When to plant · 14 cities · zones 5a–5b
When to plant mustard greens in Iowa
Direct sow mustard greens around Apr 28 — the Iowa statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 28 across 964 ZIP codes and 160 NOAA stations.
The rule: Direct sow as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, and again in late summer for fall. Seed germinates fastest at 55–65 °F and may stall above 80 °F.
Iowa mustard greens, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 28, first fall frost Oct 10, 2027 season. Each cultivar's own indoor lead time and days to maturity, same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Cultivar | Start indoors | Sow | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 28 | May 28 | 30 from sow |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost. Statewide dates are the ZIP-weighted median of every NOAA 1991–2020 station Iowa's ZIP codes resolve to.
Mustard Greens in Iowa, city by city
Mustard greens, scheduled from each city's nearest NOAA station — the same dates as its frost page.
| City | Last frost | Sow | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moineszone 5b | Apr 18 | Apr 18 | May 18 |
| Cedar Rapidszone 5b | Apr 28 | Apr 28 | May 28 |
| Davenportzone 5b | Apr 23 | Apr 23 | May 23 |
| Sioux Cityzone 5a | Apr 29 | Apr 29 | May 29 |
| Ankenyzone 5b | Apr 23 | Apr 23 | May 23 |
| Iowa Cityzone 5b | Apr 21 | Apr 21 | May 21 |
| West Des Moineszone 5b | Apr 18 | Apr 18 | May 18 |
| Ameszone 5b | Apr 26 | Apr 26 | May 26 |
| Waterloozone 5a | Apr 27 | Apr 27 | May 27 |
| Council Bluffszone 5b | Apr 18 | Apr 18 | May 18 |
| Dubuquezone 5a | Apr 19 | Apr 19 | May 19 |
| Urbandalezone 5b | Apr 18 | Apr 18 | May 18 |
| Marionzone 5a | Apr 28 | Apr 28 | May 28 |
| Cedar Fallszone 5a | Apr 27 | Apr 27 | May 27 |
What Iowa mustard greens need
Organic Seed Starter Potting MixMust have
Seed-starting mix is not potting soil with a nicer label — it is finer, lighter, and low in nutrients on purpose, because a seedling's first roots want air and moisture, not fertiliser.
72-Cell Trays with 1020 Bottoms, 5-PackMust have
The cheap black nursery trays crack after one season and flex enough to break roots when you lift them. These do not. Over five seasons the price per use is lower than the throwaways.
AG-30 Frost Protection Row Cover
AG-30 buys roughly 6 °F of frost protection while passing about 70% of light — enough to carry a crop through an early-October cold snap that would otherwise end your season two weeks short.
Ultra-Fine Garden Netting, 10×33 ft, 2 pcs
A hornworm is a moth's decision made in June. Fine mesh over the bed at transplant means the moth never lands, and you never spray anything at all.
6" Micro-Tip Pruning SnipsMust have
Ninety percent of sauce-garden cutting is snipping a pepper stem or a basil node, and a fine-tipped snip does it better than any pruner. Pulling peppers by hand tears the branch.
Digital Kitchen Scale, 11 lb, g/ozMust have
Fermentation brine is a percentage of weight, not a number of spoons. Without a gram scale you are not following a fermentation recipe — you are guessing at the one number that determines whether it is safe.
One-Touch Coffee & Spice Grinder
Dried cayenne into powder in fifteen seconds. Dedicate one to chiles — grind coffee in it afterwards and you will find out exactly how well capsaicin sticks to plastic.
Half Pint (8 oz) Regular Mouth Mason Jars, 12Must have
Eight ounces is the right jar for a sauce you use by the spoonful. Open a quart of hot sauce and you are racing the fridge; open a half-pint and you finish it while it is still good.
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Mustard Greens in Iowa: questions
When should I plant mustard greens in Iowa?
Direct sow around Apr 28 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Apr 20 in the warmest tenth of Iowa's ZIP codes to May 3 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 11 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Iowa?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 28. In the warmest tenth of Iowa's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 20; in the coldest tenth, on or after May 3.
When will Iowa mustard greens be ready to harvest?
Mustard greens planted on the statewide date is ready around May 28: 30 days from sow.
More for Iowa
- When to plant tomatoes
- When to plant peppers
- When to plant tomatillos
- When to plant basil
- When to plant onions
- When to plant cilantro
- When to plant carrots
Mustard Greens in every state → · Iowa frost dates → · How frost-date math works →