One of the first steps you take when you are figuring out your gardening schedule is find your USDA Zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

You will be able to estimate when you can plant field peas by looking at the USDA zone info for Grinnell.

Planting Calendar for Field Peas

Frost tolerance for field peas:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Field Peas can survive in some cold which means that you can plant them just a bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant field peas in Grinnell is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant field peas and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your field peas may not have a chance to grow to maturity. Starting your field peas indoors is a great way to get them started a little bit earlier.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is April 15 in Grinnell. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -20°F.

It's important to remember that USDA zone info for Grinnell is an average and the actual date of last frost will vary from year to year. Half of the time in Grinnell last frost occurs after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your field peas if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Grinnell

Here is the info for USDA Zone 5a.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-20°F
Highest Expected Low	-15°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -20°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -15°F.

Plants to Grow in Grinnell

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Grinnell.