When to plant in Lakeland, MN
Planting dates worked out from Lakeland'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 25
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 8
1 year in 10 by Sep 26
Frost-free days
163
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Stillwater 1 Se · 9.8 km away · station 216 m, town 222 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 28 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 14 |
| Peas | — | Apr 4 – May 2 | May 29 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jun 16 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 12 – May 24 | Jun 11 |
| Beet | — | Apr 12 – May 24 | Jun 1 |
| Potato | — | Apr 12 – May 3 | Jun 21 |
| Kale | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 24 |
| Broccoli | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jun 3 |
| 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) | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jul 3 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 24 – Oct 22 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 4 – May 2 | May 12 |
| Basil | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | May 4 – May 18 | Jun 30 |
Lakeland'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 |
|---|---|
| 1959 | May 16 |
| 1960 | May 8 |
| 1961 | May 4 |
| 1962 | Apr 20 |
| 1963 | May 23 |
| 1964 | Apr 15 |
| 1966 | May 10 |
| 1967 | May 12 |
| 1968 | May 5 |
| 1969 | May 12 |
| 1970 | May 1 |
| 1971 | May 12 |
| 1972 | Apr 13 |
| 1973 | May 4 |
| 1974 | May 23 |
| 1975 | Apr 21 |
| 1976 | May 6 |
| 1977 | Apr 8 |
| 1978 | May 4 |
| 1982 | Apr 27 |
| 1983 | Apr 24 |
| 1984 | May 2 |
| 1985 | Apr 9 |
| 1986 | Apr 22 |
| 1987 | Apr 3 |
| 1989 | May 7 |
| 1990 | May 10 |
| 1991 | Apr 24 |
| 1992 | Apr 28 |
| 1993 | Apr 21 |
| 1994 | May 2 |
| 1995 | Apr 28 |
| 1996 | May 6 |
| 1997 | May 1 |
| 1998 | Apr 10 |
| 1999 | Apr 24 |
| 2000 | Apr 21 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | May 3 |
| 2003 | Apr 9 |
| 2004 | Apr 27 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 163 |
| 1961 | 146 |
| 1962 | 185 |
| 1963 | 158 |
| 1964 | 173 |
| 1966 | 143 |
| 1967 | 139 |
| 1969 | 153 |
| 1970 | 161 |
| 1971 | 171 |
| 1972 | 169 |
| 1973 | 178 |
| 1974 | 121 |
| 1975 | 177 |
| 1976 | 139 |
| 1977 | 184 |
| 1982 | 163 |
| 1983 | 151 |
| 1984 | 146 |
| 1985 | 169 |
| 1986 | 175 |
| 1987 | 186 |
| 1989 | 137 |
| 1990 | 151 |
| 1991 | 155 |
| 1992 | 153 |
| 1993 | 163 |
| 1994 | 176 |
| 1995 | 146 |
| 1996 | 149 |
| 1997 | 173 |
| 1998 | 194 |
| 1999 | 178 |
| 2000 | 167 |
| 2001 | 159 |
| 2002 | 156 |
| 2003 | 175 |
| 2004 | 160 |
| 2005 | 170 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 17.1 °C |
| 1960 | 17.6 °C |
| 1961 | 16.9 °C |
| 1962 | 17.3 °C |
| 1963 | 18.5 °C |
| 1964 | 18.1 °C |
| 1966 | 16.8 °C |
| 1967 | 16.3 °C |
| 1968 | 17.1 °C |
| 1969 | 17.6 °C |
| 1970 | 18.0 °C |
| 1971 | 17.1 °C |
| 1972 | 16.9 °C |
| 1973 | 17.1 °C |
| 1974 | 16.3 °C |
| 1975 | 16.8 °C |
| 1977 | 18.8 °C |
| 1983 | 17.3 °C |
| 1984 | 17.1 °C |
| 1985 | 17.1 °C |
| 1986 | 17.5 °C |
| 1987 | 19.1 °C |
| 1989 | 17.3 °C |
| 1990 | 17.7 °C |
| 1991 | 18.6 °C |
| 1992 | 16.7 °C |
| 1993 | 16.5 °C |
| 1994 | 18.1 °C |
| 1995 | 17.8 °C |
| 1996 | 16.9 °C |
| 1997 | 17.2 °C |
| 1998 | 19.4 °C |
| 1999 | 18.8 °C |
| 2000 | 18.8 °C |
| 2001 | 18.7 °C |
| 2002 | 18.8 °C |
| 2003 | 19.0 °C |
| 2004 | 18.2 °C |
| 2005 | 18.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1959, Lakeland's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. 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 Stillwater 1 Se (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.