Your Ultimate NYC & Westchester Seasonal Gardening Calendar

Gardening in the vibrant heart of the New York City metropolitan area offers a unique blend of urban energy and surprising green escapes. From rooftop containers in the city to sprawling yards in Yonkers and Westchester County, the changing seasons bring distinct joys and challenges. Cultivating a thriving garden here means understanding our specific climate – the warm summers, the crisp autumns, and the definite chill of winter. But with the right knowledge and a little local guidance, you can enjoy blooms, bounty, and beauty year-round.

This guide is your season-by-season roadmap to successful gardening in the NYC, Yonkers, and Westchester region. We'll navigate the specific conditions of our area, primarily designated as USDA Hardiness Zones 7a (minimum average temperatures of 0°F to 5°F) and 7b (5°F to 10°F) according to the latest 2023 maps.¹ It's worth noting that these zones have seen updates, reflecting subtle warming trends compared to previous decades, which can influence plant choices and timing.Our climate, classified as Humid Continental with hot summers (Dfa), presents both opportunities and the need for careful planning.⁴

While Zone 7 provides a general framework, microclimates exist within our diverse region. Coastal areas, urban heat islands, and varying elevations mean your specific conditions might differ slightly from a neighbor just miles away.² This is where local knowledge becomes invaluable.

At Windy Farm, we're passionate about helping our neighbors cultivate beautiful and productive gardens right here in the NYC metro area. We understand the nuances of Zone 7a/7b gardening because we live and garden here too. We offer not just the high-quality plants, soil, tools, and supplies you need, but also the locally-tailored advice and services to help you succeed through every season.

Let's dig into the essential tasks for each part of the gardening year, ensuring your garden doesn't just survive, but truly thrives.

(Quick Tip: For a scannable overview, check out the summary table below!)

Quick Seasonal Gardening Guide: NYC & Westchester (Zone 7a/7b)

Early Spring (Approx. Late March - April): Waking Up the Garden

As the last traces of winter recede, the garden begins to stir. Early spring is a time of preparation and anticipation, setting the stage for the lush growth to come. The key is patience – wait until the soil is no longer frozen or waterlogged before diving in.⁶ Working wet soil can compact it, harming its structure.⁶ While the average last frost date for our area generally falls between early and late April ⁴, remember this is just an average. Keep an eye on the local forecast, as late frosts can sometimes occur even into May.⁶ This variability underscores the importance of local observation and readiness.

Key Tasks:

• Garden Cleanup: Start with a thorough tidying. Remove fallen leaves, dead stalks from last year's perennials, twigs, and any other winter debris from garden beds and lawns.¹⁴ This isn't just about aesthetics; removing debris eliminates overwintering sites for pests and diseases, giving your plants a healthier start.¹⁷ For the lawn, consider mulching leaves with your mower instead of raking, which can add nutrients back into the soil.¹⁹
• Soil Preparation: This is perhaps the most crucial step for spring success.
  • Testing: Conduct a soil test to determine the pH and nutrient levels.⁷ Most garden plants in our area prefer slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5-7.0), but knowing your specific levels allows for targeted amendments.²⁰ Windy Farm offers easy-to-use soil test kits.
  • Amending: Generously incorporate organic matter like compost or well-rotted manure into your beds.⁶ Aim for 2-4 inches in new beds, or 1/4 to 1 inch annually for established gardens.⁶ This improves soil structure, drainage, and fertility. Products like Sweet Peet can be excellent choices.¹⁵
  • Turning: Gently turn or till the soil to a depth of 6-12 inches to loosen compaction from winter.⁶ Once amended and turned, rake the surface smooth.⁶
• Strategic Pruning: Early spring pruning depends heavily on when a shrub flowers.
  • Prune Now: Shrubs that bloom in summer on new wood (growth from the current season) should be pruned now, before they leaf out. Examples include Butterfly Bush (Buddleja) and Panicle Hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata).⁶ Prune roses (Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Grandifloras), but wait on climbers and ramblers until after they flower.⁶ Prune fruit trees to shape them and encourage production.⁷ Always remove any dead, damaged, or crossing branches from trees and shrubs.⁷ Remember to clean your pruners between cuts, especially if dealing with disease, using a simple bleach solution or alcohol wipes to prevent spreading problems.²¹
  • Wait to Prune: Do not prune spring-flowering shrubs like Forsythia, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Lilacs, Bigleaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla), or spring-blooming Spirea now.¹⁹ Pruning them before they bloom will remove the flower buds. Wait until immediately after they finish flowering.
• Starting Seeds Indoors: Get a jumpstart on warm-season crops that need a longer growing period. Start seeds indoors for tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants about 6-8 weeks before the average last frost date (aiming for mid-to-late March start).⁷ Using seed starting mix, trays, and potentially grow lights ensures healthy seedlings.²⁴ Windy Farm stocks everything you need to get started.
• Planting Outdoors (Cool-Season Warriors): As soon as your soil is workable, you can plant vegetables and flowers that tolerate cool temperatures and light frost.
  • Direct Sow: Plant seeds directly in the garden for peas, spinach, lettuce, arugula, radishes, carrots, beets, kale, Swiss chard, turnips, and parsley.⁷
  • Plant Sets/Crowns: Plant onion sets, seed potatoes, bare-root asparagus crowns, and rhubarb divisions.²³
  • Transplant Seedlings: Plant seedlings of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.¹⁴ Remember to "harden off" any seedlings started indoors before planting them out. Gradually expose them to outdoor conditions over a week to prevent shock.²²
  • Hardy Annuals: Brighten up beds and containers with cold-tolerant annuals like pansies and snapdragons.¹⁴
• Early Lawn Care: Rake the lawn to remove debris and dead grass.²⁷ If thatch (a layer of dead grass stems and roots) is thick, consider dethatching.⁷ Apply a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent crabgrass, but only if you are not planning to seed your lawn, as it will prevent grass seed from germinating too.¹⁵ If you didn't fertilize in the fall, apply a spring lawn fertilizer.⁷ Overseed any bare patches.¹⁴ Windy Farm carries a range of lawn care products suitable for our region.
• Tool Preparation: Make sure your shovels, trowels, pruners, and mowers are clean, sharp, and ready for action.⁴⁰ Sharp tools make work easier and are better for your plants.
• Pest & Disease Prevention: Before buds open on trees and shrubs (and when temperatures are consistently above 40°F), apply dormant oil or horticultural oil spray.⁷ This smothers overwintering insect eggs (like scale, mites, aphids) and some fungal spores, significantly reducing pest pressure later in the season. This proactive approach is a cornerstone of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Windy Farm Can Help: Visit us for soil testing kits, high-quality compost (including Sweet Peet), organic fertilizers, durable pruning tools, dormant oil sprays, a wide selection of cool-season vegetable and flower seeds, healthy starter plants (pansies, broccoli, cabbage), and lawn care essentials. We also offer spring cleanup services to get your garden ready.

Late Spring (Approx. May - Early June): Planting & Establishing

Late spring is when the garden truly bursts into life. The danger of frost has typically passed (usually by mid-May, but always check local forecasts!), and the soil is warming up, signaling it's time to plant tender, warm-season crops.⁶ Some heat-lovers like cucumbers and melons prefer waiting until the soil is consistently warm, often around early June.²³ This period is crucial for establishing plants before the heat of summer arrives.

Key Tasks:

• Planting Warm-Season Crops: This is the main event of late spring!
  • Transplant: Carefully plant out hardened-off seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.¹⁹ Ensure they have been gradually acclimated to outdoor conditions.²² Windy Farm offers robust, locally grown starts ready for your garden.
  • Direct Sow: Sow seeds directly into the garden for beans (bush and pole), corn (plant in blocks for pollination), cucumbers, squash (summer and winter), melons, and okra.²³
  • Slips & Tubers: Plant sweet potato slips once the soil is reliably warm.²³
  • Summer Annuals & Bulbs: Plant frost-tender annual flowers like zinnias, marigolds, cosmos, and petunias for season-long color.²³ Plant summer-blooming bulbs such as dahlias, gladioli, caladiums, and tuberous begonias.⁴³
• Planting Trees & Shrubs: Late spring remains a good window for planting container-grown and balled-and-burlapped (B&B) trees and shrubs, both evergreen and deciduous.¹⁴ Follow proper planting techniques: dig the hole as deep as the root ball but at least twice as wide; gently loosen circling roots on container plants; ensure the plant sits at or slightly above the original soil line; backfill with native soil amended with compost; water thoroughly.²⁰ Consider incorporating New York native plants like Eastern Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, Swamp Milkweed, Mountain Mint, or Virginia Rose for ecological benefits and local resilience.⁴⁷ Windy Farm offers a selection of healthy trees, shrubs, and native plants suited for our area.
• Mulching: Apply a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch (shredded bark, wood chips, straw, compost) around plants, keeping it away from direct contact with stems and trunks.¹⁴ Mulch is essential now to conserve soil moisture as temperatures rise, suppress weed growth, and keep roots cooler.⁴⁴
• Watering Wisely: Consistent moisture is vital for newly planted vegetables, flowers, trees, and shrubs.²⁰ Check seedlings and transplants daily.²² Aim for about 1 inch of water per week, including rainfall, applying it deeply to encourage strong root systems.⁵⁰ Water in the morning hours to reduce evaporation and allow foliage to dry before evening, minimizing disease risk.⁵⁰ Consider installing soaker hoses or a drip irrigation system for efficient, targeted watering at the soil level.²⁵ Windy Farm has various watering solutions, from hoses and nozzles to timers and drip kits.
• Weeding: Stay vigilant! Remove weeds while they are small and before they compete with your desired plants for water and nutrients.⁶ A good layer of mulch will significantly reduce weeding chores.
• Initial Pest Management: Begin scouting for common spring and summer pests. Check under leaves and on new growth for aphids, spider mites, and cabbage worms on brassicas.⁵⁴ Early detection is key. Use the least toxic methods first: a strong spray of water can dislodge aphids ⁵⁶, and many pests can be hand-picked. Protect vulnerable transplants (like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) from cutworms by placing collars made of cardboard or plastic around the base of the stem, pressed an inch into the soil.²³ Windy Farm offers organic options like insecticidal soap and diatomaceous earth for early interventions.⁵⁷
• Provide Support: Install stakes, cages, or trellises for vining plants like tomatoes, pole beans, and cucumbers at planting time or shortly after.²³ Trying to add support later can damage roots and stems.
• Lawn Care Continues: Mow regularly, maintaining a height of about 3-3.5 inches for cool-season grasses to help shade the soil and conserve moisture.⁵⁰ Continue deep, infrequent watering (1 inch per week).⁵⁰ Spot-treat broadleaf weeds as needed.⁵³
• Houseplant Vacation: As night temperatures reliably stay above 50-60°F, you can move hardy houseplants outdoors for the summer.²³ Place them in a location protected from strong winds and direct, harsh afternoon sun (morning sun is usually fine).

Windy Farm Can Help: Find healthy, hardened-off warm-season vegetable starts (tomatoes, peppers, squash, etc.), vibrant annual flowers, summer-blooming bulbs, native plants, trees, and shrubs. We stock various mulches, compost, efficient watering tools (soaker hoses, timers, drip irrigation components), fertilizers, sturdy stakes, cages, trellises, and organic pest control solutions. Ask about our planting services for trees and shrubs!

Summer (Approx. Mid-June - August): Maintenance & Harvest

Summer in our region brings heat, humidity, and the peak of the growing season.⁴ Gardens are lush, and harvests begin in earnest. However, this is also prime time for water stress, pests, and diseases. Consistent maintenance is key to keeping your garden productive and healthy through the hottest months.

Key Tasks:

• Watering Diligently: This is the most critical summer task. Plants need consistent moisture, especially during hot, dry spells. Aim for the equivalent of 1 inch of rainfall per week, applied deeply to encourage roots to grow down where the soil stays cooler and moister.⁵⁰ Shallow, frequent watering leads to weak, shallow roots. Water early in the morning to minimize evaporation and allow foliage to dry quickly.⁵⁰ Use soaker hoses or drip irrigation to deliver water directly to the soil, avoiding wet leaves which promotes fungal diseases.²⁵ Mulch is your best friend for retaining soil moisture.⁴⁴ Remember that container plants dry out much faster and will need more frequent watering, potentially daily during heat waves.⁵² Windy Farm offers rain gauges, soaker hoses, and efficient watering wands.
• Fertilizing Appropriately: Summer growth demands nutrients. Feed heavy-feeding vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and squash, as well as flowering annuals, according to their needs.⁵² Follow fertilizer package directions – often a liquid feed every few weeks or a slow-release application is suitable. Consider a bloom-boosting fertilizer for containers and hanging baskets to maximize flowers.⁶⁰ Fertilize container plants regularly as nutrients leach out faster.⁵⁸ Important: Stop fertilizing trees and shrubs by mid-summer (late July/early August).⁵⁸ Late-season fertilizing can stimulate new growth that won't harden off before winter, making it susceptible to frost damage. Continue feeding chrysanthemums until buds set.⁵⁹
• Pest & Disease Management (IPM Focus): Summer heat and humidity create ideal conditions for many pests and diseases. Stay vigilant!
  • Scout Regularly: Check plants frequently (including undersides of leaves) for common culprits like aphids, spider mites, squash bugs, squash vine borers, tomato hornworms, Japanese beetles, cucumber beetles, slugs, and snails.⁵⁴ Look for disease signs like powdery mildew (white coating on leaves), leaf spots, blight (rapid browning/wilting, especially on tomatoes/potatoes), and wilting.⁵⁵
  • Practice IPM: Use Integrated Pest Management principles. Start with cultural controls: ensure good air circulation through proper spacing and pruning ²⁵, water at the soil level ²⁵, and remove diseased leaves or severely infested plants promptly.¹⁸ Use physical controls: handpick larger insects (like hornworms or Japanese beetles) and drop them into soapy water ⁵⁸, use strong water sprays to dislodge aphids and mites ⁵⁶, and employ row covers on vulnerable crops (like squash, before flowers open) to exclude pests. Encourage beneficial insects (ladybugs, lacewings) by avoiding broad-spectrum pesticides.⁵⁶ Consider companion planting strategies – basil near tomatoes, marigolds, or herbs like rosemary may deter some pests.²⁵ Use barriers like diatomaceous earth for slugs and crawling insects.⁵⁷
  • Targeted Treatments: If necessary, use targeted, lower-toxicity options like insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, neem oil, or Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) for caterpillars, following label instructions precisely.⁵⁶ For fungal diseases, options like copper fungicide or the Cornell baking soda formula ⁵⁹ may help if applied preventatively or at first sign. Windy Farm carries a range of effective organic and conventional pest and disease control products and can offer advice on identification and treatment.
• Deadheading for Continuous Blooms: Remove faded flowers regularly from annuals (like petunias, zinnias, marigolds) and repeat-blooming perennials (like coreopsis, salvia, daylilies).⁵⁸ This prevents the plant from putting energy into seed production and encourages it to produce more flowers. Pinch back fall bloomers like chrysanthemums and asters one last time in early July for bushier plants and more flowers later.⁵⁸
• Harvesting Regularly: Keep up with the harvest! Pick beans, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs frequently.⁵⁸ This encourages plants to keep producing and ensures you get vegetables at their peak flavor and tenderness. Letting zucchini get baseball-bat sized or beans become tough reduces future yields. Harvest garlic when about half the leaves turn brown.⁵⁸ Harvest onions and potatoes when most of their tops have yellowed and died back.⁶⁷
• Succession Planting: As early cool-season crops are finished, don't let the space go to waste. Check last planting dates for your area (often mid-to-late July for many fall crops in Zone 7b, though check specific crop requirements) and sow seeds for fall harvests like beets, carrots, kale, collards, turnips, spinach, and fast-maturing lettuce varieties.⁵⁸ Ensure the soil stays consistently moist for good germination in summer heat.⁵⁸
• Ongoing Weeding: Weeds thrive in summer too. Pull them regularly before they get large and set seed, competing with your crops for precious water and nutrients.⁵⁸
• Summer Lawn Care: Continue mowing high (3-3.5 inches).⁵⁰ Water deeply only when needed – about 1 inch per week. It's okay to let cool-season lawns go dormant (turn brown) during prolonged heat and drought; they will usually recover when cooler temperatures and rain return.⁵⁹ Avoid fertilizing cool-season lawns in the heat of summer. Keep an eye out for grub damage (irregular brown patches, turf pulls up easily).
• Minimal Pruning: Limit pruning during summer mainly to removing dead, diseased, or damaged wood.⁵⁸ Prune climbing roses after their main flush of bloom.⁵⁹ Prune out raspberry canes (floricanes) that have finished fruiting.⁵⁹

Windy Farm Can Help: Stay cool and hydrated with our efficient watering tools, including soaker hoses, timers, and quality nozzles. Find the right organic fertilizers for your vegetables and flowers. Get help identifying pests and diseases and choose from our range of IPM solutions (insecticidal soaps, neem oil, Bt, traps, fungicides). Keep blooms coming with comfortable deadheading snips. Gather your bounty with our harvesting tools and baskets. Pick up seeds for your fall succession planting.

Fall (Approx. September - October): Harvest, Planting & Preparation

Fall is a favorite season for many gardeners in our area. The intense heat of summer subsides, replaced by crisp air and vibrant foliage. It's a time for harvesting the last of the summer bounty, planting for next spring's beauty, and preparing the garden for the coming winter. The soil is still warm from summer, while cooler air temperatures reduce stress on newly planted items, making it an ideal time for root establishment.⁶⁸ The first frost typically arrives between mid-October and mid-November, depending on your specific location within the NYC/Westchester area.⁴

Key Tasks:

• Continued Harvesting: Keep gathering warm-season crops like tomatoes, peppers, beans, and squash until the first frost hits.⁶⁷ Harvest any remaining mature green tomatoes and peppers before a hard frost, as they can ripen indoors.⁶⁷ Harvest pumpkins and winter squash, leaving a portion of the stem attached for better storage. Cool-season crops planted earlier, like kale, Brussels sprouts, and collards, often improve in flavor after a light frost.¹⁷ Harvest herbs for drying or freezing.⁶⁷
• Fall Planting - Edibles: There's still time for some quick-growing cool-season crops in early fall, such as spinach, radishes, and some lettuce varieties.³² Most importantly, fall is the prime time to plant garlic and shallots for harvest next summer.⁴² Plant individual cloves, pointed end up, a few inches deep and several inches apart.
• Planting Spring-Blooming Bulbs: Create a spectacular spring display by planting bulbs now! Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses, alliums, and many others should be planted after the soil has cooled down (typically October) but before the ground freezes hard.⁶ Plant them at the depth indicated on the packaging, usually 2-3 times the bulb's height. Windy Farm offers a wide selection of high-quality bulbs.
• Planting Trees & Shrubs: Fall is arguably the best time to plant most deciduous trees and shrubs, as well as many evergreens.¹⁴ The combination of warm soil allows roots to grow and establish, while the cool air reduces transplant shock and water demand.⁶⁸ Follow proper planting techniques (see Late Spring section) and water consistently until the ground freezes.⁴⁶ Consider native options for ecological benefits.⁴⁷
• Fall Lawn Renovation: This is the most critical time for cool-season lawn care in our region.
  • Aerate: If your soil is compacted (common in high-traffic areas), use a core aerator to pull plugs of soil, allowing better air, water, and nutrient penetration to the roots.¹⁶
  • Dethatch: Remove excessive thatch (more than 1/2 inch) if necessary, using a dethatching rake or machine.⁷⁰
  • Overseed: Fall is the ideal time to overseed thin lawns or repair bare patches with cool-season grass seed (like fescues, ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass).² Good seed-to-soil contact is crucial.
  • Fertilize: Apply a fall lawn fertilizer, often called a "winterizer".¹⁵ This feeding is vital for root development over the fall and winter, leading to a quicker green-up and healthier lawn next spring. A second application 6-8 weeks after the first can be beneficial for cool-season grasses.⁵³
  • Mow: Continue mowing as needed. For the last couple of mows, gradually lower the blade height to a final cut of about 2-2.5 inches.¹⁶ This helps prevent snow mold disease over winter.
• Leaf Management: Don't let fallen leaves smother your lawn.⁷⁰ Rake them regularly. You can shred them with a lawn mower and leave a thin layer on the lawn to decompose ⁵³, add them to your compost pile (they are valuable "brown" material) ¹⁷, or use them as insulating mulch in garden beds.¹⁷
• Garden Cleanup: As plants die back after frost, clean up the garden beds. Remove spent annuals and vegetable plants, especially any that showed signs of disease, to prevent pathogens from overwintering.¹⁷ You can cut back herbaceous perennials after they turn brown, or choose to leave some standing for winter interest and to provide seeds and habitat for birds and beneficial insects.¹⁵ If leaving stems, clean them up in early spring.
• Soil Improvement for Winter: After clearing beds, spread a layer of compost or aged manure over the soil.¹⁵ Consider sowing a cover crop (like winter rye, hairy vetch, or crimson clover) in empty vegetable beds.¹⁷ Cover crops protect the soil from erosion over winter, suppress weeds, and add valuable organic matter when tilled in next spring.
• Perennial Care: Fall is a good time to divide overcrowded summer and fall-blooming perennials like hostas, daylilies, or asters, giving them time to establish roots before winter.³⁰ Wait until the ground begins to freeze before applying winter mulch around perennials.¹⁷

Windy Farm Can Help: Stock up on spring-blooming bulbs, garlic for planting, and a selection of hardy trees and shrubs (including natives). Find everything you need for fall lawn care: core aerator rentals (check availability), premium grass seed blends for our area, fall/winterizer fertilizers, and rakes. We also have compost, cover crop seeds, and leaf bags to help with cleanup and soil building. Ask about our fall planting and lawn renovation services.

Early Winter (Approx. November - December): Protection & Planning

As the gardening season winds down and temperatures consistently drop, the focus shifts from active growth to protection and preparation for the dormant season. These final tasks ensure your plants, tools, and soil are ready to weather the winter and emerge strong next spring. Complete these chores after the first hard frosts but generally before the ground freezes solid.

Key Tasks:

• Protect Vulnerable Plants: Winter damage often comes from drying winds, sun scald (especially on evergreens), animal browsing, and damaging freeze-thaw cycles that heave plants out of the ground, rather than just extreme cold.
  • Mulching: Apply a layer (2-4 inches) of winter mulch like straw, shredded leaves, or pine needles around the base of perennials, roses, and sensitive shrubs after the ground has started to freeze.¹⁶ This helps insulate the soil, keeping it frozen and preventing the damaging freeze-thaw cycles. Avoid piling mulch directly against plant stems or tree trunks, which can cause rot and attract rodents.¹⁷
  • Wrapping & Screening: Protect young or newly planted trees and shrubs, especially evergreens (like rhododendrons, hollies, boxwood) and thin-barked trees, from winter wind and sun scald using burlap wraps or screens.¹⁶ Create a barrier on the windward side. Use plastic or wire tree guards around the base of young trees to prevent gnawing damage from rabbits and voles.¹⁷ Windy Farm offers burlap, stakes, and tree guards.
  • Container Plants: Plants in containers are more vulnerable as their roots lack the insulation of the ground.⁷⁴ Move pots to a sheltered location like an unheated garage, shed, or against the house foundation.⁷⁴ Cluster pots together for mutual insulation.⁷⁵ For hardy perennials in pots, you can wrap the pots in burlap or bubble wrap, or even sink the pots into the ground in an empty garden bed for the winter. Ensure pots have good drainage and aren't sitting in water that can freeze.⁷⁵
  • Watering: Give evergreen trees and shrubs one last deep watering before the ground freezes solid, especially if autumn has been dry.⁷³ Hydrated plants are better equipped to withstand winter desiccation.
• Final Garden Cleanup: Do one last sweep of the garden beds, removing any remaining dead annuals or vegetable debris, particularly anything diseased.¹⁶ Ensure pathways are clear.
• Tool Care & Storage: Properly maintaining your tools now saves time and money next spring and prevents the spread of disease.
  • Clean: Thoroughly clean all soil and debris from shovels, trowels, hoes, rakes, and pruners. Use a stiff brush, putty knife, or wire brush if needed.¹⁶
  • Rust Removal: Remove any rust spots with steel wool or sandpaper.⁴⁰
  • Sharpen: Sharpen blades on pruners, loppers, shovels, and mower blades.⁴¹ Sharp tools make cleaner cuts and require less effort. Consider professional sharpening services if needed.
  • Oil & Protect: Wipe down metal parts with a light machine oil, WD-40, or even vegetable oil to prevent rust.⁴⁰ Sand down any splinters on wooden handles and apply linseed oil or tung oil to protect the wood.⁴⁰
  • Power Equipment: Drain the fuel from gasoline-powered mowers, trimmers, and tillers, or fill the tank and add a fuel stabilizer, running the engine for a few minutes to circulate it.⁴¹ Follow manufacturer instructions for winter storage, which may include changing oil or disconnecting spark plugs.⁴¹
  • Hoses & Sprayers: Drain garden hoses completely, coil them without kinking, and store them indoors or in a shed.⁴¹ Clean out garden sprayers thoroughly with soapy water, rinse, and allow to dry completely before storing.⁴¹
  • Storage: Store all tools in a clean, dry place like a garage or shed, preferably hanging them up to keep them organized and off damp floors.⁴⁰
• Water System Winterization: Shut off water to outdoor spigots. Drain and store rain barrels. If you have an in-ground irrigation system, it must be winterized (drained or professionally blown out with compressed air) to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.²
• Plan for Next Season: Winter is the perfect time for reflection and planning. Review your garden notes or journal from the past year.¹⁷ What worked well? What didn't? Sketch out ideas for next year's garden, remembering to rotate vegetable crop locations to prevent soil-borne diseases and nutrient depletion.¹⁸ Browse seed catalogs and websites – ordering seeds early ensures the best selection, especially for popular or unique varieties.²⁴
• Compost Care: Continue adding kitchen scraps (greens) and fall leaves (browns) to your compost pile.¹⁷ Decomposition slows in winter, but the pile will be ready to provide valuable nutrients in the spring. Turn it occasionally if it's not frozen.²³

Windy Farm Can Help: Prepare for winter with our selection of winter mulch (straw, pine bark), burlap, tree wrap, and vole guards. Find tool cleaning supplies, oils, and sharpening stones (or ask about local sharpening services). Browse our seed selections and start dreaming about next spring! Consider Windy Farm gift certificates – perfect for the gardeners on your holiday list. Look out for potential winter workshops on tool care or garden planning.

Conclusion: Your Year-Round Local Gardening Partner

Gardening through the distinct seasons of New York City, Yonkers, and Westchester County is a rewarding journey. From the first hopeful shoots of early spring to the final preparations before winter's rest, each phase offers unique opportunities for connection with nature and the satisfaction of nurturing growth. While our Zone 7a/7b climate presents specific considerations – variable frost dates, summer heat, and the need for winter protection – a thriving, beautiful garden is well within reach with thoughtful planning and locally-attuned practices.

Remember that success often lies in preparation: amending soil in the spring, mulching before summer heat, performing crucial fall lawn care, and protecting vulnerable plants before winter arrives. Staying vigilant with watering, especially during dry spells, and practicing integrated pest management will keep your garden healthy and productive.

Windy Farm is more than just a garden center; we strive to be your dedicated partner throughout the gardening year. We understand the specific challenges and rewards of gardening in this region because it's our home too. We are committed to providing not only the highest quality plants, soils, amendments, tools, and supplies but also the reliable, expert advice tailored to our local Zone 7a/7b conditions. Whether you're starting your first vegetable patch, planning a landscape renovation, or seeking solutions for a specific gardening challenge, we're here to help.

We invite you to visit Windy Farm to explore our seasonal selections and chat with our knowledgeable staff. Browse our offerings online, or sign up for our email newsletter for timely tips and local gardening news delivered right to your inbox. Follow us on social media for inspiration and community connection. Let Windy Farm help you cultivate the garden of your dreams, season after season.

‍