When to plant in Riverside, NY

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

Last spring frost

Early · riskyMar 279 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalApr 9about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outApr 201 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 261 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalNov 7about half of years have had frost
LateNov 199 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 214 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Riverhead Rsch Farm · 7.7 km away · station 30 m, town 55 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Feb 27 – Mar 13	Apr 24 – May 8	Jun 18
Sweet pepper	Feb 13 – Feb 27	Apr 24 – May 8	Jun 23
Lettuce (leaf)	Feb 17 – Feb 24	Mar 24 – Apr 7	May 3
Peas	—	Mar 24 – Apr 21	May 18
Bush beans	—	Apr 19 – May 10	Jun 8
Carrot	—	Apr 3 – May 15	Jun 2
Beet	—	Apr 3 – May 15	May 23
Potato	—	Apr 3 – Apr 24	Jun 12
Kale	Feb 17 – Mar 3	Mar 31 – Apr 14	May 13
Broccoli	Feb 10 – Feb 24	Mar 24 – Apr 14	May 23
Cucumber	Mar 27 – Apr 3	Apr 24 – May 8	Jun 13
Summer squash and zucchini	Mar 27 – Apr 3	Apr 24 – May 8	Jun 8
Winter squash	Mar 27 – Apr 3	Apr 24 – May 8	Jul 13
Sweet corn	—	Apr 19 – May 10	Jun 18
Onion (from sets)	—	Mar 24 – Apr 14	Jun 22
Garlic	—	Oct 24 – Nov 21 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Mar 24 – Apr 21	May 1
Basil	Mar 13 – Mar 27	Apr 24 – May 8	Jun 20

Plan all 65 crops for Riverside

Riverside'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
1938	Apr 11
1939	Apr 13
1940	Apr 15
1941	Mar 31
1942	Apr 14
1943	May 2
1944	Apr 6
1945	Mar 14
1946	Apr 14
1947	Apr 29
1948	Apr 29
1949	Mar 21
1950	Apr 17
1951	Mar 27
1952	Apr 10
1953	Apr 22
1954	Apr 5
1955	Apr 9
1956	Apr 24
1957	Apr 16
1958	Apr 10
1959	Apr 14
1960	Apr 11
1961	May 1
1962	Apr 20
1963	Apr 26
1964	Apr 6
1965	Apr 25
1966	May 3
1967	Apr 13
1968	Apr 12
1969	Apr 13
1970	Apr 11
1971	Apr 16
1972	Apr 28
1973	Apr 15
1974	Apr 11
1975	Apr 23
1976	Apr 13
1977	Apr 10
1978	Apr 4
1979	Apr 11
1980	Apr 18
1981	Apr 21
1982	Apr 23
1983	Mar 30
1984	Mar 30
1985	Apr 10
1986	Apr 15
1987	Apr 2
1988	Mar 23
1989	Apr 23
1990	Apr 19
1991	Apr 2
1992	Apr 30
1993	Mar 23
1994	Apr 23
1995	Apr 16
1996	May 14
1997	Apr 10
1999	Mar 27
2000	Apr 14
2001	Mar 29
2002	Apr 7
2003	Apr 8
2004	Apr 6
2006	Mar 29
2007	Apr 11
2008	Apr 16
2009	Apr 17
2010	Mar 28
2011	Mar 28
2012	Mar 27
2013	Apr 7
2014	Apr 16
2015	Apr 5
2016	Apr 10
2017	Mar 24
2018	Apr 11
2019	Apr 2
2020	Apr 19
2021	Apr 4
2022	Mar 30
2023	Apr 10
2024	Apr 26
2025	Apr 18
2026	Apr 20

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1938	219
1939	185
1940	188
1941	222
1942	196
1943	196
1944	192
1945	246
1946	215
1947	195
1948	215
1949	241
1951	221
1952	202
1953	205
1954	216
1955	213
1956	199
1958	211
1959	209
1961	179
1962	187
1963	200
1964	188
1965	163
1966	180
1967	196
1968	213
1969	192
1970	189
1971	205
1972	175
1973	206
1974	193
1975	191
1976	196
1977	215
1978	196
1979	199
1980	195
1981	175
1982	177
1983	214
1984	228
1985	202
1986	209
1987	223
1988	204
1989	195
1990	207
1991	217
1992	180
1993	204
1994	187
1995	203
1996	173
1997	195
1999	229
2000	219
2001	213
2002	207
2003	215
2004	217
2006	220
2007	214
2008	190
2009	203
2010	219
2011	216
2013	211
2015	232
2016	231
2017	230
2018	214
2019	220
2020	209
2021	216
2022	229
2023	216
2024	197
2025	202

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

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1938	18.3 °C
1939	18.1 °C
1940	16.9 °C
1941	19.2 °C
1942	18.6 °C
1943	18.3 °C
1944	19.1 °C
1945	18.6 °C
1946	17.6 °C
1947	18.0 °C
1948	18.0 °C
1949	19.3 °C
1950	17.2 °C
1951	18.6 °C
1952	19.2 °C
1953	19.1 °C
1954	18.0 °C
1955	19.4 °C
1956	17.5 °C
1958	17.6 °C
1959	19.1 °C
1961	18.1 °C
1962	17.0 °C
1963	17.6 °C
1964	17.6 °C
1965	17.6 °C
1966	17.1 °C
1967	16.6 °C
1969	18.2 °C
1970	18.5 °C
1971	18.1 °C
1972	18.0 °C
1973	19.0 °C
1974	18.3 °C
1975	18.3 °C
1976	18.3 °C
1977	18.9 °C
1978	17.7 °C
1979	18.3 °C
1980	19.0 °C
1981	18.7 °C
1982	17.6 °C
1983	18.9 °C
1984	18.4 °C
1985	18.5 °C
1986	18.7 °C
1987	19.1 °C
1988	19.1 °C
1989	19.0 °C
1990	18.7 °C
1991	20.1 °C
1992	17.9 °C
1993	19.0 °C
1994	18.9 °C
1995	18.4 °C
1996	18.3 °C
1997	18.7 °C
1999	20.1 °C
2000	18.7 °C
2001	19.2 °C
2002	19.6 °C
2003	18.4 °C
2004	19.1 °C
2006	19.1 °C
2007	18.9 °C
2008	19.0 °C
2009	18.5 °C
2010	20.6 °C
2011	19.7 °C
2013	18.9 °C
2014	18.9 °C
2015	19.9 °C
2016	19.5 °C
2017	19.2 °C
2018	19.7 °C
2019	19.5 °C
2020	19.3 °C
2021	19.7 °C
2022	19.8 °C
2023	19.5 °C
2024	19.7 °C
2025	19.7 °C
2026	19.6 °C

What this means for you: Since 1938, Riverside'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 Riverhead Rsch Farm (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

Riverhead Flanders Aquebogue Northville Calverton Jamesport