When to plant in Clinton, MO
Planting dates worked out from Clinton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Last spring frost
- Early · riskyMar 199 years in 10 still get a later frost
- TypicalApr 5about half of years get a later frost
- Safe to plant outApr 171 year in 10 gets a later frost
Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.
First fall frost
- EarlyOct 161 year in 10 has frost by then
- TypicalOct 26about half of years have had frost
- LateNov 59 years in 10 have had frost by then
A typical year has 204 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.
Station used: Mdc Clinton Hqtrs Missouri · 2.3 km away · station 229 m, town 245 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 | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 17 – May 1 | Jun 11 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 6 – Feb 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | Jun 16 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 1 – Feb 8 | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | Apr 17 |
| Peas | — | Mar 4 – Apr 1 | Apr 28 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | May 30 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 15 – Apr 26 | May 14 |
| Beet | — | Mar 13 – Apr 24 | May 2 |
| Potato | — | Mar 15 – Apr 5 | May 24 |
| Kale | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 23 |
| Broccoli | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Mar 8 – Mar 29 | May 7 |
| Cucumber | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | Apr 17 – May 1 | Jun 6 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | Apr 17 – May 1 | Jun 1 |
| Winter squash | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | Apr 17 – May 1 | Jul 6 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jun 9 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 8 – Mar 29 | Jun 6 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 12 – Nov 9 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 4 – Apr 1 | Apr 11 |
| Basil | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | Jun 13 |
Clinton'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 |
|---|---|
| 2004 | Mar 31 |
| 2005 | Mar 28 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | Apr 14 |
| 2009 | Apr 11 |
| 2010 | Mar 21 |
| 2011 | Apr 5 |
| 2012 | Mar 9 |
| 2013 | Apr 20 |
| 2014 | Apr 15 |
| 2015 | Apr 4 |
| 2016 | Apr 9 |
| 2017 | Mar 15 |
| 2018 | Apr 16 |
| 2019 | Mar 31 |
| 2020 | Apr 18 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 19 |
| 2023 | Apr 24 |
| 2024 | Mar 28 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 218 |
| 2005 | 211 |
| 2007 | 199 |
| 2008 | 195 |
| 2009 | 189 |
| 2010 | 220 |
| 2011 | 197 |
| 2012 | 211 |
| 2013 | 185 |
| 2014 | 198 |
| 2015 | 208 |
| 2016 | 217 |
| 2017 | 226 |
| 2018 | 181 |
| 2019 | 212 |
| 2020 | 180 |
| 2021 | 204 |
| 2022 | 180 |
| 2023 | 188 |
| 2024 | 201 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 20.6 °C |
| 2005 | 22.0 °C |
| 2007 | 22.1 °C |
| 2008 | 20.8 °C |
| 2009 | 20.6 °C |
| 2010 | 22.8 °C |
| 2011 | 22.5 °C |
| 2012 | 23.2 °C |
| 2013 | 21.2 °C |
| 2014 | 21.3 °C |
| 2015 | 22.1 °C |
| 2016 | 22.4 °C |
| 2017 | 21.8 °C |
| 2018 | 22.7 °C |
| 2019 | 22.3 °C |
| 2020 | 21.4 °C |
| 2021 | 21.7 °C |
| 2022 | 22.2 °C |
| 2023 | 22.4 °C |
| 2024 | 22.6 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Mdc Clinton Hqtrs Missouri (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.