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When to plant in Kingston, NY

USDA Zone 6b

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

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

Station · RHINEBECK 4SE · 11.7 km
Last spring frost
May 14
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
September 28
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
137 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for KingstonA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Kingston: last spring frost around May 14, first fall frost around September 28, about 137 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

RHINEBECK 4SE · 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 Kingston’s own odds, recorded at RHINEBECK 4SE.

Frost-probability curves for KingstonProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around May 14 and the first fall frost around September 28, giving about 137 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°FJun 17May 29May 11Sep 4Sep 19Oct 1
32°FJun 1May 14Apr 30Sep 14Sep 28Oct 11
28°FMay 19May 2Apr 18Sep 26Oct 7Oct 25

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
Broccoli
July 6July 20
Fall sowopen now
Cabbage
July 6July 20
Fall sowopen now
Carrot
July 6July 20
Fall sowopen now
Cauliflower
July 6July 20
Fall sowopen now
Napa Cabbage
July 6August 3
Fall sowin 1 days
Beet
July 20August 3
Fall sowin 1 days
Collards
July 20August 17
Fall sowin 1 days
Endive
July 20August 3
Fall sowin 1 days
Escarole
July 20August 3
Fall sowin 1 days
Fennel (Bulb)
July 20August 3
Fall sowin 1 days
Kale
July 20August 17
Fall sowin 1 days
Kohlrabi
July 20August 17
Fall sowin 1 days
Peas
July 20August 3
Fall sowin 1 days
Radicchio
July 20August 3
Fall sowin 1 days
Swiss Chard
July 20August 3
Fall sowin 1 days
Turnip
July 20August 17
Fall sowin 15 days
Arugula
August 3August 31
Fall sowin 15 days
Bok Choy
August 3August 17
Fall sowin 15 days
Chervil
August 3August 31
Fall sowin 15 days
Cilantro
August 3August 31
Fall sowin 15 days
Claytonia (Miner's Lettuce)
August 3August 31
Fall sowin 15 days
Corn Salad (Mâche)
August 3August 31
Fall sowin 15 days
Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)
August 3August 17
Fall sowin 15 days
Lettuce
August 3August 31
Fall sowin 15 days
Mizuna
August 3August 31
Fall sowin 15 days
Mustard Greens
August 3August 31
Fall sowin 15 days
Radish
August 3August 31
Fall sowin 15 days
Shungiku (Edible Chrysanthemum)
August 3August 17
Fall sowin 15 days
Spinach
August 3August 31
Fall sowin 15 days
Tatsoi
August 3August 31

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 Kingston, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 23 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.

RHINEBECK 4SE
Primary
12 km · 92 m elevation
SPRING
May 14
FALL
Sep 28
MOHONK LAKE
22 km · 380 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 21
FALL
Oct 27
POUGHKEEPSIE
23 km · 77 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 21
FALL
Oct 21

Kingston planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Kingston, NY?

Plan for the last spring frost in Kingston around May 14 (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 Kingston, NY?

Expect Kingston's first fall frost near September 28 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.

What hardiness zone is Kingston in?

Kingston 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 Kingston?

There are roughly 137 frost-free days in Kingston (a short growing season), running from the average last frost around May 14 to the first fall frost near September 28.

When should I plant tomatoes in Kingston?

In Kingston, start tomato seeds indoors around March 19–April 2, then transplant seedlings outdoors around May 21 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Kingston

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at RHINEBECK 4SE, 12 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 Kingston, NY — Frost Dates & Zone 6b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00307035. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/new-york/kingston.
When to Plant in Kingston, NY — Frost Dates & Zone 6b — BlissGarden