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When to plant bell pepper in Minneapolis

How to grow Bell pepperMinneapolis climate
Where are you growing?

Comfortable

Comfortable in greenhouse

Comfortable in a cold frame

Bell pepper in Minneapolis is a good fit outdoors. The suitable growing window of 110 days covers the 60–85 days this plant usually needs.

Start indoors
March 17 – March 29
Transplant outside
May 26 – June 7
Harvest
July 25 – August 31
Season vs crop
110 grow days vs 60–85 needed
Typical frost (last spring – first fall)
May 12 – October 18

Bell pepper in Minneapolis is a good fit outdoors. The suitable growing window of 110 days covers the 60–85 days this plant usually needs.

Planting conditions

Bell pepper planting activities across the year: Start indoors, Grow indoors, Harden off, Transplant outside, Grow outdoors, HarvestJFMAMJJASOND~May 12~Oct 18
  • Start indoors
  • Grow indoors
  • Harden off
  • Transplant outside
  • Grow outdoors
  • Harvest
Local activity windows for this place and growing method. Blue fill is usually too cold for this plant. Dashed lines are typical last and first frost.
Suitable growing days in a row110
Days to harvest60–85 days from transplant
Mar 17 – Mar 29
Start indoors
Mar 30 – May 18
Grow indoors
May 19 – May 25
Harden off
May 26
Transplant outside
May 27 – Jul 24
Grow outdoors
Jul 25 – Aug 31
Harvest
ActivityWindowNotes
Start indoorsMar 17 – Mar 29Sow indoors before the outdoor window.
Grow indoorsMar 30 – May 18Seedlings grow indoors until harden or transplant.
Harden offMay 19 – May 25Acclimate seedlings outdoors before planting.
Transplant outsideMay 26Move plants outside on this day (start of the plant-out window).
Grow outdoorsMay 27 – Jul 24Plants grow outdoors until harvest.
HarvestJul 25 – Aug 31Expected harvest from typical days to harvest.
Blue fill is usually too cold for this plant. Dashed lines are typical last and first frost. Adjust a week or two for your conditions.

Planting and growing across the year

Planting is the sow / plant-out window. Growing is daytime air versus this plant’s ideal (70 – 84 °F) and tolerable (55 – 95 °F) ranges.

Bell pepper planting and growing weeks in MinneapolisJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECPlantingGrowing
Planting uses sow / plant-out rules (frost, soil germination, night, and last-sow): green when plantable, blue diagonal when nights or soil are too cold, amber cross-hatch when too hot, faint for other calendar limits. Growing shows daytime air against this plant’s ideal and tolerable ranges across the year.

Key dates

Typical last spring frostMay 12
Safer last spring frostMay 12
Typical first fall frostOctober 18
Safer first fall frostOctober 18
Frost-free days158
Earliest indoor seed startMarch 17
Latest indoor seed startMarch 29
Transplant outdoorsMay 26 – June 7
Direct sow windownot recommended here
Suitable growing windowMay 26 – September 12 (110 days)
Expected harvestJuly 25 – August 31

How these dates are judged

Ideal conditions
Daytime air from 70 – 84 °F.
Suitable conditions
Daytime air from 55 – 95 °F.
Last frost and first frost
Typical spring and fall frost dates for Minneapolis, shown in the key dates.
Days to harvest
60–85 days from transplant, from typical days to harvest.
Sowing window
Dated sow and harvest bars use frost dates, soil minima, night limits, and last-sow count-back from typical crop timing. The year strip and weekly chart use the same window: air ratings only colour weeks inside it.

Growing window for Bell pepper: May 26 – Sep 12 (110 days)

Planting window for Bell pepper: May 26 – Jun 7 (13 days)

Usually too cold: Jan 1 – May 24; Oct 5 – Dec 31

Outdoors: weekly temperatures and windows

Temperatures across the year for Minneapolis. Shaded bands are this plant’s ideal and tolerable daytime air ranges. Growing is daytime air suitability; Planting is sow / plant-out conditions (same colour language). Window brackets mark each stretch.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec−40 °C−40 °F−30 °C−22 °F−20 °C−4 °F−10 °C14 °F0 °C32 °F10 °C50 °F20 °C68 °F30 °C86 °F40 °C104 °FTolerable 13–35 °CTolerable 55–95 °FIdeal 21–29 °CIdeal 70–84 °FWindowGrowingMay 26 – Sep 12PlantingMay 26 – Jun 7Last frost ~May 12First frost ~Oct 18
  • Ideal range
  • Tolerable range
  • Possible min to max
  • Average min to max
  • Suitable
  • Tolerable
  • Too cold
  • Too hot

Selected week · tap a week or use the arrows

Week 22 · May 25 – May 31

Average 55 to 72 °F · Possible 40 to 87 °F

Growing: too cold (inside window)

Planting: suitable

A week is in range when its average low and high sit inside the tolerance band 55 to 95 °F; it is suitable when that average range also overlaps the ideal 70 to 84 °F band and possible readings stay within 32 °F to 95 °F. Crossing a possible limit, or missing the ideal band, makes it tolerable; any chance of frost (possible low below 32 °F) makes it too cold. When a sowing window is calculated, weeks outside that window are uncoloured even if air is in range.

Based on average frost dates.

Show all 53 weeks
Cover method weekly charts

Outdoor weekly chart is above. Open a cover chart only if you grow under fleece, a cold frame, or an unheated greenhouse.

Other plants for Minneapolis

Calculated by Plan & Plant · Method · Data 2019–2026

Frost and suitability dates are typical figures from climate statistics. Microclimates vary; they are not a guarantee.

How we calculated this
  • Data: ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo, cell 45.00, -93.30, years 2019–2026 (not a 30-year climate normal yet).
  • Typical and safer dates: Typical last frost is the date after which half of winters in this sample had no more frost; safer is later in the sample so fewer winters still frosted.
  • Crop rule: Local windows for Bell pepper from frost dates, temperature ratings, and crop timing rules.
  • Confidence: Provisional — short or thin sample for this place.
  • Full methodology (algorithm 2026-10-season-6).

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