In zone 5, you start onions indoors in February, peppers in mid-March and tomatoes in late March to early April. Peas, spinach and lettuce go outside in early to mid April, and tomatoes, beans, squash and corn go in from mid to late May, after the last frost. Fall crops are sown from mid-July to early September, and garlic goes in during October.
Quick answer
- Typical last spring frost: late April to mid-May. Typical first fall frost: late September to mid-October. These are typical ranges for zone 5; check your local dates.
- Frost-free season: about 140-170 days, enough for most tomatoes, peppers and winter squash.
- Start indoors: onions in early to mid February, cabbage family in early March, peppers and eggplant in mid-March, tomatoes from late March to early April.
- Plant outside: peas, spinach and radishes in early to mid April; tomatoes and beans from mid to late May; peppers, cucumbers and squash in late May.
- Fall: sow carrots and beets in mid-July, lettuce and spinach from mid-August to early September, and plant garlic in October.
In this guide
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Where is zone 5?
Zone 5 has an average extreme winter low of -20°F to -10°F on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. It stretches across southern Minnesota, most of Iowa, southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, eastern South Dakota, parts of Nebraska, the Colorado Front Range foothills and Wyoming, northern Michigan, upstate New York, and much of Vermont, New Hampshire and inland Maine.
Example cities include Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota (5a), Sioux Falls, South Dakota (5a), Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa (5b), Madison and Green Bay, Wisconsin (5b), Rockford, Illinois (5b), Burlington, Vermont (5b), Concord, New Hampshire (5b), and Cheyenne, Wyoming (5b). Check your own ZIP code with our USDA hardiness zones guide.
The schedule below assumes a last frost around early to mid-May and a first frost in early October. Zone 5a gardens and higher elevations run about a week later in spring and earlier in fall, so look up your local frost dates and adjust.
When to plant in zone 5: month by month
These dates draw on Iowa State, UNH and University of Minnesota Extension calendars, adjusted to a typical zone 5 frost window. Check your local frost dates or county extension office, because microclimates vary.
| Month | Start indoors | Sow or transplant outdoors | Harvest | Key tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Nothing yet | Nothing | Stored squash, potatoes, onions; greens from a cold frame | Order seeds and seed potatoes; plan beds and rotations |
| February | Onions and leeks (early to mid Feb); celery (late Feb) | Nothing | Stored crops | Set up lights and heat mats; test old seed |
| March | Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, head lettuce (early March); peppers and eggplant (mid-March); tomatoes (late March) | Nothing in most years; peas in raised beds in late March in 5b if soil is workable | Overwintered spinach (cold frame) | Pot up onions; get soil tested if you have not recently |
| April | Tomatoes (by early April); squash and cucumbers in pots (late April, optional) | Peas, spinach, radishes, lettuce (early to mid April); onions, potatoes, broccoli and cabbage transplants (mid to late April); carrots, beets, chard (late April) | Spinach, early radishes | Harden off brassicas; keep row covers ready |
| May | Nothing | Beans and sweet corn (mid-May, soil 60°F); tomatoes (mid to late May); peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, squash, melons (late May) | Radishes, lettuce, spinach, asparagus, rhubarb | Harden off warm-season transplants; mulch cool-season crops |
| June | Fall broccoli and cabbage (early to mid June) | Succession beans and corn; last warm-season transplants (early June) | Peas, lettuce, spinach, kohlrabi, strawberries, garlic scapes | Trellis tomatoes and cucumbers; water 1 inch per week |
| July | Nothing | Fall cabbage (by early July); carrots, beets, kale, chard, last beans (mid-July); broccoli transplants (July to early August) | Garlic (early to mid July), zucchini, cucumbers, beans, new potatoes, first tomatoes | Cure garlic; watch for squash vine borers and cabbage worms |
| August | Nothing | Lettuce (early August to early September); spinach, radishes, turnips (mid-August onward) | Tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, melons, onions, eggplant | Keep fall seedlings moist; shade new sowings in hot spells |
| September | Nothing | Radishes and spinach (until mid-September); cereal rye or oats cover crop | Winter squash, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, fall lettuce | Pick winter squash before frost; cover tender crops on cold nights |
| October | Nothing | Garlic and shallots (early to late October) | Kale, cabbage, carrots, beets, Brussels sprouts, leeks | Clean up diseased debris; shred leaves for mulch and compost |
| November | Nothing | Nothing | Kale, carrots, leeks; spinach under cover | Mulch garlic and strawberries with straw once soil starts to freeze |
| December | Nothing | Nothing | Stored crops; cold-frame greens | Clean tools; review notes; browse catalogs |
Gear that helps
- Seed starting kit with heat mat and grow light: Needed for February-April indoor starts of onions, peppers and tomatoes
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Zone 5 planting schedule by crop
This chart covers about 20 common vegetables and fruit. “Plant outside” covers spring sowing or transplanting; “Fall planting” covers a second crop for fall or a planting for next year.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | Late March to early April (6-8 weeks) | Mid to late May, nights above 50°F | No |
| Peppers | Mid-March (8-10 weeks) | Late May | No |
| Eggplant | Mid-March | Late May | No |
| Cucumbers | Optional: late April in pots | Late May to mid-June (soil 70°F) | Sow by mid-July |
| Summer and winter squash | Optional: late April in pots | Late May to early June | Summer squash by mid-July |
| Beans | No | Mid-May to early July | Last sowing mid-July |
| Sweet corn | No | Mid-May to mid-June (soil 60°F) | Early varieties by early July |
| Peas | No | Early to late April | Late July to early August, with mixed results |
| Lettuce | Early March (head types) | Early April to mid-May | Early August to early September |
| Spinach | No | Early to late April | Mid-August to early September |
| Kale | Early March | Mid to late April | Mid-July to early August |
| Broccoli | Early March | Transplant mid to late April | Transplant late June to early August |
| Cabbage | Early March | Transplant mid to late April | Transplant mid-June to early July |
| Carrots | No | Late April to late May | Mid-July |
| Beets | No | Late April to late May | Mid-July |
| Radishes | No | Early April to mid-May | Mid-August to mid-September |
| Onions | Early to mid February (from seed) | Sets or transplants mid to late April | Walking, multiplier onions and shallots, late September to mid-October |
| Potatoes | No (pre-sprout 2-3 weeks ahead) | Mid to late April (soil 45°F) | No |
| Garlic | No | Spring planting gives small bulbs | Early to late October |
| Strawberries | No | Mid to late April | Spring planting preferred |
To work out indoor dates for your own last frost, see when to start seeds indoors.
Garden hack: In zone 5, plant one short row of bush beans every two to three weeks from mid-May to mid-July. You get a steady supply instead of one huge picking, and the July sowing feeds you until the first frost in early October.
Gear that helps
- Soil thermometer: Shows when soil reaches 60°F for beans and corn
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Season extension tips for zone 5
Zone 5 has enough summer for most crops, but spring is slow to warm and fall can end with a sudden hard freeze. These tools let you plant earlier and harvest later.
- Row covers in April: lightweight fabric over peas, spinach, lettuce and brassica transplants holds in a few degrees of warmth and keeps out flea beetles and cabbage moths. Our guide to protecting plants from frost explains fabric weights.
- Black plastic for heat lovers: laying it a week or two before planting melons, peppers and squash warms the soil about 5°F, according to University of Minnesota Extension.
- Water-filled protectors: they let you set tomatoes out in early May instead of late May in many years.
- Cold frames and low tunnels: spinach, kale and mâche sown in late August or early September can be harvested into December and often resume growth in March. See our cold frame guide.
- Overwinter spinach: sow in early September, let plants reach a few true leaves, then cover with a row cover or straw. Many plants survive a zone 5 winter and give an early spring harvest.
Watch out: Warm spells in late April tempt zone 5 gardeners to plant tomatoes early, but frosts in early to mid-May are common. Cold soil below 60°F also stunts beans, corn and squash. Use a soil thermometer and the forecast, not the first warm weekend.
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Get the guide ($27)Gear that helps
- Lightweight garden row cover fabric: Speeds April sowings and blocks flea beetles and cabbage moths
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Your zone 5 fall garden
Iowa State University Extension lists mid-July for fall beets and carrots, mid-July to early August for kale, mid-August to early September for spinach and early August to early September for leaf lettuce. Fall broccoli goes in as transplants from late June to early August, and cabbage from mid-June to early July.
Count back from your average first frost, add about two weeks for slower fall growth, and use a row cover to stretch harvests into November. Garlic is the last planting of the year: aim for early to late October, about one to two weeks after the first killing frost. Our garlic timing guide and fall vegetable garden guide go deeper, and what to plant in February covers the start of next season.
Gear that helps
- Cold frame kit: Extends fall spinach and kale harvests into December
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Common mistakes to avoid
- Planting warm-season crops in early May. Tomatoes, peppers and squash set out before nights reach 50°F often sit still for weeks.
- Missing the early spring window. Peas and spinach planted in late May run into heat and bolt. Sow them in early to mid April.
- Starting tomatoes in February. They will be leggy and root-bound by transplant time. Late March to early April is enough.
- Letting fall sowings dry out. Seeds sown in July and August need daily moisture to sprout. Water lightly every day and shade with burlap during hot spells.
- Planting garlic too early. Cloves planted in mid-September may send up green shoots that get damaged in winter. Wait for October.
- Skipping hardening off. Give transplants 7-14 days outdoors before planting. Our hardening-off guide shows how.
FAQ
When should I plant tomatoes in zone 5?
Transplant tomatoes from mid to late May, after the last frost and once nights stay above 50°F. Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks earlier, from late March to early April.
When is the last frost in zone 5?
The last spring frost in zone 5 typically falls between late April and mid-May. Zone 5a and higher elevations tend to be later, so check NOAA data or your county extension office.
What can I plant in April in zone 5?
Peas, spinach, radishes and lettuce in early to mid April, then onions, potatoes and broccoli and cabbage transplants in mid to late April. Carrots and beets can follow at the end of the month.
When should I start seeds indoors in zone 5?
Start onions and leeks in early to mid February, cabbage-family crops in early March, peppers and eggplant in mid-March, and tomatoes from late March to early April.
When do you plant garlic in zone 5?
Plant garlic in October, about one to two weeks after the first killing frost. Mulch with 3-4 inches of straw once the soil begins to freeze.
Is zone 5 too cold for a fall garden?
No. Sow carrots and beets in mid-July and lettuce and spinach from mid-August to early September. Kale, cabbage and carrots handle frost and often taste sweeter after cold nights.
Keep reading
Sources
- Fall Planting of Vegetables – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
- Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden – UNH Extension
- Starting seeds indoors – University of Minnesota Extension
- Extending the growing season – University of Minnesota Extension
- Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar (HO-186) – Purdue Extension
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map – USDA Agricultural Research Service