USDA zone 7b in New Jersey
USDA plant hardiness zone 7b covers 17 locations across New Jersey (average annual extreme minimum 5 to 10 °F): Alloway, NJ, Avalon, NJ, Clayton, NJ, Clifton, NJ, Eatontown, NJ, Forked River, NJ, and 11 more. Average last spring frost across this group ranges March 26 (Ocean) to April 24 (South Dennis), and growing seasons run 179–240 days (Forked River to Ocean) — even within one state, because hardiness sets winter survival, not planting dates. The table below gives every New Jersey location's own frost dates; the printable planting calendar uses Alloway, this group's median-season location.
- USDA zone
- 7b5 to 10 °F
- Last frost range
- Mar 26–Apr 24avg, 32°F
- First frost range
- Oct 20–Nov 21avg, 32°F
- Growing season range
- 179–240days
Locations in this group
Every location below shares this zone and a nearby weather station, but keeps its own frost dates — find your town for its own numbers, or use the ZIP planner on the home page for an instant personalized answer.
| Location | Also covers | Nearest station | Last frost | First frost | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alloway * | Franklinville, Rosenhayn, Olivet, Malaga, Woodstown, West Park, +5 more | Seabrook Farms | Apr 10 | Nov 1 | 205 |
| Avalon | Goshen, Stone Harbor | Cape May 2 Nw | Apr 1 | Nov 9 | 222 |
| Clayton | — | Glassboro 2 Ne | Apr 8 | Nov 1 | 205 |
| Clifton | Secaucus, Englewood, Tenafly, Hackensack, Carlstadt, East Rutherford, +26 more | Teterboro Ap | Apr 3 | Nov 4 | 215 |
| Eatontown | Long Branch, Rumson, Point Pleasant, Oceanport, West Long Branch, Little Silver, +15 more | Long Branch-oakhurst | Apr 9 | Nov 3 | 208 |
| Forked River | Leisure Village East, Dover Beaches North, Dover Beaches South, Island Heights, Ocean Gate | Toms River | Apr 23 | Oct 20 | 179 |
| Glassboro | Richwood, Chester, Mullica Hill, Thorofare, Drexel Hill, Bellmawr, +30 more | Philadelphia Intl Ap | Apr 2 | Nov 10 | 224 |
| Jobstown | Burlington, Florence, Juliustown, Pemberton, Beverly | Philadelphia/mt Holly Wfo | Apr 15 | Oct 29 | 196 |
| Lincroft | Morganville, Matawan, Brielle, Allenwood, Keyport, Manasquan, +8 more | Freehold-marlboro | Apr 17 | Oct 23 | 190 |
| Manahawkin | North Beach Haven, Beach Haven West, Barnegat Light | Brant Beach-beach Haven | Apr 1 | Nov 15 | 230 |
| Ocean | Pleasantville, Northfield, Ventnor, Margate, Longport | Atlantic City | Mar 26 | Nov 21 | 240 |
| Pennsville | Glasgow, Newark, Elkton, Carneys Point, Bear, Brookside, +9 more | Wilmington New Castle Co Ap | Apr 7 | Nov 1 | 209 |
| Port Norris | Cedarville, Newport, Mauricetown, Delmont, Heislerville, Dorchester, +1 more | Millville Muni Ap | Apr 24 | Oct 23 | 181 |
| Port Republic | Mystic Island, Absecon, English Creek, Somers Point, Linwood, Oceanville | Atlantic City Intl Ap | Apr 18 | Oct 29 | 190 |
| Ramblewood | Marlton, Vincentown | Mt Holly S Jersey Ap | Apr 15 | Oct 28 | 195 |
| Sayreville | Perth Amboy, Woodbridge, Fords, Keasbey | New Brunswick 3 Se | Apr 15 | Oct 26 | 193 |
| South Dennis | Seaville, South Seaville, Sea Isle, Marmora, Strathmere | Estell Manor | Apr 24 | Oct 22 | 180 |
* Alloway is this group's median-season location — the calendar below is computed from its data.
Data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (public domain) and USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023. Planting windows synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides.
Planting calendar (Alloway, representative)
Computed from Alloway's average frost dates — the median-season location in this New Jerseyzone 7b group. hatched = start seeds indoors, solid green = plant out, teal = a fall sowing, and the terracotta dot marks the estimated first harvest. Ranges are extension-guide planning guidance, not guarantees — your own location's dates may run a week or two earlier or later (see the table above).
- Start indoors
- Plant out
- Fall sowing
- First harvest
| Crop | Frost tolerance | Start indoors | Plant out | First harvest | Fall planting | Season fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Tender | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 16 – Jul 6 | — | matures comfortably |
| Pepper | Very tender | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Apr 24 – May 1 | Jun 23 – Jul 23 | — | matures comfortably |
| Cucumber | Tender | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 6 – Jun 26 | — | matures comfortably |
| Summer squash / zucchini | Tender | — | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 1 – Jun 16 | — | matures comfortably |
| Bush bean | Tender | — | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | Jun 6 – Jun 16 | Sep 2 – Sep 12 | matures comfortably |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | Jun 9 – Jul 9 | — | matures comfortably |
| Basil | Very tender | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 17 – Jun 1 | — | matures comfortably |
| Lettuce | Half-hardy | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 27 – May 12 | Aug 19 – Sep 3 | matures comfortably |
| Pea | Hardy | — | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 23 – May 8 | Aug 9 – Aug 24 | matures comfortably |
| Spinach | Hardy | — | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 8 – Apr 18 | Aug 29 – Sep 8 | matures comfortably |
| Carrot | Half-hardy | — | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | May 19 – Jun 8 | Jul 30 – Aug 19 | matures comfortably |
| Broccoli | Half-hardy | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | May 7 – May 27 | Aug 4 – Aug 24 | matures comfortably |
Which crops fit this growing season
Using Alloway's own 205-day growing season (32°F, NOAA 1991–2020 median) against each crop's real days-to-maturity range: 12 of 12 crops mature here with comfortable margin. A different location in the table above with a longer or shorter season will get a different mix — the ZIP planner on the home page gives your own.
Frost & freeze dates (Alloway)
From NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals at station USC00287936. The median (p50) is the average date; the 90%-safe column is the date the freeze has passed in about 9 years out of 10 — the conservative date to plant after or harvest before.
| Threshold | Last spring — avg | Last spring — 90%-safe | First fall — avg | First fall — 90%-safe | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | May 8 | Oct 21 | Nov 5 | 180 |
| 32°F (freeze) | Apr 10 | Apr 25 | Nov 1 | Nov 15 | 205 |
| 28°F | Mar 29 | Apr 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 30 | 230 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 30 | Nov 28 | Dec 17 | 257 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days (GDD) accumulate warmth above a base temperature over the year — a better predictor of crop development than the calendar alone. This group's median GDD (base 50°F) across all 17 locations is 3,591; Alloway's own reading is shown below.
| Model | °F·days | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Base 50°F (warm-season) | 3,698 | standard warm-season base (tomato, corn, beans) |
| Base 40°F (cool-season) | 6,180 | cool-season crops (brassicas, greens) |
Hardiness zone 7b in New Jersey
Zone 7b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of about 5 to 10 °F on the USDA's 2023 map — the number that tells you which perennials, shrubs, and trees reliably survive an average winter here. It does not set your planting dates, which come from the frost calendar above. New Jersey spans 4 hardiness zones in this dataset — see all New Jersey locations for the full range, including zones6b, 7a, 8a.
Explore zone 7b in other states at zone 7b, or see all USDA hardiness zones.
Frequently asked questions
- What does USDA hardiness zone 7b mean in New Jersey?
- Zone 7b means an average annual extreme minimum winter temperature of 5 to 10 °F — the standard USDA measure of which perennials survive winter. 17 locations in New Jersey fall in this zone. It does not set planting dates; see the frost calendar below for that.
- Where in New Jersey's zone 7b is the growing season longest?
- Ocean runs the longest season on this page at about 240 days; Forked River is shortest at about 179 days — they share the same hardiness zone, but they sit at different weather stations, so their frost calendars differ.
- When should I plant tomatoes in New Jersey's zone 7b?
- Using Alloway's frost dates (this page's median-season location): start seeds indoors about Feb 13 – Feb 27, then transplant outside about Apr 17 – Apr 24. Your own location in the table above may differ by a week or two — use the ZIP planner on the home page for your exact station's dates.
- Does every location in New Jersey's zone 7b have the same frost dates?
- No — they do not all share a weather station, so frost dates vary by a week or more across the 17 locations listed (see the table above for each location's own dates).
Sources & method
Frost, freeze, growing-season, and growing-degree-day figures are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, one reading per location's own nearest station (see the table above). The hardiness zone is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023, matched to each location's ZIP. Planting windows are computed by counting from the average last and first frost using per-crop offsets synthesized from U.S. Cooperative Extension guides — the full method and citations are on the methodology page.