Idaho Soil: What You Are Digging Into, and How to Improve It
The ground under an Idaho garden is, more often than not, volcanic ash that fell centuries ago and never left.
Gardening in Idaho
Everything we have worked out for Idaho: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Boise, the last spring freeze runs April 23 to May 7 and the first fall freeze runs October 7 to October 21, USDA zones 3b-7b, 3,309 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 26.1 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Idaho: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
Flowers That Actually Thrive in Idaho, and the Ones That Struggle
Idaho’s cold winters and hot, dry summers favor drought-tolerant natives and hardy perennials, and this guide names varieties that hold up and the ones that struggle.
Planting Spring Bulbs in Idaho: What Will Come Back, and What Will Not
Idaho gardeners can plant spring bulbs from late September through late October, with the safest window closing about six weeks before the ground freezes…
The Idaho Apple Calendar, Stage by Stage
A stage-by-stage look at Idaho’s apple season, anchored to Boise’s NOAA frost dates, with what changes at higher elevation and colder valleys.
Firewood in Idaho: Which Woods Your Winter Actually Needs
Boise winters bottom out at an average of 25.4°F for the coldest month’s daily low, according to NOAA’s 1991-2020 Climate Normals.
Watering a Garden in Idaho: How Much, How Often, and the Local Rules
Idaho gardens live and die by two things: heat and how little rain shows up when it matters most.
When to Carve a Pumpkin in Idaho
Boise’s mean first fall frost lands somewhere between October 7 and October 21, weeks before Halloween arrives.
Idaho Planting Calendar: When to Sow and Plant, Frost Dates Included
Idaho’s planting dates depend on elevation as much as frost, so this calendar shows how to calculate sowing windows from Boise’s NOAA frost data.
Growing Onions in Idaho: Which Varieties Actually Bulb
Boise sits at 43.57 degrees north, and on the longest day of the year the sun keeps that valley lit for 15 hours and 15 minutes.
Growing Apples in Idaho: Varieties, Timing and Frost Risk
A look at which apple varieties suit Idaho’s zones and winter chill, how to pair them for pollination, and when Boise’s frost dates put the bloom at risk.