When to plant in Lakefield, MN
Planting dates worked out from Lakefield's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 19
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 4
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 2
1 year in 10 by Sep 19
Frost-free days
150
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Lakefield 2ne · 3.2 km away · station 466 m, town 452 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 24 – Apr 7 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 13 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 18 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 21 |
| Peas | — | Apr 11 – May 9 | Jun 5 |
| Bush beans | — | May 12 – Jun 2 | Jul 1 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 20 |
| Beet | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 10 |
| Potato | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 30 |
| Kale | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 18 – May 2 | May 31 |
| Broccoli | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jun 10 |
| Cucumber | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 8 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 3 |
| Winter squash | Apr 21 – Apr 28 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Aug 7 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 12 – Jun 2 | Jul 11 |
| 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 7 – Apr 21 | May 19 – Jun 2 | Jul 15 |
Lakefield'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 | May 15 |
| 1998 | Apr 18 |
| 1999 | Apr 19 |
| 2000 | Apr 22 |
| 2001 | Apr 24 |
| 2002 | May 19 |
| 2004 | May 15 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 26 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Apr 23 |
| 2013 | May 12 |
| 2014 | May 15 |
| 2015 | May 19 |
| 2016 | May 14 |
| 2017 | May 2 |
| 2018 | Apr 28 |
| 2019 | May 20 |
| 2020 | May 10 |
| 2021 | May 11 |
| 2022 | Apr 27 |
| 2023 | May 2 |
| 2024 | Apr 21 |
| 2025 | Apr 29 |
| 2026 | Apr 20 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 151 |
| 1998 | 165 |
| 1999 | 154 |
| 2000 | 151 |
| 2001 | 152 |
| 2002 | 127 |
| 2004 | 139 |
| 2005 | 147 |
| 2006 | 146 |
| 2007 | 151 |
| 2008 | 168 |
| 2010 | 163 |
| 2011 | 133 |
| 2012 | 147 |
| 2013 | 154 |
| 2014 | 141 |
| 2015 | 149 |
| 2016 | 147 |
| 2017 | 160 |
| 2018 | 153 |
| 2019 | 143 |
| 2020 | 144 |
| 2021 | 157 |
| 2022 | 162 |
| 2023 | 160 |
| 2024 | 175 |
| 2025 | 175 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 15.8 °C |
| 1998 | 17.4 °C |
| 1999 | 16.6 °C |
| 2000 | 16.3 °C |
| 2001 | 16.8 °C |
| 2002 | 16.7 °C |
| 2004 | 15.7 °C |
| 2005 | 17.4 °C |
| 2006 | 17.1 °C |
| 2007 | 17.2 °C |
| 2008 | 15.8 °C |
| 2010 | 17.3 °C |
| 2011 | 16.4 °C |
| 2012 | 17.9 °C |
| 2013 | 15.6 °C |
| 2014 | 15.7 °C |
| 2015 | 16.7 °C |
| 2016 | 17.2 °C |
| 2017 | 16.6 °C |
| 2018 | 16.1 °C |
| 2019 | 16.1 °C |
| 2020 | 16.6 °C |
| 2021 | 17.6 °C |
| 2022 | 16.8 °C |
| 2023 | 18.1 °C |
| 2024 | 17.5 °C |
| 2025 | 17.7 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Lakefield 2ne (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.