When to Plant Asparagus Crowns in Kentucky
Kentucky gardeners get one shot at siting an asparagus bed, and the answer to when starts with where.
Gardening in Kentucky
Everything we have worked out for Kentucky: 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 Louisville, the last spring freeze runs March 24 to April 4 and the first fall freeze runs November 2 to November 12, USDA zones 6a-7a, 4,712 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 Kentucky: 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 Sweet Corn in Kentucky: Will It Ripen?
Yes, sweet corn can ripen fully in a Kentucky garden in a normal year. The state’s frost-free stretch runs long by national standards, and its summers…
Growing Asparagus in Kentucky: Fifteen Years in One Spot
An asparagus bed you plant this spring could still be feeding you fifteen years from now, and in most of Kentucky the ground underneath it will cooperate.
When to Sow Pumpkins in Kentucky
The short version: soil needs to hit 65°F before pumpkin seed goes in the ground, which lands well after Kentucky’s last spring frost of March 24 to…
Will Pumpkins Ripen Before Frost in Kentucky?
For most of Kentucky, yes, but the margin is tighter than gardeners think. The state’s first fall frost lands between November 2 and November 12, and a…
When to Sow Parsnips in Kentucky
Sow parsnip seed directly in the garden between roughly March 3 and March 21, two to three weeks ahead of Kentucky’s last spring frost.
Will Parsnips Sweeten in Kentucky?
Yes, Kentucky delivers what a parsnip needs. Louisville’s coldest month averages a nightly low of 27.8°F, well below freezing, and that cold arrives on…
Growing Parsnips in Kentucky: Will They Sweeten?
Kentucky parsnips will sweeten, and the numbers back it up. The state’s coldest month brings a mean minimum of 27.8°F, cold enough to deliver the…
Growing Spinach in Kentucky: When Will It Bolt?
Kentucky gardeners get two shots at spinach each year, and both end the same way: bolting.
Growing Pumpkins in Kentucky: Will They Ripen in Time?
Kentucky pumpkins can absolutely ripen before frost, but only if the flowers open early enough.