Will Pumpkins Ripen Before Frost in Iowa?
Yes, but only if pollination happens early enough. Iowa’s first fall frost lands between October 14 and October 25, and a pumpkin needs 45 to 55 days…
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.
When to Sow Parsnips in Iowa
Sow parsnip seed directly in the ground in central Iowa between late March and mid-April, roughly two to three weeks before the last spring frost.
Will Parsnips Sweeten in Iowa?
Yes. Iowa’s winters run cold enough, and long enough, to give parsnips the frost exposure that converts starch to sugar in the root.
Growing Parsnips in Iowa: Will They Sweeten?
Iowa’s parsnip growers get good news on both fronts. Using Des Moines as the reference point, winters here run cold enough, and long enough, to trigger…
Growing Spinach in Iowa: When Will It Bolt?
Spinach in Iowa gets squeezed from two directions at once. The long daylight hours of an Iowa summer push the plant toward flowering no matter how mild…
Growing Pumpkins in Iowa: Will They Ripen in Time?
Most Iowa gardeners get a ripe pumpkin by fall, but the margin is thinner than the calendar suggests.
When to Sow Carrots in Iowa: Counting Back From the Last Frost
The short answer is that timing in Iowa starts with two separate calculations: the days a carrot needs to mature and the soil texture it has to push…
Will Carrots Fork in Iowa Soil?
Iowa’s benchmark soil, the Tama series, runs heavy: 26 percent clay and just 4 percent sand, with silt making up the rest.
When to Sow Beets in Iowa
Sow beets in Iowa 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost, which for the state falls between April 12 and April 24.
Beet Soil in Iowa: What the Root Will Meet
Iowa’s representative ground, the Tama series, is a deep, dark prairie soil built more for corn than for carrots.