What to Plant in Nebraska in December
In December, Nebraska gardens sit under frozen or near-frozen ground across most of the state, so the honest answer is that nothing goes into open soil…
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.
What to Plant in Nebraska in August
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What to Plant in Nebraska in April
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Watering Pots and Containers in Nebraska
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When to Plant Onions in Nebraska
In Nebraska, onions go into the ground in late winter to early spring, usually as transplants or sets set out three to four weeks before the last frost…
Forcing Spring Bulbs Indoors in Nebraska
Forcing spring bulbs indoors works reliably in Nebraska because winter here already supplies more cold than any bulb needs.