When to plant in Mediapolis, IA
Planting dates worked out from Mediapolis's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Apr 19
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 9
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 25
1 year in 10 by Oct 10
Frost-free days
194
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Gladstone L/d 18 · 18.3 km away · station 164 m, town 235 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 | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 16 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 21 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 17 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 3 |
| Peas | — | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | May 18 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jun 6 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 2 – May 14 | Jun 1 |
| Beet | — | Apr 2 – May 14 | May 22 |
| Potato | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jun 11 |
| Kale | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 13 |
| Broccoli | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | May 23 |
| Cucumber | Mar 25 – Apr 1 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 11 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 25 – Apr 1 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 6 |
| Winter squash | Mar 25 – Apr 1 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jul 11 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jun 16 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Jun 22 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 11 – Nov 8 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | May 1 |
| Basil | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 18 |
Mediapolis'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 |
|---|---|
| 1938 | Apr 8 |
| 1940 | Apr 14 |
| 1941 | Mar 29 |
| 1942 | Apr 11 |
| 1943 | Apr 15 |
| 1944 | May 5 |
| 1945 | Apr 19 |
| 1946 | Apr 27 |
| 1947 | Apr 21 |
| 1991 | Mar 31 |
| 1992 | Apr 6 |
| 1994 | Apr 8 |
| 1995 | Apr 6 |
| 1996 | Apr 15 |
| 1997 | Apr 18 |
| 1998 | Mar 25 |
| 1999 | Mar 28 |
| 2000 | Apr 13 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | Apr 8 |
| 2003 | Apr 11 |
| 2004 | Apr 14 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
| 2009 | Apr 9 |
| 2010 | Mar 27 |
| 2011 | Mar 31 |
| 2012 | Mar 11 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 11 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | Mar 23 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
| 2019 | Apr 1 |
| 2020 | Apr 17 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 27 |
| 2023 | Apr 7 |
| 2024 | Apr 3 |
| 2025 | Apr 9 |
| 2026 | Apr 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1940 | 206 |
| 1941 | 212 |
| 1942 | 167 |
| 1943 | 184 |
| 1944 | 159 |
| 1945 | 172 |
| 1946 | 193 |
| 1947 | 199 |
| 1991 | 173 |
| 1992 | 193 |
| 1994 | 221 |
| 1995 | 210 |
| 1996 | 187 |
| 1997 | 186 |
| 1998 | 224 |
| 1999 | 203 |
| 2000 | 176 |
| 2001 | 181 |
| 2002 | 194 |
| 2003 | 173 |
| 2004 | 211 |
| 2005 | 194 |
| 2006 | 193 |
| 2007 | 200 |
| 2009 | 183 |
| 2010 | 216 |
| 2011 | 210 |
| 2012 | 230 |
| 2013 | 186 |
| 2014 | 197 |
| 2015 | 189 |
| 2016 | 219 |
| 2017 | 219 |
| 2018 | 174 |
| 2019 | 212 |
| 2020 | 192 |
| 2021 | 194 |
| 2022 | 169 |
| 2023 | 205 |
| 2024 | 196 |
| 2025 | 206 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1940 | 19.3 °C |
| 1941 | 20.1 °C |
| 1942 | 19.1 °C |
| 1943 | 19.0 °C |
| 1944 | 19.5 °C |
| 1945 | 18.2 °C |
| 1946 | 18.7 °C |
| 1947 | 18.8 °C |
| 1991 | 20.6 °C |
| 1992 | 17.6 °C |
| 1993 | 18.5 °C |
| 1994 | 18.9 °C |
| 1995 | 18.7 °C |
| 1996 | 18.4 °C |
| 1997 | 18.2 °C |
| 1998 | 20.3 °C |
| 1999 | 19.5 °C |
| 2000 | 19.4 °C |
| 2001 | 19.7 °C |
| 2002 | 19.9 °C |
| 2003 | 19.1 °C |
| 2004 | 19.1 °C |
| 2005 | 20.5 °C |
| 2006 | 20.0 °C |
| 2007 | 20.4 °C |
| 2009 | 18.4 °C |
| 2010 | 20.9 °C |
| 2011 | 19.7 °C |
| 2012 | 20.6 °C |
| 2013 | 19.5 °C |
| 2014 | 18.3 °C |
| 2015 | 19.3 °C |
| 2016 | 20.3 °C |
| 2017 | 20.3 °C |
| 2018 | 20.1 °C |
| 2019 | 19.9 °C |
| 2020 | 19.3 °C |
| 2021 | 20.1 °C |
| 2022 | 19.6 °C |
| 2023 | 19.8 °C |
| 2024 | 19.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1938, Mediapolis's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Gladstone L/d 18 (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.