Before planting it is a good idea to find your USDA Zone info to figure out your garden schedule. The zone info helps tell us things like average date of last frost and lowest expected temperature for your area.

The earliest that you can plant brussels sprouts in Madison should be figured out by referring to the USDA zone info.

Planting Calendar for Brussels Sprouts

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

Since brussels sprouts do well in moderate cold you can plant them a little earlier in the year than other plants that might not handle the cold.

The earliest that you can plant brussels sprouts in Madison 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 brussels sprouts and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your brussels sprouts may not have a chance to really do well. Starting your brussels sprouts indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

In Madison the average date of last frost happens on April 15. It might get as low as -20°F during the coldest months of winter.

Keep in mind that the actual date of last frost is just an average because it is based on the USDA zone info for Madison and it is different every year. Half of the time in Madison you get a frost after April 15 so be sure to be ready to cover your brussels sprouts if you have a surprise late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Madison

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 Madison

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