Missouri vegetable planting calendar 2027: frost dates and when to plant
In Missouri, the average last spring frost is April 8 in Jefferson City and April 4 in Kansas City (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Below are planting dates for Jefferson City and Kansas City for 27 common vegetables and herbs, worked out the way the Rowtime app does it: NOAA's average frost dates for the nearest weather station, with the planting rules of state extension guides. Dates are for the 2027 season.
Rowtime: Garden Planner works these dates out for your own ZIP code in Missouri, shows where each one comes from, and recalculates when a planting slips. Get Rowtime on the App Store.
Dates are estimates. Check your local extension office before you plant, and use your own frost records if you have them. Dates shift by a week or more within a state, so pick the city closest to your conditions.
Jefferson City
When to plant tomatoes in Jefferson City?
In Jefferson City, Missouri, the average last spring frost is April 8 and the average first fall frost is October 31 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, JEFFERSON CITY WTP station, 10.7 km from ZIP 65101). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors March 13 to May 19 and plant out seedlings April 23 to August 2, following University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center) and Purdue University Extension. Dates are for the 2027 season; sources last checked October 24, 2026.
Frost dates for Jefferson City (65101)
- Last spring frost: Apr 8 on average, Apr 23 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Oct 31 on average, Oct 17 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 6b (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to Apr 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 22 to Sep 19 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Feb 20 to Mar 29 Plant out seedlings: Mar 12 to Mar 26 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 22 to Sep 19 |
| Cabbage | Start seeds indoors: Feb 13 to Mar 12 Plant out seedlings: Mar 12 to Mar 26 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 22 to Sep 19 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to Apr 9 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Feb 27 to Mar 29 Plant out seedlings: Mar 26 to Apr 9 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 1 to Jul 31 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Aug 22 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Mar 30 to Apr 28 Plant out seedlings: May 7 to Aug 2 |
| Green onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 12 to Mar 26 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 22 to Sep 19 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Mar 12 to Mar 26 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 22 to Sep 19 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to Apr 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 22 to Sep 19 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Jul 23 |
| Okra | Plant out seedlings: May 7 to Aug 27 |
| Onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 12 to Mar 26 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Mar 12 to Mar 26 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Mar 13 to Apr 12 Plant out seedlings: May 7 to Aug 2 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Mar 12 to Mar 26 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: Apr 23 to Sep 1 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Mar 12 to Mar 26 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 22 to Sep 19 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Sep 1 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: Apr 23 to Aug 2 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: Apr 13 to May 12 Plant out slips: May 7 to Jun 23 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Mar 13 to May 19 Plant out seedlings: Apr 23 to Aug 2 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: May 7 to Jul 23 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: May 12 to Aug 11 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Feb 12 to Apr 11 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 8 to Sep 22 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Mar 27 to Apr 11 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 24 to Sep 7 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Mar 30 to Apr 28 Plant outdoors for fall: Jul 24 to Sep 22 |
Kansas City
When to plant tomatoes in Kansas City?
In Kansas City, Missouri, the average last spring frost is April 4 and the average first fall frost is November 2 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, KANSAS CITY DOWNTOWN AP station, 2.9 km from ZIP 64106). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors March 9 to May 15 and plant out seedlings April 20 to August 4, following University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center) and Purdue University Extension. Dates are for the 2027 season; sources last checked October 24, 2026.
Frost dates for Kansas City (64106)
- Last spring frost: Apr 4 on average, Apr 20 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Nov 2 on average, Oct 21 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 6b (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Mar 23 to Apr 6 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 26 to Sep 23 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Feb 16 to Mar 25 Plant out seedlings: Mar 9 to Mar 23 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 26 to Sep 23 |
| Cabbage | Start seeds indoors: Feb 9 to Mar 8 Plant out seedlings: Mar 9 to Mar 23 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 26 to Sep 23 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Mar 23 to Apr 6 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Feb 23 to Mar 25 Plant out seedlings: Mar 23 to Apr 6 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 3 to Aug 2 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: May 4 to Aug 24 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Mar 26 to Apr 24 Plant out seedlings: May 4 to Aug 4 |
| Green onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 9 to Mar 23 Plant out seedlings for fall: Aug 26 to Sep 23 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Mar 9 to Mar 23 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 26 to Sep 23 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Mar 23 to Apr 6 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 26 to Sep 23 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: May 4 to Jul 25 |
| Okra | Plant out seedlings: May 4 to Aug 29 |
| Onion | Plant onion sets: Mar 9 to Mar 23 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Mar 9 to Mar 23 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Mar 9 to Apr 8 Plant out seedlings: May 4 to Aug 4 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Mar 9 to Mar 23 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: Apr 20 to Sep 3 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Mar 9 to Mar 23 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 26 to Sep 23 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: May 4 to Sep 3 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: Apr 20 to Aug 4 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: Apr 9 to May 8 Plant out slips: May 4 to Jun 25 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Mar 9 to May 15 Plant out seedlings: Apr 20 to Aug 4 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: May 4 to Jul 25 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: May 8 to Aug 7 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Feb 8 to Apr 7 Sow outdoors for fall: Sep 10 to Sep 24 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Mar 23 to Apr 7 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 26 to Sep 9 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Mar 26 to Apr 24 Plant outdoors for fall: Jul 26 to Sep 24 |
Sources
Planting rules, in the order Rowtime tries them here:
- Purdue University Extension, Indiana Vegetable Planting Calendar (HO-186-W). Checked October 20, 2026.
- University of Maryland Extension (Home & Garden Information Center), Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central Maryland. Checked October 24, 2026.
- NC State Extension, Central North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs (AG-756-01). Checked October 21, 2026.
Frost dates, locations and zones:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 annual/seasonal (freeze probabilities).
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Gazetteer Files: ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
- PRISM Group, Oregon State University / USDA ARS, 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map ZIP code listings. PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed 20 Oct 2026.
How the dates are worked out: a guide's rule such as "two weeks after the last frost" is applied to the station's NOAA date. Purdue's dates are 10% dates, so they are counted from the station's 10% date. When a guide gives no last date, the window closes early enough for the crop's longest days to harvest before the first fall frost. When a guide gives no first date for a fall planting, no fall window is shown. "Season too short" means the guide's window would close before it opens at this station's frost dates.
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