Tomato Varieties That Ripen in Time in North Dakota
See which tomato varieties, from 55-day cherry types to 78-day slicers, actually have time to ripen before North Dakota’s first fall frost.
Gardening in North Dakota
Everything we have worked out for North Dakota: 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 Fargo, the last spring freeze runs May 4 to May 15 and the first fall freeze runs September 25 to October 5, USDA zones 3a-4b, 2,673 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 North Dakota: 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.
Growing Tomatoes in North Dakota: Planting Dates, Varieties and Local Pests
NOAA’s 1991-2020 climate normals put Fargo’s last spring frost between May 4 and May 15, guiding when North Dakota gardeners should transplant tomatoes.
Garden Pests in North Dakota: What Shows Up, When, and How to Stop It
A season-by-season look at the six pests NDSU Extension documents for North Dakota gardens, how to tell their damage apart, and what actually helps.