When to Plant Onions in Mississippi
Planting calendar onions Mississippi comes down to two numbers: Jackson sits at 32.32 degrees north, and the longest day of the year there brings just 14…
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.
The Best Onion Varieties for Mississippi
Best varieties onions Mississippi comes down to day length. At 32.32°N, the reference point for this state, the longest day of the year brings 14 hours…
Watering a Garden in Mississippi: How Much, How Often, and the Local Rules
Mississippi doesn’t ask a gentle question about water. With 71.1 days a year reaching 90°F or hotter at the Jackson reference station, a garden here…
Mississippi Soil: What You Are Digging Into, and How to Improve It
Mississippi’s official state soil is the Natchez series, a silt-heavy Inceptisol with a surface pH near 6.2, just 5 percent sand, 13 percent clay, and a…
Flowers That Actually Thrive in Mississippi, and the Ones That Struggle
Mississippi’s heat, humidity and mild zone 7b-9a winters favor salvias, coneflowers and lantana, while many cool-climate perennials struggle through the long, hot summer months.
Planting Spring Bulbs in Mississippi: What Will Come Back, and What Will Not
Mississippi gardeners can plant daffodils, alliums, and crocus with confidence, but tulips and hyacinths need a cold winter they mostly won’t get here.
The Mississippi Apple Calendar, Stage by Stage
A stage-by-stage look at when Mississippi apple trees break dormancy, bloom, and ripen, based on Jackson’s NOAA frost dates and local chill needs.
The Best Apple Varieties for Mississippi
Mississippi’s winters rarely provide enough chill for high-chill apples, so choosing a low-chill variety matched to your county determines success.
Firewood in Mississippi: Which Woods Your Winter Actually Needs
Winter in Mississippi rarely turns brutal, but the nights still bite enough to matter, and the wood you burn on those nights is not a small choice.
When to Carve a Pumpkin in Mississippi
Mississippi’s mean first fall frost lands somewhere between November 7 and November 22, weeks after Halloween has come and gone.