What to Plant in North Dakota in December
December in North Dakota means frozen, often snow-covered ground across the state, so the direct answer is that nothing goes into the open garden this…
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.
What to Plant in North Dakota in August
August in North Dakota gardens means harvesting the summer’s main crops, squeezing in one last fast round of greens and roots, and starting the pivot…
What to Plant in North Dakota in April
April in North Dakota sits weeks before most gardens can safely take tender crops outdoors, since the reference frost window runs May 4 to May 15.
Growing Peppers in North Dakota: Fruit Set, Heat and Timing
Pepper fruit set in North Dakota comes down to a narrow window: soil warm enough and air mild enough to hold flowers on the plant, but not so hot that…
Growing Potatoes in North Dakota: Dates, Varieties and Summer Heat
North Dakota gardeners get a rare break: summer heat almost never threatens the crop.
Pepper Varieties That Ripen in a North Dakota Season
North Dakota gardens see peppers ripen most reliably when growers work backward from two numbers: an average of just 11.7 days a year hitting 90 F or…
Watering Through a Dry Spell in North Dakota
Getting a garden through a North Dakota dry spell comes down to timing and depth, not volume alone: soak the root zone deeply, less often, at the base of…
Watering Pots and Containers in North Dakota
Containers dry out faster than garden beds no matter where you live, but North Dakota’s dry Augusts and double-digit stretches of 90-degree days push…
Forcing Spring Bulbs Indoors in North Dakota
Forcing spring bulbs indoors works reliably in North Dakota, and the reason has little to do with a shortage of winter.
Growing Spring Bulbs in Containers in North Dakota
North Dakota’s winters supply more chill than any spring bulb needs, so the real question isn’t whether bulbs get cold enough here, it’s whether the…