When to plant in Eldridge, IA
Planting dates worked out from Eldridge's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 5
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 12
1 year in 10 by Oct 2
Frost-free days
170
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Davenport · 5.2 km away · station 259 m, town 243 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 10 – Mar 24 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 29 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 4 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 20 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 6 |
| Peas | — | Mar 26 – Apr 23 | May 20 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 17 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 4 – May 16 | Jun 3 |
| Beet | — | Apr 4 – May 16 | May 24 |
| Potato | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jun 13 |
| Kale | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 15 |
| Broccoli | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | May 26 |
| Cucumber | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 24 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 19 |
| Winter squash | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 24 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 27 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | Jun 25 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 28 – Oct 26 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 26 – Apr 23 | May 3 |
| Basil | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 1 |
Eldridge'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 | Apr 25 |
| 1998 | Apr 17 |
| 1999 | Mar 29 |
| 2000 | Apr 12 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | Apr 26 |
| 2003 | Apr 13 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | May 6 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
| 2008 | May 4 |
| 2009 | Apr 15 |
| 2010 | Apr 17 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Apr 12 |
| 2013 | May 12 |
| 2014 | Apr 18 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | Apr 12 |
| 2017 | May 3 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
| 2019 | Apr 28 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 25 |
| 2022 | Apr 26 |
| 2023 | Apr 26 |
| 2024 | Apr 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 172 |
| 1998 | 187 |
| 1999 | 198 |
| 2000 | 176 |
| 2001 | 170 |
| 2002 | 169 |
| 2003 | 168 |
| 2004 | 151 |
| 2005 | 170 |
| 2006 | 152 |
| 2007 | 191 |
| 2008 | 175 |
| 2009 | 176 |
| 2010 | 169 |
| 2011 | 150 |
| 2012 | 163 |
| 2013 | 159 |
| 2014 | 175 |
| 2015 | 174 |
| 2016 | 183 |
| 2017 | 177 |
| 2018 | 165 |
| 2019 | 167 |
| 2020 | 162 |
| 2021 | 179 |
| 2022 | 164 |
| 2023 | 167 |
| 2024 | 175 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 16.8 °C |
| 1998 | 19.1 °C |
| 1999 | 18.5 °C |
| 2000 | 18.5 °C |
| 2001 | 18.5 °C |
| 2002 | 18.4 °C |
| 2003 | 17.7 °C |
| 2004 | 17.7 °C |
| 2005 | 19.5 °C |
| 2006 | 18.8 °C |
| 2007 | 19.3 °C |
| 2008 | 18.0 °C |
| 2009 | 17.5 °C |
| 2010 | 19.9 °C |
| 2011 | 18.5 °C |
| 2012 | 19.5 °C |
| 2013 | 18.5 °C |
| 2014 | 17.9 °C |
| 2015 | 18.9 °C |
| 2016 | 19.3 °C |
| 2017 | 18.5 °C |
| 2018 | 18.9 °C |
| 2019 | 19.2 °C |
| 2020 | 18.6 °C |
| 2021 | 19.4 °C |
| 2022 | 18.8 °C |
| 2023 | 19.6 °C |
| 2024 | 19.4 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Davenport (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.