When to plant in Cologne, MN
Planting dates worked out from Cologne's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 21
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 5
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 2
1 year in 10 by Sep 16
Frost-free days
149
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Jordan 1ssw · 17.8 km away · station 274 m, town 292 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 26 – Apr 9 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 15 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 20 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 21 |
| Peas | — | Apr 11 – May 9 | Jun 5 |
| Bush beans | — | May 14 – Jun 4 | Jul 3 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 19 |
| Beet | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 9 |
| Potato | — | Apr 20 – May 11 | Jun 29 |
| Kale | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 18 – May 2 | May 31 |
| Broccoli | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jun 10 |
| Cucumber | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 10 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 5 |
| Winter squash | Apr 23 – Apr 30 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Aug 9 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 14 – Jun 4 | Jul 13 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jul 10 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 18 – Oct 16 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 11 – May 9 | May 19 |
| Basil | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 21 – Jun 4 | Jul 17 |
Cologne'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 |
|---|---|
| 1944 | May 5 |
| 1945 | Jun 3 |
| 1946 | May 12 |
| 1947 | May 29 |
| 1949 | May 24 |
| 1950 | May 1 |
| 1951 | Apr 26 |
| 1952 | Apr 24 |
| 1953 | May 13 |
| 1954 | May 20 |
| 1955 | May 8 |
| 1956 | May 16 |
| 1957 | May 5 |
| 1958 | Apr 29 |
| 1959 | May 15 |
| 1960 | May 12 |
| 1961 | May 3 |
| 1962 | Apr 19 |
| 1963 | May 23 |
| 1964 | Apr 15 |
| 1965 | Apr 28 |
| 1966 | May 10 |
| 1967 | May 21 |
| 1968 | May 9 |
| 1969 | May 12 |
| 1970 | May 2 |
| 1971 | May 19 |
| 1972 | Apr 26 |
| 1973 | May 17 |
| 1974 | May 15 |
| 1975 | May 2 |
| 1976 | May 18 |
| 1977 | Apr 25 |
| 1978 | May 2 |
| 1979 | May 21 |
| 1980 | May 15 |
| 1981 | May 20 |
| 1982 | May 8 |
| 1983 | May 15 |
| 1984 | May 8 |
| 1985 | Apr 15 |
| 1986 | Apr 22 |
| 1987 | May 23 |
| 1988 | May 17 |
| 1989 | May 12 |
| 1990 | May 11 |
| 1991 | Apr 24 |
| 1992 | May 5 |
| 1993 | Apr 30 |
| 1994 | May 2 |
| 1995 | May 2 |
| 1996 | May 13 |
| 1997 | May 22 |
| 1998 | Apr 18 |
| 1999 | May 24 |
| 2000 | May 20 |
| 2001 | Apr 24 |
| 2002 | May 20 |
| 2003 | Apr 17 |
| 2006 | May 22 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Apr 21 |
| 2013 | May 13 |
| 2014 | Apr 19 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | May 16 |
| 2017 | Apr 29 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
| 2019 | May 4 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2021 | May 12 |
| 2022 | Apr 28 |
| 2023 | Apr 27 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
| 2025 | Apr 20 |
| 2026 | May 11 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1944 | 156 |
| 1945 | 116 |
| 1947 | 115 |
| 1949 | 127 |
| 1950 | 145 |
| 1951 | 154 |
| 1952 | 162 |
| 1953 | 131 |
| 1954 | 139 |
| 1955 | 126 |
| 1956 | 126 |
| 1957 | 157 |
| 1958 | 154 |
| 1959 | 146 |
| 1960 | 143 |
| 1961 | 144 |
| 1962 | 153 |
| 1963 | 158 |
| 1964 | 173 |
| 1965 | 150 |
| 1966 | 138 |
| 1967 | 129 |
| 1968 | 147 |
| 1969 | 153 |
| 1970 | 160 |
| 1971 | 122 |
| 1972 | 155 |
| 1973 | 123 |
| 1974 | 108 |
| 1975 | 133 |
| 1976 | 120 |
| 1977 | 159 |
| 1978 | 158 |
| 1979 | 136 |
| 1980 | 124 |
| 1981 | 119 |
| 1983 | 129 |
| 1984 | 129 |
| 1985 | 163 |
| 1986 | 166 |
| 1987 | 131 |
| 1988 | 111 |
| 1989 | 132 |
| 1990 | 141 |
| 1991 | 148 |
| 1992 | 146 |
| 1993 | 149 |
| 1994 | 160 |
| 1995 | 141 |
| 1996 | 124 |
| 1997 | 143 |
| 1998 | 172 |
| 1999 | 114 |
| 2000 | 118 |
| 2001 | 164 |
| 2002 | 126 |
| 2003 | 164 |
| 2008 | 153 |
| 2010 | 145 |
| 2011 | 134 |
| 2012 | 168 |
| 2013 | 159 |
| 2014 | 168 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 146 |
| 2017 | 163 |
| 2018 | 165 |
| 2019 | 160 |
| 2020 | 143 |
| 2021 | 162 |
| 2022 | 152 |
| 2023 | 166 |
| 2024 | 172 |
| 2025 | 170 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1949 | 18.6 °C |
| 1950 | 15.2 °C |
| 1951 | 15.3 °C |
| 1952 | 16.9 °C |
| 1953 | 16.4 °C |
| 1954 | 16.4 °C |
| 1955 | 18.4 °C |
| 1956 | 15.9 °C |
| 1957 | 16.4 °C |
| 1958 | 16.1 °C |
| 1959 | 17.5 °C |
| 1960 | 16.5 °C |
| 1961 | 15.8 °C |
| 1962 | 15.9 °C |
| 1963 | 17.2 °C |
| 1964 | 17.4 °C |
| 1965 | 15.7 °C |
| 1966 | 15.9 °C |
| 1967 | 15.4 °C |
| 1968 | 16.6 °C |
| 1969 | 16.6 °C |
| 1970 | 16.9 °C |
| 1971 | 16.4 °C |
| 1972 | 15.8 °C |
| 1973 | 15.8 °C |
| 1974 | 15.6 °C |
| 1975 | 15.8 °C |
| 1976 | 16.4 °C |
| 1977 | 17.8 °C |
| 1978 | 17.0 °C |
| 1979 | 15.8 °C |
| 1980 | 16.8 °C |
| 1981 | 15.8 °C |
| 1982 | 15.4 °C |
| 1983 | 16.9 °C |
| 1984 | 15.9 °C |
| 1985 | 16.7 °C |
| 1986 | 16.7 °C |
| 1987 | 17.6 °C |
| 1988 | 17.6 °C |
| 1989 | 14.7 °C |
| 1990 | 16.7 °C |
| 1991 | 17.3 °C |
| 1992 | 15.0 °C |
| 1993 | 15.3 °C |
| 1994 | 17.0 °C |
| 1995 | 16.7 °C |
| 1996 | 15.7 °C |
| 1997 | 16.0 °C |
| 1998 | 17.9 °C |
| 1999 | 16.7 °C |
| 2000 | 15.9 °C |
| 2001 | 16.9 °C |
| 2002 | 16.9 °C |
| 2003 | 16.4 °C |
| 2008 | 15.6 °C |
| 2010 | 17.6 °C |
| 2011 | 16.7 °C |
| 2012 | 17.7 °C |
| 2013 | 15.9 °C |
| 2014 | 16.0 °C |
| 2015 | 16.9 °C |
| 2016 | 17.2 °C |
| 2017 | 16.7 °C |
| 2018 | 16.7 °C |
| 2019 | 16.0 °C |
| 2020 | 16.6 °C |
| 2021 | 17.5 °C |
| 2022 | 16.5 °C |
| 2023 | 17.6 °C |
| 2024 | 17.3 °C |
| 2025 | 17.2 °C |
| 2026 | 17.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1944, Cologne'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 Jordan 1ssw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.