troy L&d · 7.3 km away · station 5 m, town 11 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

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Planting dates for common crops

CropStart indoorsPlant out or sowHarvest from
Tomato Mar 15 – Mar 29 May 10 – May 24 Jul 4
Sweet pepper Mar 1 – Mar 15 May 10 – May 24 Jul 9
Lettuce (leaf) Feb 28 – Mar 7 Apr 4 – Apr 18 May 14
Peas — Apr 4 – May 2 May 29
Bush beans — May 3 – May 24 Jun 22
Carrot — Apr 11 – May 23 Jun 10
Beet — Apr 11 – May 23 May 31
Potato — Apr 11 – May 2 Jun 20
Kale Feb 28 – Mar 14 Apr 11 – Apr 25 May 24
Broccoli Feb 21 – Mar 7 Apr 4 – Apr 25 Jun 3
Cucumber Apr 12 – Apr 19 May 10 – May 24 Jun 29
Summer squash and zucchini Apr 12 – Apr 19 May 10 – May 24 Jun 24
Winter squash Apr 12 – Apr 19 May 10 – May 24 Jul 29
Sweet corn — May 3 – May 24 Jul 2
Onion (from sets) — Apr 4 – Apr 25 Jul 3
Garlic — Oct 5 – Nov 2 (fall) following summer
Spinach — Apr 4 – May 2 May 12
Basil Mar 29 – Apr 12 May 10 – May 24 Jul 6

Plan all 65 crops for Menands

Menands's weather over time

How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.

Apr 15May 1May 15 196019701980199020002010
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
YearLast spring frost
1957Apr 16
1958May 10
1959Apr 23
1960May 3
1961May 1
1962Apr 21
1963May 24
1964Apr 12
1965Apr 25
1966May 11
1967May 4
1968Apr 7
1969Apr 21
1970Apr 13
1971Apr 28
1972Apr 30
1973Apr 15
1974Apr 25
1975Apr 22
1976Apr 13
1977May 9
1978May 4
1979Apr 21
1980Apr 18
1981May 7
1982Apr 23
1983May 17
1984Apr 22
1985Apr 18
1986Apr 13
1988Apr 23
1990Apr 20
1991Apr 15
1992Apr 17
1993May 26
1994Apr 23
1995Apr 18
1996Apr 15
1997Apr 21
1998Apr 13
1999Apr 25
2000Apr 14
2002May 20
2003May 6
2004Apr 17
2006Apr 27
2007Apr 16
2008May 2
2009Apr 23
2010May 11
2012May 1
2013Apr 22
2014Apr 19
2015Apr 13
2016Apr 11
2017Apr 10

What this means for you: Since 1957, Menands's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. 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 Troy L&d (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

West AlbanyWatervlietTroyAlbanyRensselaerGreen Island