Springfield, MO · zone 6b · ~199 frost-free days
When to plant in Springfield: frost dates and zone 6b.
In Springfield, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 10 and the first fall frost around Oct 26, giving you about 199 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 Springfield, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 6 to May 6 | Apr 17 to Jun 17 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 3 to Apr 17 | Aug 12 to Oct 11 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 3 to Apr 5 | Jul 31 to Aug 26 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 10 to May 31 | Jul 12 to Aug 14 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 17 to Jul 17 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 15 to May 6 | Apr 26 to Jun 17 | — |
| Kale | Jan 20 to Feb 17 | Mar 3 to Mar 31 | Jul 26 to Sep 10 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 17 to Mar 31 | Aug 12 to Sep 30 |
Springfield sits in Zone 6b, 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 Springfield 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 65806 in about 60 seconds.
Springfield planting questions
What planting zone is Springfield, MO?+
Springfield is in USDA hardiness zone 6b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 6b 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 Springfield?+
The typical last spring frost in Springfield, MO is around Apr 10. 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 Springfield?+
The typical first fall frost in Springfield, MO arrives around Oct 26, closing a growing season of roughly 199 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Springfield?+
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 10. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.