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Last Frost Date & Seed-Starting Schedule for Long Island

The average last frost on Long Island's south shore is around April 20. For safety, wait 1–2 extra weeks for tender crops like tomatoes and peppers.

Use these resources to plan precisely:

Cornell frost date map (click to enlarge)
Vegetable planting timeline keyed to your frost date

Count back 6–8 weeks for indoor starts, and direct-sow hardy crops 4 weeks before. Adjust based on current weather—cold, wet springs delay everything.

Growing Vegetables: Seedling Fertilizer Sources: Finding Specialized Formulas; Rabbit Nesting in Yard: Fence, Don't Trap; Transplanting a Volunteer Drosera spatulata Seedling; Frost Protection for Carnivorous Plants in Charlotte, NC (Zone 8); Post-Freeze Care for Oleander, Bougainvillea, and Pygmy Date Palms in Florida; Growing Jalapeños in Northern Thailand: Seasonal Windows; When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden in Denver; What Makes a Perfect Date? It's Not the Flowers—It's the Chemistry; Finding Your Last Frost Date: A Gardener's Essential Guide; Predicting First Frost: Average Dates and What They Mean for Your Garden

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