Lincoln, NE · zone 5b · ~172 frost-free days
When to plant in Lincoln: frost dates and zone 5b.
In Lincoln, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 24 and the first fall frost around Oct 13, giving you about 172 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 Lincoln, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 20 to May 20 | May 1 to Jul 1 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 17 to May 1 | Jul 30 to Sep 28 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 17 to Apr 19 | Jul 18 to Aug 13 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 24 to Jun 14 | Jun 29 to Aug 1 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | May 1 to Jul 27 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 29 to May 20 | May 10 to Jul 1 | — |
| Kale | Feb 3 to Mar 3 | Mar 17 to Apr 14 | Jul 13 to Aug 28 |
| Spinach | — | Mar 3 to Apr 14 | Jul 30 to Sep 17 |
Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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 68508 in about 60 seconds.
Lincoln planting questions
What planting zone is Lincoln, NE?+
Lincoln 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 Lincoln?+
The typical last spring frost in Lincoln, NE is around Apr 24. 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 Lincoln?+
The typical first fall frost in Lincoln, NE arrives around Oct 13, closing a growing season of roughly 172 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Lincoln?+
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 24. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.