Asian greens are cool-season crops, so New York gardeners sow them twice a year: once in early spring and once in late summer. The calendar days depend on where you garden, because the state stretches from the Adirondacks to New York City. The city’s frost dates make the cleanest reference point, and every other county shifts from there. The sections below cover the dates, what fails, and how to adjust for your own ground.
The short answer for New York
For New York City, sow Asian greens in spring once the soil can be worked, starting around the last-frost window of March 23 to April 3. Sow them again in late summer, counting back from a first-frost window of November 14 to November 27. Those two windows are the frame for the whole calendar.
Both date ranges come from the NOAA U.S. Climate Normals for 1991-2020 at the Central Park station. They show the 30 to 70 percent probability band for a 32°F freeze. In spring, the last freeze of the season has a 30 to 70 percent chance of falling between March 23 and April 3. In fall, the first freeze has the same odds of arriving between November 14 and November 27. A freeze can come before or after those dates. Central Park is also a dense urban site. Upstate New York and the Adirondacks freeze earlier in fall and later in spring, so these are New York City numbers, not statewide ones.
When can you sow Asian greens in spring in New York?
Bok choy, tatsoi, mizuna, komatsuna and the mustards germinate in cool soil and tolerate light frost once up. You do not need to wait for the last frost to pass. Sow when the ground has thawed, drains well, and crumbles in your hand instead of smearing. In the city, that often puts the first sowing right in the late-March window. Cover young seedlings with row cover when a hard freeze is forecast.
The spring window closes when heat and long days arrive. Sow quick baby-leaf types in successive small batches every week or two rather than one big planting. Each batch matures before the next heat wave, and you harvest over a longer stretch.
When should you sow Asian greens in fall in New York?
Fall sowing works backward. Take the days to maturity on the seed packet, which count from sowing for direct-sown greens. Add about two weeks, because growth slows as days shorten and nights cool. Then count back from mid-November. Baby leaves and fast types like mizuna have the shortest lead time. Full-size bok choy needs the most.
| Type | Spring sowing | Fall sowing | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bok choy | Early, as soon as soil is workable | Late summer, for full heads | Bolts after cold snaps or in lengthening days |
| Tatsoi | Early, then stop before heat | Late summer into early fall | Bolts in warm weather |
| Mizuna | Early, in repeated small sowings | Late summer, as baby leaf | Flea beetles in spring |
| Komatsuna | Early spring through the frost window | Late summer | Slugs in wet weather |
| Mustard greens | Early spring | Late summer into early fall | Turn hot and bitter in warm weather |
For a closer look at which types suit the state, see The Best Asian Greens for New York. For the full growing picture, start with Growing Asian Greens in New York.
What will not work here
Summer sowing fails first. New York City summers are hot and humid, and Asian greens sown in late spring or early summer mature into that weather. Heat and long days push bok choy, tatsoi and mustards to send up flower stalks before the plants size up. You end up with a short, bitter plant and a bolted stem. If your spring planting is not in by the time the weather turns warm, wait for late summer.
Why do fall sowings fail in New York?
Sowing too late is the usual cause. The first-frost window of November 14 to November 27 is not far past the point where growth almost stops. Daylight is shorter by then, and a plant sown in October may sit as a small rosette without ever sizing up. A packet that says 45 days to maturity will not give you a full head in 45 days of October weather. The two-week buffer in the fall rule above exists for this reason.
Winter is the second wall. The mean daily minimum of the coldest month in New York City is 27.9°F, below freezing for much of the winter. Tatsoi and mizuna take light frost well, and a low tunnel or row cover can stretch the harvest into December. Most Asian greens will not overwinter in the open, though, so do not count on an unprotected February harvest.
What goes wrong with spacing and watering?
Humid summers and wet falls punish crowded plants. Dense stands of bok choy or komatsuna stay damp around the base, which invites rot and gives slugs a place to hide. Follow the packet spacing for full-size heads and thin seedlings early. Baby-leaf plantings can go thicker because you cut them young.
In spring, flea beetles pepper mizuna, tatsoi and mustard leaves with tiny holes, especially on young seedlings in warming weather. Row cover set down at sowing, with the edges buried or weighted, keeps them off. Seedlings that spend several days in a cold snap after they have a few true leaves are also more likely to bolt later, so cover them when nights dip near freezing.
Watering weekly is not enough in summer or in a dry spell. Their roots stay shallow, and dry soil speeds bolting and toughens the leaves. Aim for steady moisture: a light watering every day or two for new seedlings and a deep soak two or three times a week once they are established.
What changes across New York
New York is not one garden. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (built on the average annual extreme minimum temperature, from 1991-2020 normals) puts the state anywhere from zone 3b to zone 7b. There is no single answer for the whole state, because the spread covers the Adirondack high country at one end and New York City and Long Island at the other.
The zone number tells you about winter cold. It does not give you a sowing date, but it tells you which direction to move from the New York City calendar. In the north, the spring window opens later because the ground stays frozen or soggy well past the city’s March 23 to April 3 band. The fall deadline arrives earlier, since frost comes weeks before the city’s November 14 to November 27 window. A gardener in the Adirondacks or on the Tug Hill Plateau has a much shorter season for both sowings.
Altitude does the same thing within a single county. Valley floors collect cold air on clear nights and frost earlier than nearby hillsides, and a south-facing slope warms sooner in spring. If you garden in the north or at elevation, start spring sowing later than the city and finish fall sowing earlier, using row cover or a cold frame at both ends of the season.
Where to check this for your own county
Your county office of Cornell Cooperative Extension is the best place to confirm timing. Most New York counties have their own association, staffed by people who know the local soil, frost pockets and pest cycles. A county recommendation beats a state one every time. The dates in this article are built on a single New York City station, and they cannot capture the differences between Westchester, the Finger Lakes and the North Country.
Look for a local planting calendar, ideally one that lists leafy cool-season crops with spring and fall sowing windows for your area. If there is no Asian-greens entry, a calendar for spinach, lettuce, kale or Chinese cabbage is a close substitute, because those crops share the same cool-season limits. Master Gardener volunteers can also tell you the average last frost date for your town, and local flea beetle and slug timing.
Checking this against your own garden
Frost dates are averages. Your yard has its own pattern, and what you see in the ground outranks any date in a calendar. Two signs are easy to watch.
- Soil by feel. In early spring, take a handful from a few inches down and squeeze it. If it crumbles when poked, it is ready for sowing. If it forms a wet, sticky ball, wait. A bed that dries and warms days before the rest of the yard is your early microclimate, usually a south-facing spot or a raised bed.
- Tender plants and the first frost. In fall, watch when basil, cucumber or squash leaves first blacken. If it happens in your yard before the city window of November 14 to November 27, your fall deadline is earlier than the table suggests. If tender plants survive well past it, near a house wall or a paved surface, you have extra time in that spot.
Common questions
Can you sow Asian greens in New York in July?
Watch for the soil to stay warm enough to germinate seed quickly, and remember that upstate gardeners see frost earlier than the city. Keep the seedbed shaded and moist, because heat can stop germination and wilt seedlings. In New York City, the fall deadline is later, so you can wait until late summer for bok choy and similar types. Count back from the first-frost window of November 14 to November 27 using the packet’s days to maturity.
Is it too late to sow Asian greens in October?
For full-size bok choy, usually yes, since the plants will not size up before the first freeze. For baby leaf mizuna, tatsoi or mustard cut young, an early October sowing may still work in the city, especially under row cover or in a cold frame. Upstate, October sowing is rarely worth the effort outdoors.
Do Asian greens survive a New York frost?
Established plants of tatsoi, mizuna, komatsuna and mustards handle light frost and often taste sweeter afterward. A hard freeze can kill them, and the mean daily minimum of New York City’s coldest month is 27.9°F, so winter in the open is unreliable. Row cover or a low tunnel extends the harvest into early winter.
Should I start Asian greens indoors or sow them outside?
Direct sowing works for most of them, and baby-leaf types do not transplant well in any case. Starting bok choy or tatsoi indoors gains a few weeks in cold northern springs, but chilled transplants can bolt, so harden them off gradually. For first-time growers, sow in the garden and cover the bed with row cover during cold nights.