When to Plant Rutabaga in Iowa
Iowa spans USDA hardiness 4b to 6a (zones 4b to 6a on this page). Plant rutabaga by your local frost date, not the calendar — pick your zone below for exact start-indoors, transplant, and harvest dates.
Jump to: Zone 4b · Zone 5a · Zone 5b · Zone 6a
Rutabaga planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 4b
Average last spring frost
May 10
Average first fall frost
September 25
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Mar 8
Transplant outdoors
Apr 12
Projected first harvest
Jun 11
fall planting
Start seeds indoors
Jun 26
Transplant outdoors
Jul 31
Projected first harvest
Sep 29
spring planting
fall planting
Most rutabaga mature in about 50 to 90 days depending on the variety. Full zone 4 guide (both 4a and 4b) →
Rutabaga planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 5a
Average last spring frost
May 5
Average first fall frost
October 1
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Mar 3
Transplant outdoors
Apr 7
Projected first harvest
Jun 6
fall planting
Start seeds indoors
Jul 2
Transplant outdoors
Aug 6
Projected first harvest
Oct 5
spring planting
fall planting
Most rutabaga mature in about 50 to 90 days depending on the variety. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Rutabaga planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 5b
Average last spring frost
April 30
Average first fall frost
October 5
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Feb 26
Transplant outdoors
Apr 2
Projected first harvest
Jun 1
fall planting
Start seeds indoors
Jul 6
Transplant outdoors
Aug 10
Projected first harvest
Oct 9
spring planting
fall planting
Most rutabaga mature in about 50 to 90 days depending on the variety. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Rutabaga planting calendar for Iowa, Zone 6a
Average last spring frost
April 25
Average first fall frost
October 10
spring planting
Start seeds indoors
Feb 21
Transplant outdoors
Mar 28
Projected first harvest
May 27
fall planting
Start seeds indoors
Jul 11
Transplant outdoors
Aug 15
Projected first harvest
Oct 14
spring planting
fall planting
Most rutabaga mature in about 50 to 90 days depending on the variety. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Not sure which half-zone you're in? Set your ZIP in HomeSown for dates tuned to your exact location.
Varieties to grow
3 varieties of rutabaga in the HomeSown library. Tap any for its full grow guide.
Common problems with rutabaga
What to watch for, with identification and treatment for each
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