South Dakota vegetable planting calendar 2027: frost dates and when to plant
In South Dakota, the average last spring frost is May 6 in Pierre and May 1 in Sioux Falls (NOAA 1991-2020 normals). Below are planting dates for Pierre and Sioux Falls 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 South Dakota, 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.
Pierre
When to plant tomatoes in Pierre?
In Pierre, South Dakota, the average last spring frost is May 6 and the average first fall frost is October 3 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, PIERRE RGNL AP station, 16.4 km from ZIP 57501). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors April 10 to June 16 and plant out seedlings May 21 to July 5, 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 Pierre (57501)
- Last spring frost: May 6 on average, May 21 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Oct 3 on average, Sep 20 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 4b (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Apr 23 to May 7 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 26 to Aug 23 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Mar 20 to Apr 26 Plant out seedlings: Apr 9 to Apr 23 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 26 to Aug 23 |
| Cabbage | Start seeds indoors: Mar 13 to Apr 9 Plant out seedlings: Apr 9 to Apr 23 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 26 to Aug 23 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Apr 23 to May 7 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Mar 27 to Apr 26 Plant out seedlings: Apr 23 to May 7 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jun 3 to Jul 3 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: Jun 4 to Jul 25 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Apr 27 to May 26 Plant out seedlings: Jun 4 to Jul 5 |
| Green onion | Plant onion sets: Apr 9 to Apr 23 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 26 to Aug 23 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Apr 9 to Apr 23 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 26 to Aug 23 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Apr 23 to May 7 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 26 to Aug 23 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: Jun 4 to Jun 25 |
| Okra | Plant out seedlings: Jun 4 to Jul 30 |
| Onion | Plant onion sets: Apr 9 to Apr 23 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Apr 9 to Apr 23 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Apr 10 to May 10 Plant out seedlings: Jun 4 to Jul 5 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Apr 9 to Apr 23 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: May 21 to Aug 4 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Apr 9 to Apr 23 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 26 to Aug 23 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: Jun 4 to Aug 4 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: May 21 to Jul 5 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: May 11 to Jun 9 Plant out slips: season too short |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Apr 10 to Jun 16 Plant out seedlings: May 21 to Jul 5 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: Jun 4 to Jun 25 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: Jun 9 to Sep 8 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Mar 12 to May 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 11 to Aug 25 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Apr 24 to May 9 Sow outdoors for fall: Jun 26 to Aug 10 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Apr 27 to May 26 Plant outdoors for fall: Jun 26 to Aug 25 |
Sioux Falls
When to plant tomatoes in Sioux Falls?
In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the average last spring frost is May 1 and the average first fall frost is October 6 (NOAA 1991-2020 normals, SIOUX FALLS station, 2.6 km from ZIP 57104). For tomatoes, start seeds indoors April 5 to June 11 and plant out seedlings May 14 to July 8, 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 Sioux Falls (57104)
- Last spring frost: May 1 on average, May 14 for a 10% risk of a later frost.
- First fall frost: Oct 6 on average, Sep 23 for a 10% risk of an earlier frost.
- USDA hardiness zone 5a (PRISM 2023 listing).
| Crop | When |
|---|---|
| Beet | Sow outdoors: Apr 16 to Apr 30 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 29 to Aug 26 |
| Broccoli | Start seeds indoors: Mar 15 to Apr 21 Plant out seedlings: Apr 2 to Apr 16 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 29 to Aug 26 |
| Cabbage | Start seeds indoors: Mar 8 to Apr 4 Plant out seedlings: Apr 2 to Apr 16 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 29 to Aug 26 |
| Carrot | Sow outdoors: Apr 16 to Apr 30 |
| Cauliflower | Start seeds indoors: Mar 22 to Apr 21 Plant out seedlings: Apr 16 to Apr 30 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jun 6 to Jul 6 |
| Cucumber | Sow outdoors: May 28 to Jul 28 |
| Eggplant | Start seeds indoors: Apr 22 to May 21 Plant out seedlings: May 28 to Jul 8 |
| Green onion | Plant onion sets: Apr 2 to Apr 16 Plant out seedlings for fall: Jul 29 to Aug 26 |
| Kale | Sow outdoors: Apr 2 to Apr 16 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 29 to Aug 26 |
| Lettuce | Sow outdoors: Apr 16 to Apr 30 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 29 to Aug 26 |
| Melon and watermelon | Sow outdoors: May 28 to Jun 28 |
| Okra | Plant out seedlings: May 28 to Aug 2 |
| Onion | Plant onion sets: Apr 2 to Apr 16 |
| Pea | Sow outdoors: Apr 2 to Apr 16 |
| Pepper | Start seeds indoors: Apr 5 to May 5 Plant out seedlings: May 28 to Jul 8 |
| Potato | Plant seed potatoes: Apr 2 to Apr 16 |
| Snap bean | Sow outdoors: May 14 to Aug 7 |
| Spinach | Sow outdoors: Apr 2 to Apr 16 Sow outdoors for fall: Jul 29 to Aug 26 |
| Summer squash | Sow outdoors: May 28 to Aug 7 |
| Sweet corn | Sow outdoors: May 14 to Jul 8 |
| Sweet potato | Sprout slips indoors: May 6 to Jun 4 Plant out slips: May 28 to May 29 |
| Tomato | Start seeds indoors: Apr 5 to Jun 11 Plant out seedlings: May 14 to Jul 8 |
| Winter squash and pumpkin | Sow outdoors: May 28 to Jun 28 |
| Basil | Plant outdoors: Jun 4 to Sep 3 |
| Cilantro | Sow outdoors: Mar 7 to May 4 Sow outdoors for fall: Aug 14 to Aug 28 |
| Dill | Sow outdoors: Apr 19 to May 4 Sow outdoors for fall: Jun 29 to Aug 13 |
| Parsley | Sow outdoors: Apr 22 to May 21 Plant outdoors for fall: Jun 29 to Aug 28 |
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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