Japanese beetle in Ohio: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Adult Japanese beetles start showing up in Ohio in late June, with populations peaking through July and lingering into mid-August.
Gardening in Ohio
Everything we have worked out for Ohio: 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 Columbus, the last spring freeze runs May 5 to May 15 and the first fall freeze runs October 5 to October 15, USDA zones 5b-6b, 3,783 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 21.8 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Ohio: lawn care, soil and amendments, watering, flowers and borders and 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.
Striped cucumber beetle in Ohio: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Ohio gardeners can expect the striped cucumber beetle to appear as soon as soil temperatures climb into the 55-60°F range, usually in late April in the…
Spotted cucumber beetle in Ohio: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
The spotted cucumber beetle typically shows up in Ohio gardens in late May, with populations building through June and peaking during the hot, humid…
European earwig in Ohio: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
European earwigs (Forficula auricularia) turn up across Ohio from late spring through fall, with the heaviest activity hitting in July and August when…
Ohio Lawn Care: What to Plant and When to Feed It
Ohio’s climate rules out warm-season turf entirely, so cool-season grasses need fall seeding, September nitrogen, and taller mowing to hold up through humid summers.
Garlic Varieties That Suit Ohio Winters
OSU Extension’s Columbus frost dates and Ohio’s winter cold determine which garlic varieties, and which planting weeks, work across the state.
When to Plant Garlic in Ohio: Counting Back From the First Frost
Explains how Ohio’s mid-September to late-September garlic planting window is calculated by counting back from OSU Extension’s fall frost data near Columbus, and how to adjust for your county.
Growing Garlic in Ohio: Planting Dates, Varieties and Winter Cold
Ohio’s cold winters divide garlic cloves reliably, so the real choices are variety, planting timing, and how to mulch through freeze-thaw cycles.
Watering a Garden in Ohio: How Much, How Often, and the Local Rules
Explains how much and how often to water an Ohio garden using soil checks, morning watering, and pointers to local water district rules.
Flowers That Actually Thrive in Ohio, and the Ones That Struggle
A practical guide to which flowers survive Ohio’s cold winters and humid summers, from native perennials to annuals better replanted each year.