State × crop calendar
Cotton planting in Iowa.
- Trial / unusual
- Zone 5a
- 155-day season
- Last frost May 5
- Row Crop
- Frost Sensitive
Cotton planting in Iowa is shaped by the state's 5a dominant hardiness zone, last frost date around May 5, and a 155-day growing season. Cotton is at the edge of viable range in Iowa — short-season varieties, season extension, or specialty/trial-only production.
Planting dates on this page are climatological estimates from USDA frost-date norms and zone-typical planting offsets. Verify against Iowa State University Extension and Outreach for variety- and county-specific guidance.
Planting calendar — 2026
Frost-anchored windows.
Cotton · Iowa · planting calendar
Planting windows shift earlier in southern parts of the state and later in northern parts. Use last frost date in your specific county as the reference.
Planting windows
Earliest → ideal → latest.
Spring planting
CottonEarliest
May 12
Ideal start
May 19
Ideal end
June 9
Latest
June 30
Soil-temp trigger
Wait for 65°F minimum soil temp at 2-inch depth, sustained for 3-5 days. Cotton emerges very slowly below this threshold.Harvest window
Typical start
October 16
Typical end
November 15
Harvest timing varies with planting date and seasonal weather — these dates are typical for the ideal planting window.
Growing notes
Cotton is at the edge of viable range in Iowa. Specialty varieties, greenhouse or high-tunnel production, or container growing may be required.
Cotton is at the edge of viable range in Iowa — short-season varieties, season extension, or specialty/trial-only production.
Agronomy reference
Cotton fundamentals.
Soil-temp minimum
65°F
Soil-temp optimum
68–95°F
Days to maturity
150–180
Water (in/wk)
0.8–1.5"
Soil pH
5.8–7
Nitrogen demand
moderate
Growing-degree-day requirement: 2200 GDD (base 60°F) from planting to maturity.
Cotton requires a long, warm growing season — generally limited to USDA zones 7 and warmer with adequate growing season length.
Common pests to watch
- Bollworm
- Lygus bug
- Spider mites
Pest pressure varies by region and year. Confirm current outbreaks with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
Common diseases
- Verticillium wilt
- Fusarium wilt
- Cotton root rot
Resistance varieties shift each year. Check the current variety trial report for your state.
Variety selection
Cotton varieties for Iowa live with your extension.
Variety selection
Variety performance is micro-regional and changes with each year's trial cycle. We don't republish variety lists — instead, we point directly at the source.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach →Search the extension site for “cotton variety trial” or “recommended cotton varieties” to find the current report.
Yield varies significantly by variety, soil, fertility, and management. Consult your state extension service for variety performance trials in your region.
Cotton timing. Live alerts.
Bield: Farm ties weather and soil-temperature stations in your county to crop planting thresholds — get notified the day soil temp clears your target window.
Start free trial →