When to Sow Beets in North Dakota
Sow beets in North Dakota 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost. At the reference weather station used for this page, that frost date falls between…
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.
Beet Soil in North Dakota: What the Root Will Meet
North Dakota’s benchmark soil, the Williams series, is a deep, well-drained loam built for grain, not for a tender root vegetable that resents dry starts.
Growing Parsnips in North Dakota: Will They Sweeten?
North Dakota winters bring more than enough cold to sweeten a parsnip crop, and the calendar works in your favor too, if you get seed in the ground early.
When Does the Heating Season Start in North Dakota?
Heat demand in North Dakota switches on in September, when the average temperature at the Fargo reference station drops below the 65°F mark used to…
Growing Carrots in North Dakota: Soil, Sowing and Forked Roots
North Dakota’s representative topsoil is a well-drained loam, not the heavy clay that typically forks a carrot.
Growing Beets in North Dakota: Soil, Sowing and Bolting
North Dakota’s prairie soil and short, intense growing season both push beets in the same direction: sow early, keep the row moist for the first six…
When to Start Pepper Seed in North Dakota
Pepper seed goes into trays indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the transplant date, and that transplant date is set by two things: the last spring frost and…
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in North Dakota
Fargo averages 11.7 days a year at 90 F or hotter, enough heat to stall pepper blossoms before they ever become fruit.
When to Plant Potatoes in North Dakota: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
Plant potatoes in North Dakota 14 to 21 days before your last spring frost, once soil temperature hits 50°F, not on a fixed calendar date.
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in North Dakota
In North Dakota, potatoes typically come out of the ground before the first fall frost window of September 25 to October 5 hits, and they go into a space…