Watering a Garden in Montana: How Much, How Often, and the Local Rules
Montana gardens live and die on two numbers: how many days climb past 90F each summer, and how far apart the rain actually falls.
Gardening in Montana
Everything we have worked out for Montana: 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 Billings, the last spring freeze runs April 29 to May 10 and the first fall freeze runs October 1 to October 14, USDA zones 3a-6a, 2,855 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 30.4 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Montana: 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.
Montana Soil: What You Are Digging Into, and How to Improve It
Dig a shovel into most of Montana’s dryland prairie and you’ll hit dark, crumbly ground that holds together in a ball but doesn’t turn to concrete.
Montana Planting Calendar: When to Sow and Plant, Frost Dates Included
Montana’s last spring frost falls April 29 to May 10 near Billings, and first fall frost falls October 1 to 14, according to NOAA’s climate normals.
Growing Onions in Montana: Which Varieties Actually Bulb
The reference point for Montana growing conditions is Billings, sitting at 45.81 degrees north latitude with 15 hours and 32 minutes of daylight on the…
Flowers That Actually Thrive in Montana, and the Ones That Struggle
A look at which flowers hold up to Montana’s cold winters and hot summers, and which ones need replanting every year.
Planting Spring Bulbs in Montana: What Will Come Back, and What Will Not
Spring bulbs go into Montana ground on a tighter calendar than most catalogs admit, and the deciding factor isn’t the calendar at all: it’s whether your…
Firewood in Montana: Which Woods Your Winter Actually Needs
Winter in Montana isn’t polite about it: temperatures fall fast, stay down for months, and demand a heating plan that actually works.
When to Carve a Pumpkin in Montana
Around Billings, the mean first fall frost lands somewhere between October 1 and October 14, which puts it two to four weeks ahead of Halloween in most…
Growing Apples in Montana: Varieties, Timing and Frost Risk
Montana’s growing zones range from 3a to 6a, and choosing a cold-hardy, high-chill apple variety with the right pollination partner determines success.
Heating a Home in Montana: What the Winter Actually Costs
Montana winters ask a lot of a heating system, and the numbers back that up. Billings sits at a coldest-month minimum of 17.9°F, which sounds manageable…