Regional guide

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.

Regional timing

Current regional planting plan

An SDSU Extension guide for South Dakota vegetable timing, frost-free windows, soil-temperature groups, fall succession dates, and crop-row spacing.

Source-backed timing SDSU Extension Vegetable Gardening in South Dakota

South Dakota Frost/Soil 146 frost-free days

May 1 last frost spring release Sep 24 first frost fall limit

SDSU Extension Vegetable Gardening in South Dakota, P-00123, lists a Revision Date: March 2026.
The guide says to use the maps on the back cover to determine the average date of the last spring frost and first fall frost for your location.
It also says personal experience and experienced gardeners' advice help, particularly in areas where there are wide variations in elevation.

Catalog priority: 22 priority crops
Climate checks: 5 climate signals
Timing basis: Using South Dakota Frost/Soil dates

Source-backed timing May 1 last frost and September 24 first frost from the southeast South Dakota example.

Use this for southeast South Dakota; the SDSU guide directs gardeners elsewhere to use the frost maps and local conditions.

Crop priority Provider Bush Bean leads the catalog examples

Provider Bush Bean, Detroit Dark Red Beet, Waltham 29 Broccoli, Golden Acre Cabbage

Next local check Table 1 says warm season crops do not grow well in cool weather under 50 F and are damaged by frost; their optimum soil temperature is 60 to 75 F.

Warm-season soil-temperature groups put lima beans, sweet corn, squash, pumpkins, and snap beans at a 50 F minimum; cucumbers and muskmelons at 60 F; and tomatoes, eggplant, pepper, and watermelons at 65 F.

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

Climate signals

SDSU Extension Vegetable Gardening in South Dakota, P-00123, lists a Revision Date: March 2026.
The guide says to use the maps on the back cover to determine the average date of the last spring frost and first fall frost for your location.
It also says personal experience and experienced gardeners' advice help, particularly in areas where there are wide variations in elevation.
As an example, most of the southeast part of South Dakota is frost-free between May 1 and September 24, for a total of 147 frost-free growing days.
The source says cool season crops can be planted earlier, while warm season crops will be injured if planted too early.

Planning notes

Table 1 says warm season crops do not grow well in cool weather under 50 F and are damaged by frost; their optimum soil temperature is 60 to 75 F.
Warm-season soil-temperature groups put lima beans, sweet corn, squash, pumpkins, and snap beans at a 50 F minimum; cucumbers and muskmelons at 60 F; and tomatoes, eggplant, pepper, and watermelons at 65 F.
Table 4 gives crop-row examples with row spacing, plant spacing, depth, weeks to transplant size, time of planting or transplanting outdoors, days to germinate, days to harvest, suggested amount, frost hardy status, and harvest cues.
Beans, Snap use May-July outdoor timing, 1 inch depth, 6-10 germination days, 60-65 days to harvest for pole beans, 50-60 days for bush beans, and are not frost hardy.
Beets use April-July outdoor timing, 1/2 inch depth, 7-12 germination days, 50-65 days to harvest, and Semi frost hardiness.
Carrots use April-June outdoor timing, 1/4 inch depth, 7-14 germination days, 55-80 days to harvest, and Semi frost hardiness.
Corn, Sweet uses May-early July outdoor timing, 1/2-1 inch depth, 5-12 germination days, 60-95 days to harvest, and is not frost hardy.
Cucumbers use May-June outdoor timing, two to three weeks to transplant size, 5-10 germination days, 50-70 days to harvest, and are not frost hardy.
Tomatoes use May-June outdoor timing, five to seven weeks to transplant size, 55-90 days to harvest, and are not frost hardy.
Watermelon uses May-June outdoor timing, three to four weeks to transplant size, 7-12 germination days, 80-130 days to harvest, and is not frost hardy.
For succession planting with an average mid-September frost, the guide lists Green Beans July 10, Carrots July 7-15, Cucumbers July 15, Peas July 15, Beets July 15, Summer Squash July 20, and Radish Aug. 20.
The guide says a South Dakota fall garden is planted from late-June to August, depending on days to maturity and when heavy frost occurs in the fall.
Use these priority catalog links as crop-row examples only; variety-specific details remain tied to each seed entry's own source.

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
Golden Acre Cabbage Vegetable · Cool · 64 days
Danvers 126 Carrot Vegetable · Shoulder · 70 days
Snowball Y Cauliflower Vegetable · Cool · 70 days
Golden Bantam Sweet Corn Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
Marketmore 76 Cucumber Vegetable · Warm · 58 days
Black Beauty Eggplant Vegetable · Warm · 80 days
Early White Vienna Kohlrabi Vegetable · Cool · 55 days
Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce Vegetable · Cool · 45 days
Hale's Best Jumbo Melon Vegetable · Warm · 85 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
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

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.
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: SDSU Extension Vegetable Gardening in South Dakota