Beet Soil in Mississippi: What the Root Will Meet
Mississippi’s official state ground is silty, only mildly acid and drains well, which sounds close to what a beet wants.
Gardening in Mississippi
Everything we have worked out for Mississippi: 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 Jackson, the last spring freeze runs March 6 to March 22 and the first fall freeze runs November 7 to November 22, USDA zones 7b-9a, 6,057 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 13 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Mississippi: 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 Parsnips in Mississippi: Will They Sweeten?
Parsnips will grow just fine in Mississippi’s long, mild season. Sweetening is the harder promise.
When to Start Pepper Seed in Mississippi
Start pepper seed indoors roughly 8 to 10 weeks before you plan to set plants outside.
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in Mississippi
Peppers fail to set fruit in Mississippi mainly because the growing season swings hard between two extremes: long stretches of 90°F-plus days that stall…
Growing Carrots in Mississippi: Soil, Sowing and Forked Roots
Mississippi’s official state soil, the Natchez series, is mostly silt (82 percent) with just 13 percent clay and barely any sand.
Growing Beets in Mississippi: Soil, Sowing and Bolting
Mississippi’s official soil, the Natchez series, is a well-drained silty loam that beets can grow in reasonably well.
When Does the Heating Season Start in Mississippi?
In Mississippi, heating demand typically kicks in come November, when the monthly average temperature first drops below the 65°F mark used to calculate…
When to Plant Potatoes in Mississippi: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
Mississippi gardeners plant potatoes 14 to 21 days before the last spring frost, once soil temperature hits 50 F, not on a fixed calendar date.
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in Mississippi
Mississippi potatoes come out of the ground on the calendar, not the thermometer, because vine die-back happens long before any real frost risk shows up.
Potato Varieties That Suit Mississippi
Mississippi gardeners get the best results from early and mid-season potato types planted as soon as the soil warms to 50°F, roughly two to three weeks…