Calendars by city / MO
Kansas City, Missouri vegetable planting calendar
Planting windows for Kansas City, Missouri built from the NOAA 1991–2020 freeze normals at KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MO US (station USW00003947), not from a hardiness zone.
Kansas City, Missouri planting dates for 27 vegetables
The same windows as a table
Each row applies a published extension rule to the frost dates above. Hardy crops go out 2–4 weeks before the last frost; semi-hardy crops 0–2 weeks before; tender crops around the frost date; very tender crops 2 or more weeks after. The last fall planting date counts the crop's days to harvest back from the first fall frost. The rules and their sources are on the methodology page.
| Crop | Frost class | Start seeds indoors | Plant outdoors | Last fall planting | Days to harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beets | Semi-hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Aug 31 | 60 |
| Broccoli | Hardy | Jan 25 – Feb 22 | Transplant: Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Sep 2 | 65 (from transplant) |
| Cabbage | Hardy | Jan 25 – Feb 22 | Transplant: Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Aug 13 | 85 (from transplant) |
| Carrots | Semi-hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Aug 21 | 70 |
| Cauliflower | Semi-hardy | Feb 8 – Mar 8 | Transplant: Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Aug 26 | 65 (from transplant) |
| Kohlrabi | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Sep 17 | 50 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Sep 7 | 60 |
| Onions (green) | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Sep 7 | 60 |
| Onions (dry, from seed) | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Jul 19 | 110 |
| Onions (dry, from sets) | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Plant sets: Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Jul 19 | 110 |
| Parsnips | Semi-hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Aug 21 | 70 |
| Peas | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Sep 2 | 65 |
| Potatoes | Semi-hardy | — (direct sow) | Plant seed potatoes: Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Jun 27 | 125 |
| Radishes | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Oct 7 | 30 |
| Spinach | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Sep 27 | 40 |
| Swiss chard | Semi-hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Aug 31 | 60 |
| Turnips | Hardy | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Sep 17 | 50 |
| Snap beans | Tender | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Aug 24 | 60 |
| Cantaloupe | Very tender | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | Direct sow (or transplant): Apr 26 – May 10 | Jul 30 | 85 |
| Sweet corn | Tender | — (direct sow) | Direct sow: Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Jul 25 | 60–90 |
| Cucumbers | Tender | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | Direct sow (or transplant): Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Aug 29 | 55 |
| Eggplant | Very tender | Feb 22 – Mar 29 | Transplant: Apr 26 – May 10 | Aug 24 | 60 (from transplant) |
| Peppers | Very tender | Mar 1 – Mar 29 | Transplant: Apr 26 – May 10 | Aug 14 | 70 (from transplant) |
| Tomatoes | Very tender | Mar 8 – Apr 5 | Transplant: Apr 26 – May 10 | Aug 19 | 65 (from transplant) |
| Summer squash | Tender | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | Direct sow (or transplant): Apr 12 – Apr 19 | Sep 3 | 50 |
| Winter squash | Very tender | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | Direct sow (or transplant): Apr 26 – May 10 | Jul 15 | 100 |
| Watermelon | Very tender | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | Direct sow (or transplant): Apr 26 – May 10 | Jul 30 | 85 |
What the Kansas City, Missouri frost-free season means for your choices
At 194 frost-free days, Kansas City, Missouri gardeners should compare that number to the days-to-harvest column before buying seed. A crop whose days to harvest plus its transplant age is close to the season length needs either an early start indoors or a short-season variety.
- Hardy crops (peas, spinach, radishes, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage) can go in from about Mar 15 – Mar 29 and again for fall.
- Very tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons, winter squash) should wait until Apr 26 – May 10; start tomato seeds indoors Mar 8 – Apr 5.
- Fall sowing is worthwhile only for the rows that show a separate fall date; for the others the spring window already covers the season.
Kansas City, MO planting questions
When is the last frost in Kansas City, Missouri?
The 50% probability date for the last spring 32°F reading at KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MO US is Apr 12, from the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. In half the years on that record the last frost came later than that date, so tender crops are safer a week or two after it. The last 28°F hard freeze averages Apr 4.
When can I plant tomatoes in Kansas City, Missouri?
Tomatoes are a very tender crop, so the Colorado State Extension rule puts them out 2 or more weeks after the last spring frost: Apr 26 – May 10 in Kansas City, Missouri. Start the seeds indoors Mar 8 – Apr 5, which is 5 to 7 weeks before that transplant window.
How long is the growing season in Kansas City, Missouri?
Kansas City, Missouri averages 194 frost-free days, between the 50% last spring frost on Apr 12 and the 50% first fall frost on Oct 23 at KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MO US. Check a variety's days to harvest against that number before buying seed.
When should I start seeds indoors in Kansas City, Missouri?
The earliest indoor sowing on this calendar is broccoli and cabbage at Jan 25 – Feb 22. Hardy crops are transplanted out Mar 15 – Mar 29 here, and each crop's indoor window is simply its outdoor window minus the transplant age published by Colorado State Extension, so nothing starts earlier than that.
What can I plant in fall in Kansas City, Missouri?
The crops with a separate fall sowing here, latest first, are radishes, spinach, kohlrabi, turnips, lettuce (leaf) and onions (green), plus 21 more on the chart above. Each fall date counts the crop's days to harvest back from the first fall frost on Oct 23, plus an allowance for frost-tolerant crops that is our own assumption, not the source's.
Station data and limitations
| NOAA station | KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, MO US (USW00003947) |
|---|---|
| Location | 39.2972, -94.7306 · elevation 306.3 m |
| Last spring 32°F / 28°F (50%) | Apr 12 / Apr 4 |
| First fall 32°F / 28°F (50%) | Oct 23 / Nov 2 |
| Dataset | NOAA/NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal product, data types ANN-TMIN-PRBLST/PRBFST-T32FP50 and T28FP50 |
| Retrieved | 2026-10-16 |
The normals describe the airport station, not your yard. They are averages of a 30-year record and say nothing about this year's weather. Watch the local forecast around the dates shown, and use soil temperature for warm-season crops, which the Colorado State guide treats as the better signal.
Nearby calendars
- Omaha, Nebraska — last spring frost Apr 21
- Des Moines, Iowa — last spring frost Apr 17
- St. Louis, Missouri — last spring frost Apr 3
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — last spring frost Mar 27
Read the method behind these dates: last frost date vs hardiness zone.