Regional guide

Nebraska Frost-Date and Soil Temperature Vegetable Garden

Nebraska Extension timing for east, central, and west frost dates, soil-temperature readiness, rotation families, and frost-relative vegetable planting groups.

Climate signals

• Nebraska Extension 4H226, Selecting and Preparing Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruit, was updated in 2022.
• The source lists average last spring frost dates as eastern Nebraska April 24, central Nebraska May 1, and western Nebraska May 10.
• It says to check with your local Nebraska Extension Office for the frost-free date in your area.
• The guide says the best way to determine planting date is to check soil temperatures because seeds have minimum, maximum, and optimum soil temperatures for germination and seedling growth.
• It cautions that planting early does not guarantee an earlier harvest if soil temperatures are too cold for germination.

Planning notes

• If planted too early in cold soil, seed germination and seedling growth can be very slow and may lead to seed rot, damping off disease, or low vigor plants with lower yields.
• For crop rotation, the guide says to avoid growing the same plant family in the same location for about three to five consecutive years.
• Bean (Fabaceae) family includes pea and wax, snap, cow, and lima bean; Cabbage (Brassicaceae) family includes cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards, kale, turnip, rutabaga, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, and radish.
• Cucumber (Cucurbitaceae) family includes cucumber, summer squash, winter squash, cantaloupe, and watermelon; Goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae) family includes beet, Swiss chard, and spinach.
• Lily family includes onion, garlic, leek, shallot, and chive; Parsley family includes carrot, celery, celeriac, parsnip, and fennel; Nightshade family includes tomato, eggplant, pepper, potato, and tomatillo.
• The general timeline lists 60 days before the average last spring frost date for collard, onion sets, garden pea, radish, spinach, and turnip.
• It lists 50 days before the average last spring frost date for Swiss chard, leek, mustard, and potato.
• It lists 40 days before the average last spring frost date for beet, cabbage transplants, carrot, and lettuce.
• It lists 30 days before the average last spring frost date for broccoli, Brussels sprout, and cabbage transplants, plus Chinese cabbage.
• It lists 10 days before the average last spring frost date for sweet corn, sweet potato, and tomato transplants.
• It lists the average last spring frost date for bean, cucumber, eggplant transplants, muskmelon, pepper, pumpkin, and summer squash.
• It lists 10 days after the average last spring frost date for okra and watermelon.
• Use these priority catalog links as crop-level examples for the Nebraska Extension timing groups, not as Nebraska-specific variety endorsements.

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.

• Georgia Southern Collards Vegetable · Cool · 65 days
• Evergreen Bunching Onion Vegetable · Shoulder · 65 days
• Sugar Snap Pea Vegetable · Cool · 62 days
• French Breakfast Radish Vegetable · Cool · 28 days
• Bloomsdale Spinach Vegetable · Cool · 42 days
• Purple Top White Globe Turnip Vegetable · Cool · 55 days
• Bright Lights Swiss Chard Vegetable · Shoulder · 55 days
• American Flag Leek Vegetable · Cool · 120 days
• Southern Giant Curled Mustard Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
• Detroit Dark Red Beet Vegetable · Cool · 58 days
• Golden Acre Cabbage Vegetable · Cool · 64 days
• Danvers 126 Carrot Vegetable · Shoulder · 70 days
• Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
• Waltham 29 Broccoli Vegetable · Cool · 74 days
• Long Island Improved Brussels Sprouts Vegetable · Cool · 100 days
• Golden Bantam Sweet Corn Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
• Roma Tomato Vegetable · Warm · 76 days
• Provider Bush Bean Vegetable · Warm · 50 days
• Marketmore 76 Cucumber Vegetable · Warm · 58 days
• Black Beauty Eggplant Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
• Hale's Best Jumbo Melon Vegetable · Warm · 85 days
• California Wonder Pepper Vegetable · Warm · 72 days
• Small Sugar Pumpkin Vegetable · Warm · 100 days
• Clemson Spineless Okra Vegetable · Warm · 56 days
• Sugar Baby Watermelon Vegetable · Warm · 80 days

Related regional guides

• South Dakota Frost and Soil Temperature Vegetable Garden An SDSU Extension guide for South Dakota vegetable timing, frost-free windows, soil-temperature groups, fall succession dates, and crop-row spacing.
• North Dakota Small-Space Frost Vegetable Garden NDSU small-space vegetable guide for North Dakota frost timing, easy crops, containers, watering, close rows, and succession planting.

Source: Nebraska Extension Selecting and Preparing Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruit