When to plant in Otsego, MN
Planting dates worked out from Otsego's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 10
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 30
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 4
1 year in 10 by Sep 22
Frost-free days
159
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Buffalo 2ne · 21.3 km away · station 302 m, town 268 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 15 – Mar 29 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 4 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 9 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 7 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 21 |
| Peas | — | Apr 11 – May 9 | Jun 5 |
| Bush beans | — | May 3 – May 24 | Jun 22 |
| 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 12 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 24 | Jun 29 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 24 | Jun 24 |
| Winter squash | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 29 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 3 – May 24 | Jul 2 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 11 – May 2 | Jul 10 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 20 – Oct 18 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 11 – May 9 | May 19 |
| Basil | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 6 |
Otsego'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 15 |
| 1960 | May 8 |
| 1961 | May 19 |
| 1962 | Apr 23 |
| 1963 | May 23 |
| 1965 | Apr 28 |
| 1966 | May 10 |
| 1968 | May 5 |
| 1969 | Apr 28 |
| 1970 | May 2 |
| 1971 | May 21 |
| 1973 | May 4 |
| 1974 | May 6 |
| 1975 | Apr 21 |
| 1976 | May 7 |
| 1977 | Apr 8 |
| 1978 | May 2 |
| 1979 | May 21 |
| 1980 | May 9 |
| 1981 | May 11 |
| 1982 | Apr 27 |
| 1983 | May 15 |
| 1984 | May 1 |
| 1985 | Apr 11 |
| 1986 | May 2 |
| 1988 | Apr 28 |
| 1989 | May 7 |
| 1990 | May 11 |
| 1992 | May 7 |
| 1993 | Apr 26 |
| 1994 | Apr 30 |
| 1995 | Apr 27 |
| 1996 | May 12 |
| 1997 | May 21 |
| 1998 | Apr 18 |
| 1999 | Apr 24 |
| 2000 | Apr 22 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2004 | May 1 |
| 2005 | May 3 |
| 2006 | Apr 25 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 28 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Apr 20 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 146 |
| 1960 | 144 |
| 1961 | 131 |
| 1963 | 112 |
| 1965 | 150 |
| 1968 | 151 |
| 1969 | 166 |
| 1970 | 160 |
| 1971 | 143 |
| 1973 | 177 |
| 1974 | 119 |
| 1975 | 163 |
| 1976 | 143 |
| 1977 | 186 |
| 1978 | 158 |
| 1979 | 138 |
| 1980 | 139 |
| 1981 | 139 |
| 1982 | 171 |
| 1983 | 130 |
| 1984 | 147 |
| 1985 | 167 |
| 1986 | 159 |
| 1988 | 158 |
| 1989 | 138 |
| 1990 | 148 |
| 1992 | 144 |
| 1993 | 158 |
| 1994 | 162 |
| 1995 | 147 |
| 1996 | 143 |
| 1997 | 145 |
| 1998 | 177 |
| 1999 | 160 |
| 2000 | 154 |
| 2001 | 168 |
| 2005 | 156 |
| 2008 | 168 |
| 2009 | 163 |
| 2010 | 171 |
| 2011 | 168 |
| 2012 | 155 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 17.6 °C |
| 1960 | 16.8 °C |
| 1961 | 15.4 °C |
| 1962 | 15.6 °C |
| 1963 | 17.7 °C |
| 1964 | 17.9 °C |
| 1965 | 15.8 °C |
| 1967 | 15.8 °C |
| 1968 | 16.6 °C |
| 1969 | 17.1 °C |
| 1970 | 17.1 °C |
| 1971 | 16.7 °C |
| 1973 | 17.2 °C |
| 1974 | 16.6 °C |
| 1975 | 16.8 °C |
| 1976 | 18.5 °C |
| 1977 | 18.3 °C |
| 1978 | 17.5 °C |
| 1979 | 16.2 °C |
| 1980 | 17.9 °C |
| 1981 | 16.9 °C |
| 1982 | 16.7 °C |
| 1983 | 17.2 °C |
| 1984 | 16.8 °C |
| 1985 | 17.0 °C |
| 1986 | 17.2 °C |
| 1987 | 20.0 °C |
| 1988 | 19.5 °C |
| 1989 | 17.1 °C |
| 1990 | 17.2 °C |
| 1992 | 14.3 °C |
| 1993 | 14.6 °C |
| 1994 | 16.2 °C |
| 1995 | 16.1 °C |
| 1996 | 15.2 °C |
| 1997 | 15.6 °C |
| 1998 | 17.5 °C |
| 1999 | 16.6 °C |
| 2000 | 16.1 °C |
| 2001 | 16.6 °C |
| 2005 | 18.1 °C |
| 2006 | 17.9 °C |
| 2008 | 15.5 °C |
| 2009 | 15.6 °C |
| 2010 | 17.0 °C |
| 2011 | 16.4 °C |
| 2012 | 17.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1959, Otsego's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Buffalo 2ne (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.