Planting windows for Storm Lake
Computed from Storm Lake'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 28 – Mar 14 | May 2 – May 9 | — |
| 🫑 Peppers | Feb 14 – Feb 28 | May 9 – May 16 | — |
| 🥬 Lettuce | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | Mar 28 – Apr 25 |
| 🫛 Peas | — | — | Mar 14 – Mar 28 |
| 🥕 Carrots | — | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 |
| 🥦 Broccoli | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | — |
| 🥬 Kale | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | Mar 28 – Apr 11 |
| 🥒 Cucumbers | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | May 2 – May 9 | May 2 – May 9 |
| 🥒 Zucchini | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | May 2 – May 9 | May 2 – May 9 |
| 🫘 Green Beans (Bush) | — | — | May 2 – May 9 |
| 🌽 Sweet Corn | — | — | May 2 – May 9 |
| 🌿 Basil | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | May 2 – May 9 | May 9 – May 16 |
| 🧄 Garlic | — | — | Fall: Sep 1 – Sep 29 |
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 Storm Lake's dates automatically after a lookup.
Reading the season in Storm Lake
Roughly 171 frost-free days gives Storm Lake gardeners room for nearly every common vegetable. Warm-season crops go out after Apr 25; a fall garden sown in late summer matures comfortably before the Oct 13 frost.