Planting windows for Ankeny
Computed from Ankeny's own frost dates. Click any crop for the full zone-5 growing guide — varieties, spacing, fall plantings, and more.
| Crop | Start seeds indoors | Transplant | Direct sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🍅 Tomatoes | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 30 – May 7 | — |
| 🫑 Peppers | Feb 12 – Feb 26 | May 7 – May 14 | — |
| 🥬 Lettuce | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | Mar 26 – Apr 23 |
| 🫛 Peas | — | — | Mar 12 – Mar 26 |
| 🥕 Carrots | — | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 |
| 🥦 Broccoli | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | — |
| 🥬 Kale | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 |
| 🥒 Cucumbers | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | Apr 30 – May 7 | Apr 30 – May 7 |
| 🥒 Zucchini | Mar 26 – Apr 2 | Apr 30 – May 7 | Apr 30 – May 7 |
| 🫘 Green Beans (Bush) | — | — | Apr 30 – May 7 |
| 🌽 Sweet Corn | — | — | Apr 30 – May 7 |
| 🌿 Basil | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 7 – May 14 |
| 🧄 Garlic | — | — | Fall: Sep 3 – Oct 1 |
Want this for all 50 crops, or as a printable seed-shelf schedule? Use the planting calendar and the seed starting scheduler — both can use Ankeny's dates automatically after a lookup.
Reading the season in Ankeny
Roughly 175 frost-free days gives Ankeny gardeners room for nearly every common vegetable. Warm-season crops go out after Apr 23; a fall garden sown in late summer matures comfortably before the Oct 15 frost.