When to plant in Olivia, MN
Planting dates worked out from Olivia's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 14
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 1
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 30
1 year in 10 by Sep 15
Frost-free days
153
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Olivia 3e · 5.0 km away · station 335 m, town 330 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 19 – Apr 2 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 8 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 13 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 8 – Mar 15 | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | May 22 |
| Peas | — | Apr 12 – May 10 | Jun 6 |
| Bush beans | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jun 26 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 20 |
| Beet | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 10 |
| Potato | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 30 |
| Kale | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jun 1 |
| Broccoli | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 12 – May 3 | Jun 11 |
| Cucumber | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 3 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Jun 28 |
| Winter squash | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Aug 2 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jul 6 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 12 – May 3 | Jul 11 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 16 – Oct 14 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 12 – May 10 | May 20 |
| Basil | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 10 |
Olivia'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 |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Apr 8 |
| 1978 | May 2 |
| 1979 | May 12 |
| 1981 | May 11 |
| 1982 | Apr 22 |
| 1983 | Apr 29 |
| 1984 | May 1 |
| 1985 | Apr 10 |
| 1986 | May 2 |
| 1989 | May 6 |
| 1990 | May 10 |
| 1991 | Apr 24 |
| 1992 | Apr 27 |
| 1993 | May 5 |
| 1994 | Apr 30 |
| 1995 | Apr 28 |
| 1996 | May 12 |
| 1997 | May 20 |
| 1998 | Apr 17 |
| 1999 | Apr 18 |
| 2000 | Apr 21 |
| 2002 | May 10 |
| 2003 | Apr 17 |
| 2004 | May 15 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | May 11 |
| 2009 | May 10 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Apr 21 |
| 2013 | May 12 |
| 2014 | May 16 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1977 | 177 |
| 1978 | 163 |
| 1979 | 146 |
| 1981 | 143 |
| 1982 | 176 |
| 1983 | 146 |
| 1984 | 147 |
| 1985 | 168 |
| 1986 | 159 |
| 1989 | 139 |
| 1990 | 149 |
| 1992 | 153 |
| 1993 | 132 |
| 1994 | 177 |
| 1995 | 146 |
| 1996 | 143 |
| 1997 | 146 |
| 1998 | 166 |
| 1999 | 155 |
| 2002 | 136 |
| 2003 | 160 |
| 2004 | 139 |
| 2006 | 163 |
| 2007 | 152 |
| 2008 | 155 |
| 2009 | 149 |
| 2010 | 159 |
| 2011 | 133 |
| 2012 | 154 |
| 2013 | 153 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1977 | 18.7 °C |
| 1979 | 16.3 °C |
| 1981 | 17.7 °C |
| 1982 | 16.7 °C |
| 1983 | 17.2 °C |
| 1984 | 16.5 °C |
| 1985 | 16.7 °C |
| 1987 | 18.8 °C |
| 1989 | 17.3 °C |
| 1990 | 16.8 °C |
| 1991 | 17.7 °C |
| 1992 | 14.8 °C |
| 1993 | 15.1 °C |
| 1994 | 16.7 °C |
| 1995 | 16.2 °C |
| 1996 | 15.3 °C |
| 1997 | 16.2 °C |
| 1998 | 18.1 °C |
| 1999 | 17.0 °C |
| 2000 | 16.2 °C |
| 2002 | 16.8 °C |
| 2003 | 16.9 °C |
| 2004 | 15.9 °C |
| 2006 | 17.3 °C |
| 2007 | 17.2 °C |
| 2008 | 15.4 °C |
| 2009 | 15.5 °C |
| 2010 | 16.5 °C |
| 2011 | 15.6 °C |
| 2012 | 16.9 °C |
| 2013 | 15.2 °C |
| 2014 | 15.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1977, Olivia's last spring frost has come about 2 days later per decade, on average. The frost-free season has shrunk 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 Olivia 3e (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.