Regional guide

Montana Frost-Window Vegetable Garden

An MSU frost-window guide for Montana's short-season vegetable schedules, local frost dates, direct seeding, transplants, and succession rows.

Regional timing

Current regional planting plan

An MSU frost-window guide for Montana's short-season vegetable schedules, local frost dates, direct seeding, transplants, and succession rows.

Source-backed timing MSU Extension Can I Grow That Here?

Montana Frost Windows 4 climate signals

Source source cues Local conditions

MSU Extension says the limited growing season in much of Montana makes selection and planting timing critical.
The guide tells gardeners to find the average dates of the last frost in spring and the first frost in fall for their location.
For short-season planning, MSU says to count the number of days between the last spring frost and first fall frost.

Catalog priority: 27 priority crops
Climate checks: 4 climate signals
Timing basis: Use regional source signals

Source-backed timing MSU Extension says the limited growing season in much of Montana makes selection and planting timing critical.

The guide tells gardeners to find the average dates of the last frost in spring and the first frost in fall for their location.

Crop priority Provider Bush Bean leads the catalog examples

Provider Bush Bean, Detroit Dark Red Beet, Waltham 29 Broccoli, Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts

Next local check Use snap beans from 1 week before last frost to 12 weeks before first frost, with once a week bush-bean succession plantings up to the last planting date.

Use beets from 4 weeks before last frost to 8-10 weeks before first frost for spring and fall root rows.

Calendar Convert regional timing into dated sowing, transplant, and harvest jobs. Frost dates Keep hardiness zone context separate from local first and last frost dates. All regions Compare this guide with the broader regional atlas. Wyoming Statewide University of Wyoming Extension statewide short-season guide for gardens where growing seasons range from short to very short.

Climate signals

MSU Extension says the limited growing season in much of Montana makes selection and planting timing critical.
The guide tells gardeners to find the average dates of the last frost in spring and the first frost in fall for their location.
For short-season planning, MSU says to count the number of days between the last spring frost and first fall frost.
The schedule is designed to calculate the specific time to plant seeds or start transplants after local frost dates are known.

Planning notes

Use snap beans from 1 week before last frost to 12 weeks before first frost, with once a week bush-bean succession plantings up to the last planting date.
Use beets from 4 weeks before last frost to 8-10 weeks before first frost for spring and fall root rows.
Plan broccoli from 6 weeks before last frost to 14 weeks before first frost; cabbage and cauliflower also use transplant windows tied to local frost dates.
Use sweet corn around the last frost through 3 weeks after frost, and choose quick-maturing varieties where the frost-free window is tight.
Use lettuce from 4 weeks before last frost to 6 weeks before first frost, with 2-week succession rows up to the last planting date.
Sow peas 4 to 6 weeks before last frost to 2 to 3 weeks after last frost, with a fall planting about 12 weeks before first frost.
Plant radishes every 10 days until warm weather arrives, then repeat fall successions up to the last fall planting date.
Use spinach from 6 weeks before last frost to 7 weeks before mid-summer, plus a fall row 6 to 8 weeks before first frost.
Use turnips from 6 weeks before last frost to mid-summer, then fall rows 6 to 8 weeks before first frost.
Set tomatoes from last frost to 10 weeks before first frost; peppers, eggplant, pumpkins, squash, and watermelon also need local first-frost checks.

Catalog crop examples

These catalog entries match crops covered by the regional timing source; variety-specific details remain tied to each seed entry's own source.

Provider Bush Bean Vegetable · Warm · 50 days
Detroit Dark Red Beet Vegetable · Cool · 58 days
Waltham 29 Broccoli Vegetable · Cool · 74 days
Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts Vegetable · Cool · 100 days
Golden Acre Cabbage Vegetable · Cool · 64 days
Danvers 126 Carrot Vegetable · Shoulder · 70 days
Snowball Y Cauliflower Vegetable · Cool · 70 days
Tall Utah Celery Vegetable · Cool · 110 days
Bright Lights Swiss Chard Vegetable · Shoulder · 55 days
Golden Bantam Sweet Corn Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
Marketmore 76 Cucumber Vegetable · Warm · 58 days
Black Beauty Eggplant Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
Lacinato Kale Vegetable · Cool · 60 days
Early White Vienna Kohlrabi Vegetable · Cool · 55 days
Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
Evergreen Bunching Onion Vegetable · Shoulder · 65 days
Hollow Crown Parsnip Vegetable · Cool · 120 days
Sugar Snap Pea Vegetable · Cool · 62 days
California Wonder Pepper Vegetable · Warm · 72 days
Small Sugar Pumpkin Vegetable · Warm · 100 days
French Breakfast Radish Vegetable · Cool · 28 days
American Purple Top Rutabaga Vegetable · Cool · 90 days
Bloomsdale Spinach Vegetable · Cool · 42 days
Waltham Butternut Squash Vegetable · Warm · 95 days
Roma Tomato Vegetable · Warm · 76 days
Purple Top White Globe Turnip Vegetable · Cool · 55 days
Sugar Baby Watermelon Vegetable · Warm · 80 days

Related regional guides

Wyoming Statewide Short-Season Vegetable Garden University of Wyoming Extension statewide short-season guide for gardens where growing seasons range from short to very short.
Idaho Zone and Microclimate Vegetable Garden University of Idaho Extension spring vegetable guide for Idaho gardeners using USDA zones, local microclimates, frost-free days, and zone-specific crop windows.
New Mexico Growing-Zone Vegetable Garden A New Mexico guide for USDA zones 5a-8b, frost-free-day ranges, site variability, direct seeding, transplant timing, and spring/fall windows.

Source: MSU Extension Can I Grow That Here?