When to Dig Up Dahlias, Cannas and Gladiolus in Ohio
In Ohio, dahlias, cannas and gladiolus come out of the ground once a frost has blackened their foliage.
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.
When to Aerate a Lawn in Ohio
Aerate an Ohio lawn in fall, while the grass is still growing and before the first frost.
When to Winterize Sprinklers and Outdoor Faucets in Ohio
Ohio gives you a short fall window for shutting down irrigation and outdoor taps, and it closes around the first frost, not around Thanksgiving.
What Eats Pepper in Ohio, and When
The verified data behind this page does not include a list of pepper pests documented for Ohio, so this page won’t invent one.
Hedge Plants for Ohio: What Holds, and What Only Looks Hardy
Ten of the twelve hedge species documented on this site hold across all of Ohio, which the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 places in zones 5b to 6b.
What Eats Onion in Ohio, and When
Ohio gardeners lose onion stands to five confirmed feeders, not nine. Ohio State University Extension documents aphids, cutworms, European earwig, slugs…
What Eats Potato in Ohio, and When
Ohio State University Extension (Ohioline) documents nine garden pests that turn up in home gardens across the state, and six of them actually feed on…
What Do Homes in Ohio Cool With?
Most Ohio homes run central air. That’s the equipment that dominates the state’s housing stock, though a quarter of homes get by on something smaller, a…
Roof Snow Load, Wind Speed and Ice Barrier Rules in Ohio
Explains Columbus’s ground snow load, design wind speed, and Ohio’s ice barrier rule, and how each converts into what a roof actually has to carry.
Finishing a Basement in Ohio: Permits, Ceiling Height, Egress and Waterproofing
Ohio’s residential code gives existing basements a lower ceiling minimum than new construction, but egress windows, waterproofing and insulation rules still apply.