When to plant leek in New York City
Leek is cold-hardy, so every date keys off New York City's frost dates of Mar 30.
Step 1 · Sow
Start seeds indoors
Jan 19 – Feb 9
Before your last frost, on a warm windowsill or heat mat.
Step 2 · Plant
Transplant outdoors
Apr 4 – Apr 25
Once frost risk has passed and nights stay mild.
Step 3 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jul 13 – Aug 2
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
100 – 120 d
New York City's 234-day season leaves this much room.
Leek on New York City's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
MAR 30
NOV 19
Common questions
When will leek be ready to harvest in New York City?
Expect to harvest from around mid July (Jul 13–Aug 2) in New York City, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
When should I start leek seeds indoors in New York City?
Start seeds indoors around mid January (Jan 19–Feb 9) in New York City, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 85%.
When can I transplant leek outdoors in New York City?
Transplant outdoors around early April (Apr 4–Apr 25) in New York City, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
How long is the growing season in New York City?
New York City has roughly 234 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow leek to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow leek as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and New York City's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.