When to Plant Milk Thistle in New York
New York spans USDA hardiness 4a to 7b (zones 4a to 7b on this page). Plant milk thistle by your local frost date, not the calendar — pick your zone below for exact start-indoors, transplant, and harvest dates.
Jump to: Zone 4a · Zone 4b · Zone 5a · Zone 5b · Zone 6a · Zone 6b · Zone 7a · Zone 7b
Milk Thistle planting calendar for New York, Zone 4a
Average last spring frost
May 15
Average first fall frost
September 20
Direct sow
May 29
Milk Thistle needs about 150 days to mature — longer than Zone 4a typically stays frost-free, so it likely won't reliably ripen there outdoors without a head start indoors or season extension. Full zone 4 guide (both 4a and 4b) →
Milk Thistle planting calendar for New York, Zone 4b
Average last spring frost
May 10
Average first fall frost
September 25
Direct sow
May 24
Milk Thistle needs about 150 days to mature — longer than Zone 4b typically stays frost-free, so it likely won't reliably ripen there outdoors without a head start indoors or season extension. Full zone 4 guide (both 4a and 4b) →
Milk Thistle planting calendar for New York, Zone 5a
Average last spring frost
May 5
Average first fall frost
October 1
Direct sow
May 19
Milk Thistle needs about 150 days to mature — longer than Zone 5a typically stays frost-free, so it likely won't reliably ripen there outdoors without a head start indoors or season extension. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Milk Thistle planting calendar for New York, Zone 5b
Average last spring frost
April 30
Average first fall frost
October 5
Direct sow
May 14
Milk Thistle needs about 150 days to mature — longer than Zone 5b typically stays frost-free, so it likely won't reliably ripen there outdoors without a head start indoors or season extension. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Milk Thistle planting calendar for New York, Zone 6a
Average last spring frost
April 25
Average first fall frost
October 10
Direct sow
May 9
Projected first harvest
Oct 6
Milk Thistle is ready to harvest in about 150 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Milk Thistle planting calendar for New York, Zone 6b
Average last spring frost
April 20
Average first fall frost
October 15
Direct sow
May 4
Projected first harvest
Oct 1
Milk Thistle is ready to harvest in about 150 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Milk Thistle planting calendar for New York, Zone 7a
Average last spring frost
April 15
Average first fall frost
October 20
Direct sow
Apr 29
Projected first harvest
Sep 26
Milk Thistle is ready to harvest in about 150 days. Full zone 7 guide (both 7a and 7b) →
Milk Thistle planting calendar for New York, Zone 7b
Average last spring frost
April 10
Average first fall frost
October 30
Direct sow
Apr 24
Projected first harvest
Sep 21
Milk Thistle is ready to harvest in about 150 days. Full zone 7 guide (both 7a and 7b) →
Not sure which half-zone you're in? Set your ZIP in HomeSown for dates tuned to your exact location.
Varieties to grow
1 variety of milk thistle in the HomeSown library. Tap any for its full grow guide.
Common problems with milk thistle
What to watch for, with identification and treatment for each
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