USDA hardiness zone lookup
Brookings, SD — USDA Zone 4b
Brookings, South Dakota · 140-day growing season
Frost dates and growing season in Brookings
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 4b |
|---|---|
| Average last spring frost | May 10 |
| Average first fall frost | September 27 |
| Growing season length | ~140 days |
| Temperature range (F) | -30 to -20°F |
| Temperature range (C) | -34 to -29°C |
All of Brookings's mapped ZIP codes fall in the same hardiness band, Zone 4b.
These are 50%-probability averages modeled from Brookings's USDA hardiness zone and regional climate normals — not a single-station reading. In a typical year the last spring frost will have passed by May 10, but a colder-than-average year can run 1-2 weeks later. Plant tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, basil) once both soil and night temperatures are consistently warm — a thermometer beats the calendar.
Growing season in Brookings
Brookings, South Dakota sits in USDA Zone 4b, with roughly 140 frost-free days between an average last spring frost around May 10 and a first fall frost around September 27. That is a standard temperate season — most common vegetables finish comfortably, and a single main planting plus one succession round works well.
What grows in Brookings
Brookings falls in USDA Zone 4b, so the same hardiness constraints apply as the full Zone 4 guide. Vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees rated to Zone 4b (or hardier) will overwinter here in a typical year.
- Apple, pear, plum, sour cherry
- Blueberries (highbush)
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Peppers (short-season)
- Cucumbers
- Beans
- Squash (summer + winter)
- Garlic
What to plant in Brookings this week
Brookings's last frost is around May 10. This is the spring transplant window — start tomatoes and peppers indoors if you haven't, and direct-sow cold-tolerant crops now.
- When to plant tomatoes in zone 4
- When to plant peppers in zone 4
- When to plant basil in zone 4
- When to plant bush beans in zone 4
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 4
Full planting calendar for Brookings
Crop-by-crop sowing, transplant, and harvest dates calibrated to zone 4 averages:
- When to plant tomatoes in zone 4
- When to plant peppers in zone 4
- When to plant basil in zone 4
- When to plant garlic in zone 4
- When to plant lettuce in zone 4
- When to plant bush beans in zone 4
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 4
- When to plant summer squash in zone 4
- When to plant peas in zone 4
- When to plant carrots in zone 4
ZIP codes in Brookings
Drill down to the precise frost window and planting calendar for a specific ZIP in Brookings:
Local microclimate notes
Zone tables give you the average — but Brookingsgardens vary. South-facing walls and paved areas can run a full half-zone warmer than the published rating. Low-lying spots, frost pockets, and shaded north sides can run colder. If you've gardened here a few seasons, your own frost record — the last time you actually got frost damage — beats any national average.
Source and methodology
Hardiness zone from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023 revision). Frost-date and growing-season figures are modeled from Brookings's USDA hardiness zone and regional NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals — zone-level estimates, not a per-station record, so treat them as planning guidance and confirm against your own local frost history. Crop recommendations draw on US Cooperative Extension references, curated by the Growli editorial team. Last reviewed June 2026.
Other cities in South Dakota
- Aberdeen, SD — USDA Zone 4b
- Pierre, SD — USDA Zone 4b
- Rapid City, SD — USDA Zone 5a
- Sioux Falls, SD — USDA Zone 5a
- All of South Dakota by zone