When to plant in Dallas Center, IA
Planting dates worked out from Dallas Center'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 22
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 14
1 year in 10 by Sep 30
Frost-free days
171
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Des Moines Wsfo-Johnston · 20.6 km away · station 292 m, town 326 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 18 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 4 |
| Peas | — | Mar 25 – Apr 22 | May 19 |
| Bush beans | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jun 20 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 3 – May 15 | Jun 2 |
| Beet | — | Apr 3 – May 15 | May 23 |
| Potato | — | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jun 12 |
| Kale | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 14 |
| Broccoli | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | May 24 |
| 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 25 – Apr 15 | Jun 23 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 30 – Oct 28 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 25 – Apr 22 | May 2 |
| Basil | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 8 – May 22 | Jul 4 |
Dallas Center'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 |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Apr 23 |
| 1997 | May 13 |
| 1998 | Apr 17 |
| 1999 | Apr 18 |
| 2000 | Apr 12 |
| 2001 | Apr 24 |
| 2002 | Apr 9 |
| 2003 | Apr 9 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | May 3 |
| 2006 | Apr 26 |
| 2007 | Apr 13 |
| 2008 | Apr 29 |
| 2009 | Apr 14 |
| 2010 | Apr 8 |
| 2011 | May 3 |
| 2012 | Apr 11 |
| 2013 | May 12 |
| 2014 | May 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 23 |
| 2016 | Apr 12 |
| 2017 | Apr 7 |
| 2018 | Apr 20 |
| 2019 | Apr 28 |
| 2020 | Apr 17 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 26 |
| 2023 | Apr 23 |
| 2024 | Apr 21 |
| 2025 | Apr 8 |
| 2026 | Apr 18 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 189 |
| 1997 | 159 |
| 1998 | 200 |
| 1999 | 155 |
| 2000 | 176 |
| 2001 | 164 |
| 2002 | 180 |
| 2003 | 172 |
| 2004 | 150 |
| 2005 | 171 |
| 2006 | 168 |
| 2007 | 192 |
| 2008 | 169 |
| 2009 | 178 |
| 2010 | 202 |
| 2011 | 169 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 163 |
| 2014 | 140 |
| 2015 | 197 |
| 2016 | 183 |
| 2017 | 202 |
| 2018 | 177 |
| 2019 | 165 |
| 2020 | 167 |
| 2021 | 182 |
| 2022 | 164 |
| 2023 | 186 |
| 2024 | 177 |
| 2025 | 196 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 17.7 °C |
| 1997 | 18.0 °C |
| 1998 | 19.9 °C |
| 1999 | 18.9 °C |
| 2000 | 19.4 °C |
| 2001 | 19.6 °C |
| 2002 | 19.7 °C |
| 2003 | 18.5 °C |
| 2004 | 18.2 °C |
| 2005 | 19.7 °C |
| 2006 | 19.8 °C |
| 2007 | 19.8 °C |
| 2008 | 17.9 °C |
| 2009 | 17.9 °C |
| 2010 | 19.8 °C |
| 2011 | 19.0 °C |
| 2012 | 20.4 °C |
| 2013 | 18.8 °C |
| 2014 | 17.7 °C |
| 2015 | 18.7 °C |
| 2016 | 19.9 °C |
| 2017 | 19.8 °C |
| 2018 | 19.5 °C |
| 2019 | 19.4 °C |
| 2020 | 19.1 °C |
| 2021 | 20.1 °C |
| 2022 | 19.8 °C |
| 2023 | 19.8 °C |
| 2024 | 19.9 °C |
| 2025 | 19.8 °C |
| 2026 | 20.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1996, Dallas Center's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Des Moines Wsfo-Johnston (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.