When to plant in Wilton, IA
Planting dates worked out from Wilton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 4
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 16
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 22
1 year in 10 by Oct 10
Frost-free days
186
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Muscatine 2n · 13.3 km away · station 213 m, town 207 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 9 – Mar 23 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 28 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 23 – Mar 9 | May 4 – May 18 | Jul 3 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 17 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 3 |
| Peas | — | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | May 18 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 16 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 3 – May 15 | Jun 2 |
| Beet | — | Apr 3 – May 15 | May 23 |
| Potato | — | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jun 12 |
| Kale | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 13 |
| Broccoli | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | May 23 |
| Cucumber | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 23 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 18 |
| Winter squash | Apr 6 – Apr 13 | May 4 – May 18 | Jul 23 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 26 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Jun 22 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 8 – Nov 5 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | May 1 |
| Basil | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 30 |
Wilton'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 |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Mar 27 |
| 2000 | Apr 13 |
| 2002 | Apr 7 |
| 2003 | Apr 11 |
| 2004 | Apr 14 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 14 |
| 2008 | Apr 15 |
| 2009 | Apr 9 |
| 2010 | Mar 30 |
| 2011 | May 5 |
| 2012 | Apr 22 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | Apr 19 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | Mar 23 |
| 2018 | Apr 19 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 27 |
| 2023 | Apr 25 |
| 2024 | Apr 22 |
| 2025 | Apr 9 |
| 2026 | Apr 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 204 |
| 2002 | 189 |
| 2003 | 173 |
| 2004 | 185 |
| 2005 | 189 |
| 2006 | 186 |
| 2007 | 206 |
| 2008 | 195 |
| 2009 | 183 |
| 2010 | 219 |
| 2011 | 169 |
| 2012 | 166 |
| 2013 | 183 |
| 2014 | 195 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 212 |
| 2017 | 219 |
| 2018 | 181 |
| 2019 | 165 |
| 2020 | 163 |
| 2021 | 177 |
| 2022 | 163 |
| 2023 | 186 |
| 2024 | 176 |
| 2025 | 196 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 19.5 °C |
| 2000 | 19.3 °C |
| 2002 | 18.9 °C |
| 2003 | 18.1 °C |
| 2004 | 18.3 °C |
| 2005 | 19.9 °C |
| 2006 | 20.3 °C |
| 2007 | 20.5 °C |
| 2008 | 18.3 °C |
| 2009 | 18.4 °C |
| 2010 | 20.3 °C |
| 2011 | 18.9 °C |
| 2012 | 19.9 °C |
| 2013 | 18.8 °C |
| 2014 | 18.4 °C |
| 2015 | 19.2 °C |
| 2016 | 19.8 °C |
| 2017 | 19.0 °C |
| 2018 | 19.4 °C |
| 2019 | 18.7 °C |
| 2020 | 18.6 °C |
| 2021 | 19.4 °C |
| 2022 | 19.8 °C |
| 2023 | 19.1 °C |
| 2024 | 19.6 °C |
| 2025 | 19.9 °C |
| 2026 | 20.3 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Muscatine 2n (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.