When to put transplants or seed in the ground across Iowa, worked out from the average last spring and first fall frost for each USDA zone in the state, and what to line up before you commit ground. Written for farms that sell what they grow.
Zones 4b–5b run through Iowa. Frost dates are long-term averages for planning, not a forecast for your field.
Every number below is transcribed from a published land-grant enterprise budget for Iowa. Operating cost is what it takes to grow and harvest the crop; ownership cost is machinery, land and overhead. Multiply by your acres to size the cash you need before the first sale.
No published Iowa budget is transcribed here yet, so this page shows planting dates only — we do not publish cost figures we cannot source. Neighboring state budgets from NC State, UGA and UF/IFAS are on the crop profitability page.
Every figure is transcribed from a published land-grant enterprise budget for that state. These are planning budgets built from grower panels and dealer quotes, not surveys of what farms actually spent — your invoices override them everywhere they exist.
Calculated for Zone 5a (Des Moines and central Iowa). Pick your own zone on the crop page.
If your farm sits in a zone that is not listed here, start from the calendar index and pick the closest match, then confirm with your county extension office.
A planting date tells you when a crop can grow — not whether it pays. Work out your breakeven price, then line up who is buying before you plant.
Dates are calculated from average first and last frost dates for each zone. Your microclimate, elevation and soil temperature can shift any window by a week or more — treat these as starting points and keep your own records.