Regional guide

New York City Area Vegetable Planting Guide

Cornell Harvest NY guide for NYC-area spring, summer, and fall vegetable windows, soil dry-out timing, frost dates, and S/T crop rows.

Climate signals

• Planting Guide for the New York City Area uses the heading Common Vegetables Grouped According to Approximate Planting Times in the New York City Area.
• The PDF was created by John Ameroso, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, rev 1-03, and updated by Cornell Cooperative Extension, Harvest NY, August 2020.
• The NYC-area Growing Season is listed as April 1 - November 30.
• Most sand base soils dry out enough to plant April 1 - 15.
• Most clay base soils dry out enough to plant May 1.
• The guide lists May 15 as the last frost date in Spring and approximately October 20 as the first frost date in Fall.
• The table legend says S = Direct Seed and T = Transplant.

Planning notes

• Cold Hardy Plants for Early Spring Planting include an April 1 - 30 window, 2 - 6 weeks before the May 15 last frost, and an April 15 - 30 window, 2 - 4 weeks before the last frost.
• Cold-Tender or Heat-Hardy Plants for Late Spring or Early Summer Planting include May 15 - June 15, 0 - 4 weeks after the last Spring frost, plus June - July rows planted for multiple successions.
• Hardy Plants for Late Summer or Fall Planting include July 15 - August 1, 12 - 14 weeks before the first frost, approximately October 20, August 1 - 20, 10 - 12 weeks before first frost, and August 15 - Sept 1, 8 - 10 weeks before first frost.
• April 1 - 30 rows list Peas, Spinach, Leaf Lettuce, Broccoli, Cabbage, Collards, Kale, Turnip, Rutabaga, Radish and Onion sets.
• April 15 - 30 rows list Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Mustard, Chard, Chives, Cilantro, Celery, Parsley, Beet, Carrot, Parsnip, Turnip and Onion sets.
• May 15 - June 15 rows list Beans, Okra, Squash, Cucumber, Melons, Tomato, Eggplant, Peppers, Basil, Potato, Sweet Corn, New Zealand spinach, Leek, Dill, Fennel, Cilantro, Tomatillo, Herbs and Annual Flowers.
• June - July succession rows list Beans, Bush Summer Squash, Dill, Fennel, Basil, Chard, New Zealand spinach, Heat Resistant Lettuce and Radish.
• July 15 - August 1 rows list Beans, Chard, Chinese cabbage, Cabbage, Collards, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Parsley, Fennel, Dill, Radish, Carrot and Green onion.
• August 1 - 20 rows list Beans, Kohlrabi, Mustard, Cabbage, Collards, Leaf Lettuce, Kale, Beet, Carrot, Turnip, Parsley and Radish.
• August 15 - Sept 1 rows list Kohlrabi, Turnip Greens, Mustard, Kale, Leafy Greens, Leaf Lettuce, Spinach, Beet, Radish and Cilantro.
• Use these priority catalog links as crop-level examples for the Cornell table rows, not Cornell cultivar recommendations.
• The winter squash link comes from the broad Squash, All row, not the Bush Summer row.
• Use no catalog link for onion sets, green onion sets, potato, New Zealand spinach, annual flowers, generic herbs, Chinese cabbage or broad leafy greens.

Catalog crop examples

These catalog entries match crops covered by the regional timing source; variety-specific details remain tied to each seed entry's own source.

• Provider Bush Bean Vegetable · Warm · 50 days
• Detroit Dark Red Beet Vegetable · Cool · 58 days
• Waltham 29 Broccoli Vegetable · Cool · 74 days
• Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts Vegetable · Cool · 100 days
• Golden Acre Cabbage Vegetable · Cool · 64 days
• Danvers 126 Carrot Vegetable · Shoulder · 70 days
• Snowball Y Cauliflower Vegetable · Cool · 70 days
• Tall Utah Celery Vegetable · Cool · 110 days
• Bright Lights Swiss Chard Vegetable · Shoulder · 55 days
• Common Chives Herb · Cool · 80 days
• Santo Cilantro Herb · Cool · 50 days
• Georgia Southern Collards Vegetable · Cool · 65 days
• Golden Bantam Sweet Corn Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
• Marketmore 76 Cucumber Vegetable · Warm · 58 days
• Bouquet Dill Herb · Shoulder · 55 days
• Black Beauty Eggplant Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
• Florence Fennel Herb · Warm · 80 days
• Lacinato Kale Vegetable · Cool · 60 days
• Early White Vienna Kohlrabi Vegetable · Cool · 55 days
• American Flag Leek Vegetable · Cool · 120 days
• Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
• Hale's Best Jumbo Melon Vegetable · Warm · 85 days
• Southern Giant Curled Mustard Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
• Clemson Spineless Okra Vegetable · Warm · 56 days
• Italian Flat Leaf Parsley Herb · Shoulder · 75 days
• Hollow Crown Parsnip Vegetable · Cool · 120 days
• Sugar Snap Pea Vegetable · Cool · 62 days
• California Wonder Pepper Vegetable · Warm · 72 days
• French Breakfast Radish Vegetable · Cool · 28 days
• American Purple Top Rutabaga Vegetable · Cool · 90 days
• Bloomsdale Spinach Vegetable · Cool · 42 days
• Waltham Butternut Squash Vegetable · Warm · 95 days
• Toma Verde Tomatillo Vegetable · Warm · 70 days
• Roma Tomato Vegetable · Warm · 76 days
• Purple Top White Globe Turnip Vegetable · Cool · 55 days

Related regional guides

• Upstate New York Frost-Window Vegetable Garden Cornell planting-date guide for upstate New York vegetable planning using May 20 spring frost, October 1 fall frost, crop groups, and rotation families.
• Long Island Vegetable Planting Guide A CCE Suffolk Long Island vegetable timing guide for outdoor seeding, indoor starts, transplant windows, wet-soil caution, and spacing caveats.

Source: Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest NY Planting Guide for the New York City Area