When to Plant Asparagus Crowns in North Dakota
The short answer: plant asparagus crowns in early spring, timed to North Dakota’s last frost window of around May 4 to May 15.
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 Sweet Corn in North Dakota: Will It Ripen?
In most years, sweet corn does ripen in North Dakota, but only if the planting date and the variety both respect a calendar that runs later than most…
Growing Asparagus in North Dakota: Fifteen Years in One Spot
North Dakota’s representative soil, the Williams series, drains well enough for asparagus, so the bigger question isn’t whether the crop will grow here.
When to Sow Pumpkins in North Dakota
In North Dakota, pumpkin seed goes into the ground once the soil has warmed to 65 F, typically from the last week of May through mid-June, so that…
Will Pumpkins Ripen Before Frost in North Dakota?
Whether a North Dakota pumpkin turns orange before the first hard frost comes down to one number gardeners rarely track: the flowering date, not the…
When to Sow Parsnips in North Dakota
Sow parsnip seed directly in the garden bed from mid to late April in most of North Dakota, roughly two to three weeks before the last spring frost lands…
Will Parsnips Sweeten in North Dakota?
Yes. North Dakota’s winters bring long stretches of hard, sustained cold, and that’s exactly the exposure a parsnip root needs to convert its starch into…
Growing Spinach in North Dakota: When Will It Bolt?
Spinach in North Dakota bolts fast once the calendar turns toward the summer solstice, because the long daylight hours that build up through May and June…
Growing Pumpkins in North Dakota: Will They Ripen in Time?
North Dakota gardeners can grow pumpkins successfully, but the margin is thin.
Will Carrots Fork in North Dakota Soil?
North Dakota’s benchmark soil, the Williams series, is a well-drained prairie loam that generally treats carrots kindly rather than twisting them into…