When to plant turnip in Des Moines
Turnip is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Des Moines's frost dates of Apr 17.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Mar 27 – Apr 17
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
May 6 – May 21
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 1 – Aug 15
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Sep 17 – Oct 2
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
40 – 55 d
Des Moines's 179-day season leaves this much room.
Turnip 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 turnip outdoors in Des Moines?
Direct-sow around late March (Mar 27–Apr 17) in Des Moines, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 89%.
When will turnip be ready to harvest in Des Moines?
Expect to harvest from around early May (May 6–May 21) in Des Moines, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant turnip in autumn in Des Moines?
Yes — Des Moines supports a second, autumn sowing of turnip around early August (Aug 1–Aug 15), 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 turnip to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow turnip 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.