When to Harvest Garlic in Oklahoma, and How to Cure It
Garlic in Oklahoma comes out of the ground in early summer, once the lower leaves have browned back and the bulb wrappers feel papery rather than green…
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.
When to Pick Apples in Oklahoma, and How Long They Keep
Apples in Oklahoma are picked when the fruit itself signals readiness, not on a fixed date.
Does Insulation Keep a Home in Oklahoma Cool?
Yes, insulation keeps an Oklahoma home cooler, and in this state that answer carries real weight: the reference station in Oklahoma City logs an average…
Does a Wall in Oklahoma Need a Vapor Barrier?
The answer splits three ways across Oklahoma’s 77 counties. In the 59 counties mapped to Climate Zone 3A, the 2021 International Residential Code does…
Leaffooted bug in Oklahoma: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Leaffooted bugs show up in Oklahoma gardens in mid-to-late summer, once tomatoes, peppers, pecans and other fruiting crops are setting and filling out.
Heating With Pellets in Oklahoma: What a Winter Takes
In Oklahoma, a pellet stove earns its keep as a serious supplemental heater rather than a full furnace replacement.
Stink bugs in Oklahoma: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Stink bugs turn up in Oklahoma gardens from late spring through the first fall frost, but there’s no single day when they “arrive.” Numbers build…
Green peach aphid in Oklahoma: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Green peach aphid shows up in Oklahoma gardens as soon as tender new growth appears in spring, and it stays active until a hard freeze finally shuts…
Trees, Shrubs and Perennials for Oklahoma: What Will Not Survive
Oklahoma spans USDA hardiness zones 6a through 8a, a range wide enough to separate the Panhandle from the Red River valley by two full zones.
How Much Insulation Does a Home in Oklahoma Need?
Oklahoma’s 77 counties fall into three different IECC climate zones, so there’s no single R-value that fits the whole state.