When to plant in Watchtower, NY
Planting dates worked out from Watchtower's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyApr 269 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalMay 6about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outMay 161 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 251 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 7about half of years have had frost
- LateOct 239 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 151 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Walden 1 Ese · 12.6 km away · station 116 m, town 105 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 21 – Apr 4 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 10 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 15 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 4 – Mar 11 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 18 |
| Peas | — | Apr 4 – May 2 | May 29 |
| Bush beans | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jun 28 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 15 – May 27 | Jun 14 |
| Beet | — | Apr 11 – May 23 | May 31 |
| Potato | — | Apr 15 – May 6 | Jun 24 |
| Kale | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 24 |
| Broccoli | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jun 7 |
| Cucumber | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 5 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jun 30 |
| Winter squash | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Aug 4 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jul 8 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jul 7 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 23 – Oct 21 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 4 – May 2 | May 12 |
| Basil | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 12 |
Watchtower'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 |
|---|---|
| 1974 | May 8 |
| 1975 | Apr 23 |
| 1976 | May 13 |
| 1977 | May 9 |
| 1978 | May 4 |
| 1979 | May 2 |
| 1980 | May 10 |
| 1981 | May 19 |
| 1982 | Apr 29 |
| 1983 | May 18 |
| 1984 | May 18 |
| 1985 | May 9 |
| 1986 | May 10 |
| 1987 | May 14 |
| 1988 | Apr 26 |
| 1989 | Apr 28 |
| 1990 | May 12 |
| 1991 | Apr 19 |
| 1992 | May 7 |
| 1993 | Apr 28 |
| 1994 | May 3 |
| 1995 | May 7 |
| 1996 | May 15 |
| 1997 | May 8 |
| 1998 | Apr 29 |
| 1999 | May 1 |
| 2000 | May 1 |
| 2001 | May 8 |
| 2002 | May 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 19 |
| 2004 | May 5 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2007 | May 14 |
| 2008 | May 1 |
| 2009 | May 19 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1974 | 138 |
| 1975 | 144 |
| 1976 | 134 |
| 1977 | 150 |
| 1978 | 144 |
| 1979 | 140 |
| 1980 | 148 |
| 1981 | 133 |
| 1982 | 164 |
| 1983 | 129 |
| 1984 | 140 |
| 1985 | 151 |
| 1986 | 129 |
| 1987 | 147 |
| 1988 | 165 |
| 1989 | 152 |
| 1990 | 160 |
| 1991 | 161 |
| 1992 | 140 |
| 1993 | 144 |
| 1994 | 152 |
| 1995 | 144 |
| 1996 | 141 |
| 1997 | 146 |
| 1998 | 147 |
| 1999 | 157 |
| 2000 | 150 |
| 2001 | 152 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 166 |
| 2004 | 153 |
| 2005 | 163 |
| 2007 | 167 |
| 2008 | 158 |
| 2009 | 145 |
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1974 | 16.7 °C |
| 1975 | 16.6 °C |
| 1976 | 16.9 °C |
| 1977 | 17.2 °C |
| 1978 | 16.3 °C |
| 1979 | 16.7 °C |
| 1980 | 17.3 °C |
| 1981 | 17.0 °C |
| 1982 | 15.9 °C |
| 1983 | 17.2 °C |
| 1984 | 16.7 °C |
| 1985 | 17.1 °C |
| 1986 | 16.9 °C |
| 1987 | 17.2 °C |
| 1988 | 16.9 °C |
| 1989 | 16.6 °C |
| 1990 | 16.5 °C |
| 1991 | 17.9 °C |
| 1992 | 15.8 °C |
| 1993 | 17.2 °C |
| 1994 | 17.0 °C |
| 1995 | 16.7 °C |
| 1996 | 16.4 °C |
| 1997 | 15.9 °C |
| 1998 | 17.5 °C |
| 1999 | 17.6 °C |
| 2000 | 16.3 °C |
| 2001 | 17.0 °C |
| 2002 | 17.4 °C |
| 2003 | 16.6 °C |
| 2004 | 17.2 °C |
| 2005 | 18.1 °C |
| 2006 | 17.2 °C |
| 2007 | 17.4 °C |
| 2008 | 17.7 °C |
| 2009 | 16.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1974, Watchtower's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Walden 1 Ese (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.