Blister beetles in Oklahoma: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Late July through September is peak season for blister beetles in Oklahoma, and the trigger is almost always alfalfa in bloom.
Gardening in Oklahoma
Everything we have worked out for Oklahoma: 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 Oklahoma City, the last spring freeze runs March 28 to April 10 and the first fall freeze runs October 29 to November 8, USDA zones 6a-8a, 5,375 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 13 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Oklahoma: 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.
Garden Pests in Oklahoma: What Shows Up, When, and How to Stop It
A rundown of the ten pests Oklahoma State University Extension flags for home vegetable gardens, and how to recognize and manage each one.
The Best Grass Seed for Oklahoma Lawns
Oklahoma’s transition zone forces a trade-off between cool-season fescue that struggles in July heat and warm-season bermudagrass that browns each winter.
The Oklahoma Lawn Care Calendar, Month by Month
A month-by-month Oklahoma lawn care guide covering both cool-season and warm-season grass schedules, keyed to Oklahoma City’s NOAA fall freeze dates.
Oklahoma Lawn Care: What to Plant and When to Feed It
Oklahoma’s hot summers and cold winter lows rule out any single grass, so this page lays out the trade-offs, planting windows, and feeding schedule for both types.
Garlic Varieties That Suit Oklahoma Winters
Oklahoma’s freezing winters exceed garlic’s cold requirement, so this page lists which softneck and hardneck varieties to plant and when to set them out.
When to Plant Garlic in Oklahoma: Counting Back From the First Frost
Garlic goes into Oklahoma ground in early to mid October, timed off NOAA’s fall frost normals for Oklahoma City and adjusted for your own county.
Growing Garlic in Oklahoma: Planting Dates, Varieties and Winter Cold
Oklahoma’s fall frost date, winter cold requirements, and the best hardneck and softneck garlic varieties for planting in October, based on NOAA and catalogue data.
Tomato Varieties That Ripen in Time in Oklahoma
Using NOAA’s Oklahoma City frost dates and catalogue days to maturity, this guide sorts named tomato varieties by whether they actually ripen before fall frost.
Tomato Planting Dates in Oklahoma: Counting Back From Your Frost Window
Learn how Oklahoma City’s NOAA frost dates set the backward-counting method for tomato transplant and harvest timing statewide.