Topeka, KS · zone 6a · ~191 frost-free days
When to plant in Topeka: frost dates and zone 6a.
In Topeka, the typical last spring frost lands around Apr 14 and the first fall frost around Oct 22, giving you about 191 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 Topeka, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Mar 10 to May 10 | Apr 21 to Jun 21 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Mar 7 to Apr 21 | Aug 8 to Oct 7 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 7 to Apr 9 | Jul 27 to Aug 22 |
| Bush Bean | — | Apr 14 to Jun 4 | Jul 8 to Aug 10 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 21 to Jul 21 | — |
| Pepper, bell | Mar 19 to May 10 | Apr 30 to Jun 21 | — |
| Kale | Jan 24 to Feb 21 | Mar 7 to Apr 4 | Jul 22 to Sep 6 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 21 to Apr 4 | Aug 8 to Sep 26 |
Topeka sits in Zone 6a, 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 Topeka 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 66603 in about 60 seconds.
Topeka planting questions
What planting zone is Topeka, KS?+
Topeka is in USDA hardiness zone 6a. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 6a 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 Topeka?+
The typical last spring frost in Topeka, KS is around Apr 14. 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 Topeka?+
The typical first fall frost in Topeka, KS arrives around Oct 22, closing a growing season of roughly 191 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Topeka?+
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 14. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.