When to Plant Vegetables in Cedar Rapids No, IA

Your vegetable planning guide for Cedar Rapids No, IA

On average, you have 148 frost-free growing days beginning May 8 and ending Oct 3.

Keep reading, or jump to the Spring Strategy or the Fall Strategy.

Customized Cedar Rapids No, IA Spring Planting Schedule
Here is a quick overview of when to plant the most popular types of vegetables for your spring garden. Scroll down for the full list.

Cole crops (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, spinach): Direct seed around March 27 if ground is workable. For better results, start indoors around February 28 and transplant around April 18.

Onions, potatoes, and peas: Plant around March 9. If ground is frozen, plant immediately after thaw.

Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants: Start indoors around February 28. Transplant around May 4 after last frost.

Warm-season crops (beans, corn, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, melons, gourds, sunflowers): Direct seed around May 8 when soil temperature reaches 60°F.

Note: This location has a shorter growing season. Start warm-season crops indoors around April 18 and transplant after frost danger passes.

Full Vegetable List
Crop Sow seeds indoors Transplant seedlings into the garden Direct sow seeds
Asparagus n/a Mar 24 - Apr 8 n/a
Beans n/a n/a May 8 - Jun 5
Beets n/a n/a Mar 13 - Mar 27
Broccoli Feb 28 - Mar 13 Apr 10 - Apr 24 n/a
Brussel Sprouts Feb 28 - Mar 13 Apr 10 - Apr 24 n/a
Cabbage Feb 28 - Mar 13 Apr 10 - Apr 24 n/a
Cantaloupe n/a n/a Apr 24 - May 8
Carrots n/a n/a Mar 27 - Apr 24
Cauliflower Feb 28 - Mar 13 Apr 10 - Apr 24 n/a
Chard n/a n/a Mar 27 - Apr 10
Collards Feb 28 - Mar 13 Apr 10 - Apr 24 n/a
Corn n/a n/a May 8 - May 22
Cucumbers n/a n/a May 8 - May 22
Eggplants Feb 28 - Mar 13 May 8 - May 22 n/a
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins n/a n/a May 8 - May 22
Kale Feb 28 - Mar 13 Apr 10 - Apr 24 n/a
Kohlrabi Feb 28 - Mar 13 Apr 10 - Apr 24 n/a
Lettuce Feb 28 - Mar 13 Mar 27 - Apr 24 Mar 27 - Apr 24
Mustard Feb 28 - Mar 13 Apr 10 - Apr 24 n/a
Okra n/a n/a May 8 - May 22
Onions Feb 21 - Feb 28 Mar 9 - Apr 8 n/a
Peas (English) n/a n/a Mar 9 - Apr 8
Peas (Southern) n/a n/a May 8 - Jun 5
Peas (Sugar Snap) n/a n/a Mar 9 - Apr 8
Peppers Feb 28 - Mar 13 May 8 - May 22 n/a
Potatoes n/a n/a Mar 9 - Apr 8
Radishes n/a n/a Mar 24 - May 22
Spinach Feb 28 - Mar 13 Apr 10 - Apr 24 Mar 24 - Apr 24
Sweet Potatoes n/a May 8 - May 29 n/a
Tomatoes Feb 28 - Mar 13 May 8 - May 22 n/a
Watermelon n/a n/a May 8 - May 22

Customized Cedar Rapids No, IA Fall Planting Schedule
Here is a quick overview of when to plant the most popular types of vegetables for your fall garden. Scroll down for the full list.

Fall planting requires working backward from the first frost date (October 3) to ensure crops mature before winter. Check seed packets for "Days to Harvest" as timing varies by variety.

Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants: Require approximately 100 days to harvest. Transplant by June 25.

Garlic: Plant around August 19 when soil temperature reaches 60°F at 4-inch depth. Separate cloves and plant 3-4 inches deep. Regional timing varies.

Cole crops (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, spinach): Direct seed around July 25. Due to summer heat, starting indoors around June 5 and transplanting around July 15 yields better results.

Peas: Direct sow around July 20.

Warm-season crops (beans, corn, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, melons, gourds, sunflowers): Direct seed around June 20.

Full Vegetable List
Crop Sow seeds indoors Transplant seedlings into the garden Direct sow seeds
Beans n/a n/a Jun 20 - Jul 20
Beets n/a n/a Jul 20 - Sep 3
Broccoli May 9 - Jun 23 Jun 20 - Aug 4 n/a
Brussel Sprouts May 9 - Jun 23 Jun 20 - Aug 4 n/a
Cabbage May 9 - Jun 23 Jun 20 - Aug 4 n/a
Cantaloupe n/a n/a Jun 5 - Jun 20
Carrots n/a n/a Jul 5 - Sep 3
Cauliflower May 9 - Jun 23 Jun 20 - Aug 4 n/a
Chard n/a n/a Jun 20 - Sep 3
Collards Jun 5 - Jul 20 Jul 5 - Aug 19 n/a
Corn n/a n/a Jun 20 - Jul 5
Cucumbers n/a n/a Jun 20 - Jul 5
Eggplants Apr 24 - May 9 Jun 5 - Jun 20 n/a
Garlic n/a n/a Jul 20 - Sep 3
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkins n/a n/a May 21 - Jun 20
Kale May 9 - Jun 23 Jun 20 - Aug 4 n/a
Kohlrabi May 9 - Jun 23 Jun 20 - Aug 4 n/a
Lettuce Jul 5 - Aug 4 Aug 4 - Sep 3 Aug 4 - Sep 3
Mustard n/a n/a Aug 4 - Sep 3
Okra n/a n/a May 21 - Jun 20
Onions n/a n/a Sep 3 - Sep 13
Parsley May 21 - Jul 5 Jul 5 - Aug 19 n/a
Peas (English) n/a n/a Jul 5 - Aug 4
Peas (Southern) n/a n/a May 21 - Jun 20
Peas (Sugar Snap) n/a n/a Jul 5 - Aug 4
Peppers Apr 29 - May 14 Jun 10 - Jun 25 n/a
Potatoes n/a n/a Jul 5 - Aug 4
Radishes n/a n/a Aug 4 - Sep 3
Spinach Jun 20 - Aug 4 Jul 20 - Sep 3 Jul 20 - Sep 3
Tomatoes Apr 29 - May 14 Jun 10 - Jun 25 n/a
Turnips n/a n/a Aug 19 - Sep 18
Watermelon n/a n/a May 21 - Jun 20

How accurate is all this? For nearly all locations, we are confident in the dates. There are, however, some difficult areas of the world that don't match up perfectly with the dates we have given. For that reason, we recommend you use this guide as a very good starting place, but don't interpret the dates as absolutely perfect for every location.

Did you find this useful? Garden.org has a vast array of useful features. May we recommend that you take a look at our excellent food gardening guide?

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