The Iowa Apple Calendar, Stage by Stage
A stage-by-stage Iowa apple calendar anchored on NOAA’s Des Moines frost dates, with what changes across the state and the mistakes that cost a crop.
Gardening in Iowa
Everything we have worked out for Iowa: 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 Des Moines, the last spring freeze runs April 12 to April 24 and the first fall freeze runs October 14 to October 25, USDA zones 4b-6a, 3,659 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 21.8 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Iowa: 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.
Watering a Garden in Iowa: How Much, How Often, and the Local Rules
Iowa gardens need roughly an inch of water a week during the growing season, and how much of that comes from the sky depends on which week you’re in and…
Iowa Soil: What You Are Digging Into, and How to Improve It
Dig a spade into most Iowa ground and you’ll hit something dark, crumbly, and heavier than you expected.
Iowa Planting Calendar: When to Sow and Plant, Frost Dates Included
Explains Iowa’s frost-date range from NOAA data, cool- and warm-season planting timing, tomato variety options, and where to find county-specific frost dates and soil testing.
Flowers That Actually Thrive in Iowa, and the Ones That Struggle
A look at which flowers survive Iowa’s winter lows and summer heat, which natives to plant, and which perennials need special handling.
Planting Spring Bulbs in Iowa: What Will Come Back, and What Will Not
Iowa’s winters are cold enough to satisfy nearly every spring bulb sold at garden centers, but timing and rodent pressure still trip people up.
The Best Apple Varieties for Iowa
Winter cold and April frost data from NOAA set the real limits on apple varieties in Iowa, and Iowa State Extension lists which cultivars have proven hardy by county.
When to Carve a Pumpkin in Iowa
Iowa’s mean first fall frost lands somewhere between October 14 and October 25, based on thirty years of weather station data recorded near Des Moines.
Growing Onions in Iowa: Which Varieties Actually Bulb
At 41.53 degrees north, the reference station for this territory gets 15 hours and 1 minute of daylight on the longest day of the year.
Growing Apples in Iowa: Varieties, Timing and Frost Risk
Iowa spans USDA zones 4b to 6a, so variety choice, pollination pairing and frost timing depend heavily on where in the state you plant.