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When to plant in Oak Ridge, NJ

USDA Zone 6b

Everything below — frost dates, hardiness zone, and what to plant when in Oak Ridge, New Jersey — is derived from the closest NOAA station with complete climate normals.

Zone 6b means Oak Ridge sees real winter cold, but a good range of perennials survive; the frost dates above govern when annual vegetables go out.

Station · CHARLOTTEBURG RSVR · 6.2 km
Last spring frost
April 25
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
October 17
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
175 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for Oak RidgeA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Oak Ridge: last spring frost around April 25, first fall frost around October 17, about 175 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

CHARLOTTEBURG RSVR · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Oak Ridge’s own odds, recorded at CHARLOTTEBURG RSVR.

Frost-probability curves for Oak RidgeProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around April 25 and the first fall frost around October 17, giving about 175 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FMay 24May 8Apr 23Sep 25Oct 7Oct 21
32°FMay 11Apr 25Apr 12Oct 2Oct 17Nov 3
28°FApr 26Apr 11Mar 30Oct 14Oct 31Nov 15

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowopen now
Rutabaga
July 11July 25
Fall sowin 6 days
Broccoli
July 25August 8
Fall sowin 6 days
Cabbage
July 25August 8
Fall sowin 6 days
Carrot
July 25August 8
Fall sowin 6 days
Cauliflower
July 25August 8
Fall sowin 6 days
Napa Cabbage
July 25August 22
Fall sowin 20 days
Beet
August 8August 22
Fall sowin 20 days
Collards
August 8September 5
Fall sowin 20 days
Endive
August 8August 22
Fall sowin 20 days
Escarole
August 8August 22
Fall sowin 20 days
Fennel (Bulb)
August 8August 22
Fall sowin 20 days
Kale
August 8September 5
Fall sowin 20 days
Kohlrabi
August 8September 5
Fall sowin 20 days
Peas
August 8August 22
Fall sowin 20 days
Radicchio
August 8August 22
Fall sowin 20 days
Swiss Chard
August 8August 22
Fall sowin 20 days
Turnip
August 8September 5

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Oak Ridge, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 18 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

CHARLOTTEBURG RSVR
Primary
6 km · 237 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 25
FALL
Oct 17
WANAQUE RAYMOND DAM
17 km · 75 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 19
FALL
Oct 23
BOONTON 1 SE
18 km · 85 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 17
FALL
Oct 23

Oak Ridge planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Oak Ridge, NJ?

Plan for the last spring frost in Oak Ridge around April 25 (the date it has a 50% chance of a 32°F freeze). Anything frost-sensitive should go out after it.

When is the first fall frost in Oak Ridge, NJ?

Expect Oak Ridge's first fall frost near October 17 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.

What hardiness zone is Oak Ridge in?

Oak Ridge is in USDA hardiness zone 6b. In zone 6b, winters are moderate — most common vegetables grow well in season.

How long is the growing season in Oak Ridge?

There are roughly 175 frost-free days in Oak Ridge (a moderate growing season), running from the average last frost around April 25 to the first fall frost near October 17.

When should I plant tomatoes in Oak Ridge?

In Oak Ridge, start tomato seeds indoors around February 28–March 14, then transplant seedlings outdoors around May 2 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Oak Ridge

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Oak Ridge’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at CHARLOTTEBURG RSVR, 6 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Oak Ridge, NJ — Frost Dates & Zone 6b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00281582. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/new-jersey/oak-ridge.
When to Plant in Oak Ridge, NJ — Frost Dates & Zone 6b — BlissGarden