When to plant in Moorhead, MN
Planting dates worked out from Moorhead's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 20
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 7
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 3
1 year in 10 by Sep 18
Frost-free days
145
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Moorhead · 2.2 km away · station 276 m, town 276 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 25 – Apr 8 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 14 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 19 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 24 |
| Peas | — | Apr 14 – May 12 | Jun 8 |
| Bush beans | — | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 2 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 20 |
| Beet | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 10 |
| Potato | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 30 |
| Kale | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jun 3 |
| Broccoli | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jun 13 |
| Cucumber | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 9 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 4 |
| Winter squash | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Aug 8 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 12 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jul 13 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 19 – Oct 17 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 14 – May 12 | May 22 |
| Basil | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 16 |
Moorhead'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 |
|---|---|
| 1992 | May 24 |
| 1993 | May 2 |
| 1994 | May 7 |
| 1995 | Apr 26 |
| 1996 | May 11 |
| 1997 | May 21 |
| 1998 | Apr 18 |
| 1999 | Apr 23 |
| 2000 | May 14 |
| 2001 | Apr 23 |
| 2009 | May 10 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | May 3 |
| 2012 | Apr 26 |
| 2013 | May 12 |
| 2014 | May 16 |
| 2015 | May 19 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 126 |
| 1993 | 135 |
| 1994 | 169 |
| 1995 | 146 |
| 1996 | 143 |
| 1997 | 144 |
| 1998 | 165 |
| 1999 | 160 |
| 2000 | 142 |
| 2009 | 150 |
| 2010 | 158 |
| 2011 | 134 |
| 2012 | 149 |
| 2013 | 156 |
| 2014 | 140 |
| 2015 | 140 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 14.8 °C |
| 1993 | 14.8 °C |
| 1994 | 16.2 °C |
| 1995 | 16.2 °C |
| 1996 | 15.6 °C |
| 1997 | 15.8 °C |
| 1998 | 17.9 °C |
| 1999 | 16.3 °C |
| 2001 | 16.9 °C |
| 2008 | 15.6 °C |
| 2009 | 15.5 °C |
| 2010 | 17.3 °C |
| 2011 | 16.6 °C |
| 2012 | 17.9 °C |
| 2013 | 16.0 °C |
| 2014 | 15.8 °C |
| 2015 | 16.9 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Moorhead (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.