Green June beetle in Nebraska: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Green June beetles show up in Nebraska gardens as thumb-sized, metallic-green scarabs that fly clumsily over lawns and ripening fruit from early July…
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.
Trees, Shrubs and Perennials for Nebraska: What Will Not Survive
Most of what grows well in Nebraska comes down to one number: the state runs from USDA zone 4a up through 5b.
How Much Insulation Does a Home in Nebraska Need?
Nebraska sits entirely in IECC climate zone 5A, so the whole state falls into the same row of the ENERGY STAR retrofit table: R60 for an attic with no…
When to Sow Carrots in Nebraska: Counting Back From the Last Frost
Carrots go into Nebraska ground as seed, straight into the row where they’ll stay, so gardeners typically start once the soil can be worked and count on…
When Can You Turn the Heat Off in Nebraska?
Nebraska’s closest thing to a real pause falls in September, when combined heating and cooling demand drops to about 219 degree days for the month.
Will Sweet Corn Ripen in Nebraska?
Sweet corn ripens in Nebraska in a typical year, but the calendar math is tighter than most gardeners expect.
When to Sow Sweet Corn in Nebraska
Nebraska gardeners can plant sweet corn once soil temperature holds at 60°F or above, which typically arrives well after the last spring frost of April…
When to Sow Autumn Spinach in Nebraska
In Nebraska, autumn spinach goes into the ground from late July through late August, once soil has started cooling and there’s still enough calendar left…
Will Spinach Bolt Early in Nebraska?
Spinach bolts early almost everywhere in Nebraska, and the reason isn’t just summer heat.
Will Nebraska Soil Hold an Asparagus Bed for Fifteen Years?
Yes, in most cases. Nebraska’s official state soil, the Holdrege series, is classed as well drained, and a well-drained spot is the only real soil demand…