Cornell Cooperative Extension

Albany County
cold frames with flats of small plants, at the CCE-Tompkins Education Center
Image by Sandy Repp

Cold frames are a great way to extend your growing season.

Beets, USDA
Image by Robert Couse-Baker

Beets can be planted in late July for fall harvest.

rainbow chard
Image by Sandy Repp

Rainbow chard is another crop that can be sown in late July.

Last Planting Dates

Average First Fall Frost: October 3rd

Questions often arise on how late a vegetable can be planted in the garden in New York State and still reach maturity or usable size before frost or cold weather stops growth.  The last dates listed below for each crop are based on observations at Ithaca, NY.  Most years the crop will reach the harvestable stage if planted by the date indicated, but yields of crops requiring multiple harvesting (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc.) likely will be rather light unless the fall weather is warmer than normal, and first frosts are unusually late.  In parts of New York where the fall weather averages milder than in Ithaca, planting a week to ten days later might be possible; for cooler areas move the dates 7-10 days earlier.

June
10

June
30

  July
15

  July
31

  Aug.
10

  Sept. 10

 Beans, lima
 Edible cowpeas
 Herbs, most
 Muskmelons*
 Okra*
 Popcorn
 Edible Soybeans
 Tomatoes (late)*
 Watermelon*

 Beans, pole snap
 Brussels sprouts
 Cabbage (late)
 Celeriac
 Celery*
 Eggplant*
 Leeks
 Peppers
 Sweet corn (med.)
 Tomatoes (early)

 Beans, snap
 Cabbage(medium)*
 Carrots
 Cauliflower (late)*
 Chinese cabbage
 Cucumbers
 Lettuce, head
 Lettuce, romaine
 Onions, green
 Parsley
 Parsnip
 Rutabagas
 Squash, summer
 Sweet corn (early)

 Beets
 Broccoli (late)*
 Cabbage(early)*  
 Collards
 Endive
 Kale
 Kohlrabi
 Lettuce, Bibb
 Mustard
 Peas
 Radish, Chinese
 Swiss chard

 Broccoli (early)*
 Cauliflower(early)*
 Lettuce, leaf
 Spinach
 Turnip

 Radish

Last Seeding & Transplanting Dates

*  Indicates variety is transplanted
(x) Indicates variety may be transplanted or seeded. If transplanted probably should be later than date given.
(t) Indicates variety may be transplants, sets or seed.

Last updated March 31, 2020

Food Gardening

Find Your Zone!

2012 USDA Hardiness Zone Map

The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map helps gardeners and growers determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. For the first time, the map is available as an interactive GIS-based map, for which a broadband Internet connection is recommended. Users may also simply type in a ZIP Code and find the hardiness zone for that area.

NY Freeze Dates

Visit the NOAA website for a  chart of freeze dates in our area.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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