What Eats Pepper in Iowa, and When
In Iowa, the pepper pests documented by Iowa State University Extension are limited: common stalk borer tunneling into stems, grasshoppers that shred…
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.
What Eats Spinach in Iowa, and When
Grasshoppers are the only documented pest in Iowa that actually treats spinach leaves as food.
What Eats Onion in Iowa, and When
Two insects show up on Iowa onions with any regularity: the common stalk borer, which tunnels into the stalk and leaves a single leaf wilting from the…
What Eats Corn in Iowa, and When
Iowa State University Extension tracks nine insect species commonly reported in home gardens and landscapes across the state, and only four of them are…
What Eats Pumpkin in Iowa, and When
Iowa State University Extension documents nine insects on garden and vegetable crops in the state, but pumpkin only draws the attention of some of them…
What Eats Potato in Iowa, and When
Iowa State University Extension documents three insects that actually feed on potato in home gardens: common stalk borer, grasshoppers, and spotted…
What Eats Parsnip in Iowa, and When
In Iowa, parsnip tops and stems draw generalist feeders more than crop specialists: grasshoppers, common stalk borer, Japanese beetle, and spotted…
What Eats Beet in Iowa, and When
What eats beet in Iowa, according to Iowa State University Extension’s documented pest list, comes down to three generalist feeders: grasshoppers, the…
When to Overseed a Lawn in Iowa
Overseeding in Iowa depends on soil temperature and the first fall frost, not a set date, and the safe window shifts by county.
First and Last Frost Dates in Iowa
Iowa’s last spring frost typically falls between April 12 and April 24, and the first fall frost arrives between October 14 and October 25, according to…