Iowa Vegetable Planting Calendar | Urban Farmer

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Iowa Vegetable Planting Calendar

Choose your Iowa USDA hardiness zone to see weekly garden tasks and a full-season schedule for productive spring, summer, and fall vegetable gardens.

Find Your CityView Planting Schedules
USDA Zones 4b–6aSelect the Iowa zone shown for your location on the map
Elevation Changes TimingSouthern Iowa can plant about one week earlier than central Iowa; northern Iowa about one week later
Spring and Fall GardensCool-season crops can be grown on both sides of summer

Iowa city calendars

Find Your Local Planting Calendar

Choose a city for locally adjusted frost dates and planting windows.

AmesLast frost May 10 · First frost October 1 AnkenyLast frost May 5 · First frost October 5 BettendorfLast frost May 1 · First frost October 10 BurlingtonLast frost May 1 · First frost October 10 Cedar FallsLast frost May 10 · First frost October 1 Cedar RapidsLast frost May 10 · First frost October 5 ClintonLast frost May 5 · First frost October 5 Council BluffsLast frost May 5 · First frost October 5 DavenportLast frost May 1 · First frost October 10 Des MoinesLast frost May 5 · First frost October 5 DubuqueLast frost May 10 · First frost October 1 Fort DodgeLast frost May 15 · First frost September 25 Iowa CityLast frost May 5 · First frost October 5 MarionLast frost May 10 · First frost October 5 MarshalltownLast frost May 10 · First frost October 1 Mason CityLast frost May 15 · First frost October 1 OttumwaLast frost May 5 · First frost October 5 Sioux CityLast frost May 10 · First frost October 1 UrbandaleLast frost May 5 · First frost October 5 West Des MoinesLast frost May 5 · First frost October 5

Iowa planting windows

Choose Your USDA Planting Zone

Select Zone 4, 5, or 6 to update both this week’s tasks and the complete Iowa planting schedule.

Zone 5 Planting Schedule

Start indoorsDirect sowTransplant/plant
Crop names remain visible while you swipe horizontally. The calendar opens at the current week.

Reference: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Vegetable Planting and Harvesting Times, Early Spring Planting of Vegetables, Fall Planting of Vegetables, and Frost and Freeze Dates in Iowa. Central-Iowa dates shift about one week earlier south and one week later north.