When to plant sweet corn in Des Moines
Sweet corn is frost-tender, so every date keys off Des Moines's last spring frost of Apr 17.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
May 17 – Jun 7
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jul 16 – Aug 25
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
60 – 100 d
Des Moines's 179-day season leaves this much room.
Sweet corn 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
HARVEST
APR 17
OCT 16
Common questions
When can I sow sweet corn outdoors in Des Moines?
Direct-sow around mid May (May 17–Jun 7) in Des Moines, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
When will sweet corn be ready to harvest in Des Moines?
Expect to harvest from around mid July (Jul 16–Aug 25) in Des Moines, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
How long is the growing season in Des Moines?
Des Moines has roughly 179 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow sweet corn to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow sweet corn 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost; plant out 2–3 weeks after it. 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.