USDA hardiness zone lookup
Rochester, MN — USDA Zone 5a
Rochester, Minnesota · 148-day growing season
Frost dates and growing season in Rochester
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 5a |
|---|---|
| Average last spring frost | May 8 |
| Average first fall frost | October 3 |
| Growing season length | ~148 days |
| Temperature range (F) | -20 to -10°F |
| Temperature range (C) | -29 to -23°C |
All of Rochester's mapped ZIP codes fall in the same hardiness band, Zone 5a.
These are 50%-probability averages modeled from Rochester'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 8, 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 Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota sits in USDA Zone 5a, with roughly 148 frost-free days between an average last spring frost around May 8 and a first fall frost around October 3. 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 Rochester
Rochester falls in USDA Zone 5a, so the same hardiness constraints apply as the full Zone 5 guide. Vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees rated to Zone 5a (or hardier) will overwinter here in a typical year.
- Tomatoes (full range of varieties)
- Peppers
- Eggplant
- Squash, melons, cucumbers
- Beans (bush + pole)
- Sweet corn
- Apples, pears, plums
- Cherries (sweet + sour)
- Blueberries, raspberries
- Garlic
What to plant in Rochester this week
Rochester's last frost is around May 8. 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 5
- When to plant peppers in zone 5
- When to plant basil in zone 5
- When to plant bush beans in zone 5
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 5
Full planting calendar for Rochester
Crop-by-crop sowing, transplant, and harvest dates calibrated to zone 5 averages:
- When to plant tomatoes in zone 5
- When to plant peppers in zone 5
- When to plant basil in zone 5
- When to plant garlic in zone 5
- When to plant lettuce in zone 5
- When to plant bush beans in zone 5
- When to plant cucumbers in zone 5
- When to plant summer squash in zone 5
- When to plant peas in zone 5
- When to plant carrots in zone 5
ZIP codes in Rochester
Drill down to the precise frost window and planting calendar for a specific ZIP in Rochester:
Local microclimate notes
Zone tables give you the average — but Rochestergardens 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 Rochester'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 Minnesota
- Andover, MN — USDA Zone 4b
- Apple Valley, MN — USDA Zone 5a
- Burnsville, MN — USDA Zone 5a
- Duluth, MN — USDA Zone 4a
- Mankato, MN — USDA Zone 5a
- Maple Grove, MN — USDA Zone 5a
- Minneapolis, MN — USDA Zone 5a
- Moorhead, MN — USDA Zone 4a
- Saint Paul, MN — USDA Zone 5a
- St. Cloud, MN — USDA Zone 4b
- St. Louis Park, MN — USDA Zone 5a
- All of Minnesota by zone