Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in Iowa
Iowa peppers fail to set fruit mainly because summer days push past pollen’s heat limit, and because nights on either edge of the season drop below the…
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.
Growing Carrots in Iowa: Soil, Sowing and Forked Roots
Iowa’s benchmark soil, the Tama series, is a deep prairie Mollisol built from windblown silt: 70 percent silt, 26 percent clay, only 4 percent sand, with…
Growing Beets in Iowa: Soil, Sowing and Bolting
Iowa’s benchmark soil runs 70 percent silt and 26 percent clay, and it holds water the way a sponge does.
When to Plant Potatoes in Iowa: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
Plant Iowa potatoes 14 to 21 days before your last spring frost, as soon as the soil reaches 50°F.
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in Iowa
Dig potatoes in Iowa before the first fall frost lands, typically between October 14 and October 25 depending on where you garden in the state, then cure…
Potato Varieties That Suit Iowa
Iowa gardeners do best with early-season and mid-season potato varieties, planted while soil is still cool.
When Does the Heating Season Start in Iowa?
In Iowa, heating season typically begins in October, when the average monthly temperature first dips below 65°F, and it doesn’t let go until June.
What to Plant in Iowa in September
September in Iowa still has real planting work in it: hardy greens go into open soil, cover crops go down on cleared beds, and cold frames get seeded for…
What to Plant in Iowa in October
October is Iowa’s garlic-planting window and its last full harvest push before frost, not the start of a new growing season.
What to Plant in Iowa in November
By November, Iowa’s ground is working against a gardener, not for one. The first fall freeze has already swept across the state somewhere between October…