When to Cut Spinach in New York, and How Long It Really Keeps
In New York City, spinach gets cut in two short windows. Spring leaves come from seed sown in early to mid March.
New York
Home and garden guidance specific to New York: climate, seasons, local rules and rebates.
Gardening in New York
Everything we have worked out for New York: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in New York City, the last spring freeze runs March 23 to April 3 and the first fall freeze runs November 14 to November 27, USDA zones 3b-7b, 3,786 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 17.4 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in New York: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
When to Stop Cutting Asparagus in New York, and How to Keep the Spears
Cut nothing for the first two seasons. Harvest starts in year 3, and the bed is not touched until then.
What Eats Corn in New York, and When
Sweet corn eats days. Sixty to ninety of them, counted from planting, in soil that has already passed 60 F.
What Eats Pumpkin in New York, and When
The most predictable thing that ends a New York pumpkin is the calendar. A pumpkin needs 45 to 55 days after its flower opens to mature, and a flower…
When to Dethatch a Lawn in New York
Most New York lawns never need dethatching. The ones that do get the work done in early fall, or in spring once the grass is actively growing, and only…
When to Plant Grass Seed in New York
Sow grass seed in New York in early fall, so it gets about 45 days of growing weather before the first fall freeze. Spring is the fallback.
When to Aerate a Lawn in New York
Aerate a New York lawn in early fall, while the grass is still growing and well ahead of the first frost.
How Late Can You Plant Trees and Shrubs in Fall in New York?
In New York City, the conservative deadline for planting trees and shrubs in fall is October 3 to October 16, six weeks before the first fall frost.
When to Pull Carrots in New York, and How to Keep Them
Count 70 to 100 days from seeding, because carrots are sown in place and never transplanted.
Hedge Plants for New York: What Holds, and What Only Looks Hardy
Every hedge species on this site’s list survives somewhere in New York, and none fails everywhere. That sounds reassuring until you read the zones.