When to Cut Spinach in Nebraska, and How Long It Really Keeps
Cut spinach as soon as the leaves are big enough to eat and before the center starts rising into a seed stalk.
Nebraska
For homeowners and renters in Nebraska: the planting calendar, the maintenance schedule and the local programs worth knowing about.
Gardening in Nebraska
Everything we have worked out for Nebraska: 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 Omaha, the last spring freeze runs April 12 to April 23 and the first fall freeze runs October 15 to October 26, USDA zones 4a-5b, 3,740 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 26.1 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Nebraska: 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.
When Sweet Corn Is Ready in Nebraska, and How Fast It Fades
Most Nebraska sweet corn is ready 60 to 90 days after planting, and soil temperature, not the calendar, sets the planting date.
When Sweet Corn Is Ready in Nebraska, and How Fast It Fades
Most Nebraska sweet corn is ready 60 to 90 days after planting, and soil temperature, not the calendar, sets the planting date.
What Eats Beet in Nebraska, and When
In Nebraska, beets lose out to three things, and each one has its own timing. Thirst in the first six weeks sends plants to flower.
Heat Pump or Gas Furnace in Nebraska: Which Costs Less to Run?
In Nebraska, a 97% AFUE gas furnace costs less to run than a heat pump: $11.33 per million Btu delivered, against $15.93 for a heat pump at the ENERGY…
How High to Mow a Lawn in Nebraska
Mow tall fescue at 3 to 3.5 inches, Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescues at 2 to 3 inches, and perennial ryegrass and rough bluegrass at 1.5 to 2.5 inches.
When to Plant Grass Seed in Nebraska
The best time to sow grass seed in Nebraska is late summer, finishing no later than about 45 days before your first fall freeze. Spring is the backup.
When to Aerate a Lawn in Nebraska
For a cool-season lawn in Nebraska, the best time to aerate is fall, from late August into September, while the grass is still growing and well before…
When to Dig Up Dahlias, Cannas and Gladiolus in Nebraska
Dig dahlias, cannas and gladiolus in Nebraska after the first hard frost blackens the foliage, within a week or two of it.
How Late Can You Plant Trees and Shrubs in Fall in Nebraska?
In Nebraska, the safe target for fall planting is September 3 to September 14, which is six weeks before the first fall frost of October 15 to October 26…