Des Moines, IA · zone 5b · ~183 frost-free days
When to plant in Des Moines: frost dates and zone 5b.
In Des Moines, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 19 and the first fall frost around Oct 19, giving you about 183 frost-free days. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost; warm-season crops wait until after it.
The 2026 windows
Sow dates for Des Moines, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 15 to May 15 | Apr 26 to Jun 26 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 12 to Apr 26 | Aug 5 to Oct 4 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 12 to Apr 14 | Jul 24 to Aug 19 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 19 to Jun 9 | Jul 5 to Aug 7 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 26 to Jul 26 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 24 to May 15 | May 5 to Jun 26 | — |
| Kale | Jan 29 to Feb 26 | Mar 12 to Apr 9 | Jul 19 to Sep 3 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 26 to Apr 9 | Aug 5 to Sep 23 |
Des Moines sits in Zone 5b, but two gardens in the same city can be a week or two apart. The planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not the zone, so the dates land right for your block, not the metro average.
Build your Des Moines garden plan.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for ZIP 50309 in about 60 seconds.
Des Moines planting questions
What planting zone is Des Moines, IA?+
Des Moines is in USDA hardiness zone 5b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 5b here. It tells you what survives winter, not when to plant. Frost dates set your planting time, and the free planner uses your exact ZIP code's frost dates, which can differ by weeks across one metro.
When is the last frost date in Des Moines?+
The typical last spring frost in Des Moines, IA is around Apr 19. That is an average from local history, not a guarantee, so tender crops like tomatoes and peppers are safer with a week of buffer after it.
When is the first frost date in Des Moines?+
The typical first fall frost in Des Moines, IA arrives around Oct 19, closing a growing season of roughly 183 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Des Moines?+
It depends on the date. Cool-season crops like lettuce, kale, and spinach go out weeks before the last frost; warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers wait until after Apr 19. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.