When to plant in Ames, IA
Planting dates worked out from Ames's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 8
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 24
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 6
1 year in 10 by Sep 22
Frost-free days
162
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Ames Muni Ap · 4.9 km away · station 281 m, town 287 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 2 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 21 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 7 |
| Peas | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 22 |
| Bush beans | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jun 20 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 6 – May 18 | Jun 5 |
| Beet | — | Apr 6 – May 18 | May 26 |
| Potato | — | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Jun 15 |
| Kale | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 17 |
| Broccoli | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | May 27 |
| Cucumber | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 8 – May 22 | Jun 27 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 8 – May 22 | Jun 22 |
| Winter squash | Apr 10 – Apr 17 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 27 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jun 30 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 28 – Apr 18 | Jun 26 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 22 – Oct 20 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 28 – Apr 25 | May 5 |
| Basil | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 4 |
Ames's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1997 | May 16 |
| 1998 | Apr 5 |
| 1999 | Apr 18 |
| 2000 | Apr 12 |
| 2001 | Apr 24 |
| 2002 | Apr 9 |
| 2003 | Apr 22 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | May 6 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
| 2008 | May 4 |
| 2009 | Apr 15 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Apr 21 |
| 2013 | May 3 |
| 2014 | Apr 18 |
| 2015 | Apr 23 |
| 2016 | Apr 12 |
| 2017 | Apr 7 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
| 2019 | Apr 28 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 25 |
| 2022 | Apr 26 |
| 2023 | Apr 24 |
| 2024 | Apr 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 149 |
| 1998 | 199 |
| 1999 | 155 |
| 2000 | 161 |
| 2001 | 163 |
| 2002 | 167 |
| 2003 | 159 |
| 2004 | 151 |
| 2005 | 155 |
| 2006 | 157 |
| 2007 | 151 |
| 2008 | 164 |
| 2009 | 174 |
| 2010 | 146 |
| 2011 | 149 |
| 2012 | 154 |
| 2013 | 162 |
| 2014 | 175 |
| 2015 | 176 |
| 2016 | 183 |
| 2017 | 191 |
| 2018 | 168 |
| 2019 | 165 |
| 2020 | 145 |
| 2021 | 178 |
| 2022 | 163 |
| 2023 | 168 |
| 2024 | 176 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 16.9 °C |
| 1998 | 18.9 °C |
| 1999 | 18.1 °C |
| 2000 | 18.5 °C |
| 2001 | 18.5 °C |
| 2002 | 18.4 °C |
| 2003 | 17.8 °C |
| 2004 | 17.6 °C |
| 2005 | 18.9 °C |
| 2006 | 18.8 °C |
| 2007 | 19.1 °C |
| 2008 | 17.8 °C |
| 2009 | 17.3 °C |
| 2010 | 19.4 °C |
| 2011 | 18.3 °C |
| 2012 | 19.6 °C |
| 2013 | 18.0 °C |
| 2014 | 17.5 °C |
| 2015 | 18.6 °C |
| 2016 | 19.1 °C |
| 2017 | 18.8 °C |
| 2018 | 18.9 °C |
| 2019 | 18.6 °C |
| 2020 | 18.4 °C |
| 2021 | 19.4 °C |
| 2022 | 18.8 °C |
| 2023 | 19.4 °C |
| 2024 | 19.5 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Ames Muni Ap (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.