Milwaukee, WI · zone 5b · ~182 frost-free days
When to plant in Milwaukee: frost dates and zone 5b.
In Milwaukee, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 24 and the first fall frost around Oct 23, giving you about 182 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 Milwaukee, 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 | Aug 9 to Oct 8 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 17 to Apr 19 | Jul 28 to Aug 23 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 24 to Jun 14 | Jul 9 to Aug 11 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | May 1 to Jul 31 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 29 to May 20 | May 10 to Jul 1 | — |
| Kale | Feb 3 to Mar 3 | Mar 17 to Apr 14 | Jul 23 to Sep 7 |
| Spinach | — | Mar 3 to Apr 14 | Aug 9 to Sep 27 |
Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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 53202 in about 60 seconds.
Milwaukee planting questions
What planting zone is Milwaukee, WI?+
Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee?+
The typical last spring frost in Milwaukee, WI 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 Milwaukee?+
The typical first fall frost in Milwaukee, WI arrives around Oct 23, closing a growing season of roughly 182 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Milwaukee?+
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.