Conditional — Some Areas
Chinese cabbage (zones 2-11) has limited zone overlap with Iowa (4b-5b). Only zones 4-5 in the state are suitable.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Iowa spans zones 4b-5b, but your yard has its own microclimate — slope, trees, and low spots shift frost and sun across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score chinese cabbage against your land's actual soil, sun, and frost.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Zone Comparison
Chinese Cabbage Needs
- USDA Zones: 2-11
- Soil pH: 5.3 - 8
- Sun: Full Sun
- Drainage: well (dry spells)
- Frost-Free Days: 40+
Iowa Has
- USDA Zones: 4b-5b
- Last Frost: Apr 20 - May 15
- First Frost: Sep 25 - Oct 15
- Annual Rainfall: 26-36 inches
- Common Soils: Prairie loess, Silt loam, Clay loam
Plant Zone Range (zones 2-11)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: USDA PLANTS Database / plant_species_v5.csv. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Chinese Cabbage in Iowa
The frost window
Across Iowa, the last spring frost clears between Apr 20 and May 15, and the first fall frost lands between Sep 25 and Oct 15 (NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last frost to the earliest first frost, that's a 133-day window you can count on — up to 178 days on a mild site in a kind year.
Frost tenderness
Chinese Cabbage is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 46.4°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so set plants out after the last frost has cleared your local site, not the state's earliest date.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 50 days to maturity (USDA PLANTS Database), a planting right after last frost ripens with 83 days to spare even in Iowa's tightest frost scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: USDA PLANTS Database. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
Zone compatibility says you can survive winter here. Whether the growing season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Chinese Cabbage wants 40+ frost-free days; a typical Iowa site sees ~170 (NOAA Climate Normals). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Chinese Cabbage needs ~1000 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. The state median runs ~2900 GDD (USDA NRCS county aggregates), so Iowa's typical season clears that easily.
Climate aggregates derive from USDA NRCS county-level hardiness data + Cornell CALS Extension GDD-by-region tables + MSU Extension chill-hours-by-zone (1991-2020 NOAA Climate Normals baseline).
Soil + Drainage Fit
Chinese Cabbage likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.3-8). That's the common-ground band across Iowa's prairie loess and silt loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Iowa site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Plant pH and drainage requirements from USDA PLANTS Database. Iowa soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Chinese Cabbage in Iowa — Quick Answer
- Verdict: Conditional — Some Areas
- Plant Zones: 2-11 (USDA PLANTS Database)
- State Zones: 4b-5b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023)
- Growing Season: Apr 20 - May 15 to Sep 25 - Oct 15 (NOAA Climate Normals)
- Days to Maturity: 50 days
What Else to Consider
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Iowa growers also need to think about:
Cold winters reaching -20F or below
Choose perennials rated a zone hardier than yours — Iowa winters test the margins, and the margin is where plants are lost.
Variable spring weather delays planting
Let soil temperature and your local frost normal call the start, not the calendar — a two-week wait beats a replant.
Wind exposure on open prairies desiccates plants
Even a simple windbreak — a shrub row, a snow fence, a tall cover crop — cuts wind desiccation dramatically.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Chinese Cabbage draws pollinators (moderate value, USDA PLANTS Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops.
Iowa Cooperative Extension
For Iowa-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for chinese cabbage, the canonical source is Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Common Questions About Growing Chinese Cabbage in Iowa
When can I plant Chinese Cabbage in Iowa?
Iowa's last spring frost clears between Apr 20 and May 15, and the first fall frost lands between Sep 25 and Oct 15 (NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020). Chinese Cabbage is frost-tender — its listed minimum temperature is 46.4°F (USDA PLANTS Database) — so wait until the last frost has cleared your specific site before planting out.
Can Chinese Cabbage mature before first frost in Iowa?
Yes — Chinese Cabbage matures in 50 days (USDA PLANTS Database), and Iowa's dependable frost-free window runs 133 days (NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020), leaving 83 days of margin. Plant just after last frost and it ripens ahead of the first fall frost.
What hardiness zone is Chinese Cabbage grown in across Iowa?
Iowa spans USDA hardiness zones 4b-5b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Chinese Cabbage carries a range of zones 2-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Iowa site have?
A typical Iowa site sees ~170 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020). Chinese Cabbage needs 40+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date.
How should I amend the soil for Chinese Cabbage in Iowa?
Chinese Cabbage prefers pH 5.3-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (USDA PLANTS Database). That sits in the common-ground band across Iowa soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Chinese Cabbage actually grow on my specific land in Iowa?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores chinese cabbage against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Iowa
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores chinese cabbage against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds