When to plant in Purchase, NY
Planting dates worked out from Purchase's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyApr 49 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 14about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 291 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 111 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 28about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 119 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 199 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Westchester Co Ap · 2.5 km away · station 113 m, town 107 m. How we match towns to stations
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 23 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 28 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 21 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 7 |
| Peas | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 22 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jun 11 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 6 – May 18 | Jun 5 |
| Beet | — | Apr 6 – May 18 | May 26 |
| Potato | — | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Jun 15 |
| Kale | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 17 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | May 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 18 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 13 |
| Winter squash | Apr 1 – Apr 8 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jul 18 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jun 21 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jun 26 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 14 – Nov 11 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 5 |
| Basil | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 25 |
Purchase's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1953 | Mar 21 |
| 1954 | Apr 10 |
| 1956 | Apr 25 |
| 1957 | Apr 16 |
| 1958 | Apr 10 |
| 1959 | Apr 14 |
| 1960 | Apr 7 |
| 1961 | Apr 20 |
| 1962 | Apr 18 |
| 1963 | Apr 6 |
| 1964 | Apr 7 |
| 1965 | Apr 20 |
| 1966 | May 3 |
| 1967 | Apr 13 |
| 1968 | Apr 8 |
| 1969 | Apr 13 |
| 1970 | Apr 12 |
| 1971 | Apr 15 |
| 1972 | Apr 11 |
| 1973 | Apr 15 |
| 1974 | Apr 10 |
| 1975 | Apr 23 |
| 1976 | Apr 13 |
| 1977 | Apr 11 |
| 1978 | Apr 23 |
| 1979 | Apr 20 |
| 1980 | Apr 17 |
| 1981 | Apr 22 |
| 1982 | Apr 23 |
| 1983 | Mar 31 |
| 1984 | Apr 22 |
| 1985 | Apr 10 |
| 1986 | Apr 23 |
| 1987 | Apr 2 |
| 1988 | Apr 19 |
| 1989 | Apr 24 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 4 |
| 1992 | Apr 14 |
| 1993 | Apr 8 |
| 1994 | Apr 22 |
| 2002 | Apr 27 |
| 2003 | Apr 18 |
| 2004 | Apr 8 |
| 2005 | Apr 12 |
| 2006 | Apr 4 |
| 2007 | Apr 11 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | Apr 13 |
| 2010 | Mar 28 |
| 2011 | Apr 9 |
| 2012 | Apr 7 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | Apr 18 |
| 2015 | Apr 12 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | Mar 30 |
| 2018 | Apr 11 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 3 |
| 2022 | Apr 18 |
| 2023 | Apr 8 |
| 2024 | Mar 25 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 206 |
| 1954 | 204 |
| 1956 | 198 |
| 1957 | 192 |
| 1958 | 226 |
| 1959 | 197 |
| 1960 | 196 |
| 1961 | 190 |
| 1962 | 189 |
| 1963 | 221 |
| 1964 | 187 |
| 1965 | 168 |
| 1966 | 180 |
| 1967 | 198 |
| 1968 | 206 |
| 1969 | 192 |
| 1970 | 198 |
| 1971 | 206 |
| 1972 | 182 |
| 1973 | 206 |
| 1974 | 190 |
| 1975 | 189 |
| 1976 | 180 |
| 1977 | 196 |
| 1978 | 176 |
| 1979 | 172 |
| 1980 | 188 |
| 1981 | 180 |
| 1982 | 182 |
| 1983 | 203 |
| 1984 | 194 |
| 1985 | 201 |
| 1986 | 166 |
| 1987 | 206 |
| 1988 | 171 |
| 1989 | 168 |
| 1990 | 193 |
| 1991 | 199 |
| 1992 | 207 |
| 1993 | 184 |
| 1994 | 203 |
| 2002 | 179 |
| 2003 | 188 |
| 2004 | 164 |
| 2005 | 219 |
| 2006 | 205 |
| 2007 | 210 |
| 2008 | 171 |
| 2009 | 206 |
| 2010 | 217 |
| 2011 | 201 |
| 2012 | 188 |
| 2013 | 196 |
| 2014 | 203 |
| 2015 | 188 |
| 2016 | 212 |
| 2017 | 224 |
| 2018 | 197 |
| 2019 | 186 |
| 2020 | 173 |
| 2021 | 214 |
| 2022 | 209 |
| 2023 | 207 |
| 2024 | 232 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1952 | 18.7 °C |
| 1953 | 18.2 °C |
| 1954 | 17.5 °C |
| 1955 | 18.7 °C |
| 1956 | 16.6 °C |
| 1957 | 18.5 °C |
| 1958 | 17.6 °C |
| 1959 | 19.1 °C |
| 1960 | 17.9 °C |
| 1961 | 18.2 °C |
| 1963 | 17.8 °C |
| 1964 | 17.9 °C |
| 1965 | 18.4 °C |
| 1966 | 17.9 °C |
| 1967 | 17.6 °C |
| 1968 | 18.6 °C |
| 1969 | 18.6 °C |
| 1970 | 18.5 °C |
| 1971 | 17.8 °C |
| 1972 | 17.4 °C |
| 1973 | 17.8 °C |
| 1974 | 17.6 °C |
| 1975 | 17.4 °C |
| 1976 | 17.4 °C |
| 1977 | 17.4 °C |
| 1978 | 16.5 °C |
| 1979 | 16.6 °C |
| 1980 | 18.3 °C |
| 1981 | 17.6 °C |
| 1982 | 17.5 °C |
| 1983 | 19.1 °C |
| 1984 | 17.8 °C |
| 1985 | 19.2 °C |
| 1986 | 17.5 °C |
| 1987 | 17.9 °C |
| 1988 | 18.2 °C |
| 1989 | 17.6 °C |
| 1990 | 17.6 °C |
| 1991 | 18.9 °C |
| 1992 | 16.6 °C |
| 1993 | 18.2 °C |
| 1994 | 18.2 °C |
| 1999 | 19.5 °C |
| 2001 | 18.4 °C |
| 2002 | 18.3 °C |
| 2003 | 17.2 °C |
| 2004 | 18.0 °C |
| 2005 | 18.6 °C |
| 2006 | 18.5 °C |
| 2007 | 18.3 °C |
| 2008 | 18.4 °C |
| 2009 | 17.7 °C |
| 2010 | 19.7 °C |
| 2011 | 19.1 °C |
| 2012 | 19.2 °C |
| 2013 | 18.3 °C |
| 2014 | 18.0 °C |
| 2015 | 19.2 °C |
| 2016 | 19.1 °C |
| 2017 | 18.7 °C |
| 2018 | 18.9 °C |
| 2019 | 18.7 °C |
| 2020 | 18.3 °C |
| 2021 | 18.7 °C |
| 2022 | 19.4 °C |
| 2023 | 18.7 °C |
| 2024 | 19.3 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1953, Purchase's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 1 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Westchester Co Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.