When to plant in Zena, NY
Planting dates worked out from Zena's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyApr 109 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 23about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outMay 31 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 41 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 20about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 49 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 184 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Poughkeepsie · 34.7 km away · station 76 m, town 115 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 27 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | May 3 – May 17 | Jul 2 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 25 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 11 |
| Peas | — | Apr 1 – Apr 29 | May 26 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 15 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 9 – May 21 | Jun 8 |
| Beet | — | Apr 9 – May 21 | May 29 |
| Potato | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jun 18 |
| Kale | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 21 |
| Broccoli | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | May 31 |
| Cucumber | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 22 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 17 |
| Winter squash | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jul 22 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 25 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | Jun 30 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 6 – Nov 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 1 – Apr 29 | May 9 |
| Basil | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 29 |
Zena'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 |
|---|---|
| 1996 | May 15 |
| 1999 | Apr 30 |
| 2000 | Apr 30 |
| 2004 | Apr 10 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 10 |
| 2007 | Apr 11 |
| 2008 | May 2 |
| 2011 | Apr 23 |
| 2012 | Apr 29 |
| 2013 | Apr 22 |
| 2014 | Apr 19 |
| 2015 | Apr 25 |
| 2016 | Apr 14 |
| 2017 | Apr 10 |
| 2018 | Apr 23 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 152 |
| 2004 | 207 |
| 2005 | 175 |
| 2006 | 186 |
| 2007 | 202 |
| 2012 | 166 |
| 2014 | 183 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 194 |
| 2017 | 211 |
| 2018 | 178 |
| 2019 | 186 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 17.5 °C |
| 1999 | 17.3 °C |
| 2000 | 15.8 °C |
| 2001 | 16.9 °C |
| 2002 | 17.7 °C |
| 2004 | 18.4 °C |
| 2005 | 19.1 °C |
| 2006 | 18.6 °C |
| 2007 | 18.4 °C |
| 2008 | 18.5 °C |
| 2011 | 18.5 °C |
| 2012 | 18.7 °C |
| 2013 | 17.4 °C |
| 2014 | 17.5 °C |
| 2015 | 18.4 °C |
| 2016 | 18.4 °C |
| 2017 | 17.9 °C |
| 2018 | 18.2 °C |
| 2019 | 18.2 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Poughkeepsie (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.