Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to estimate your garden schedule. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

In Mankato you can determine when it's possible to plant broccoli by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Broccoli

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

Since broccoli are moderately cold tolerant you can plant them a little bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant broccoli in Mankato is March. However, you really should wait until April if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant broccoli and expect a good harvest is probably August. If you wait any later than that and your broccoli may not have a chance to fully mature. You can get started a couple of weeks earlier by starting your broccoli indoors.

Last Frost Date

The average date of last frost is May 15 in Mankato. It might get as low as -25°F during the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that USDA zone info for Mankato is an average and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Mankato you get a frost after May 15 be ready to cover your broccoli if you have a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Mankato

Here is the info for USDA Zone 4b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	May 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	September 15
Lowest Expected Low	-25°F
Highest Expected Low	-20°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -25°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near -20°F.

Plants to Grow in Mankato

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