When to plant radish in Des Moines
Radish is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Des Moines's frost dates of Apr 17.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 25 – Apr 15
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Apr 19 – Apr 24
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 26 – Sep 9
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Sep 27 – Oct 2
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
25 – 30 d
Des Moines's 179-day season leaves this much room.
Radish on Des Moines's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
APR 17
OCT 16
Common questions
When can I sow radish outdoors in Des Moines?
Direct-sow around late March (Mar 25–Apr 15) in Des Moines, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
When will radish be ready to harvest in Des Moines?
Expect to harvest from around mid April (Apr 19–Apr 24) in Des Moines, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant radish in autumn in Des Moines?
Yes — Des Moines supports a second, autumn sowing of radish around late August (Aug 26–Sep 9), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Des Moines?
Des Moines has roughly 179 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow radish to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow radish as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Des Moines's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.