What Eats Carrot in South Dakota, and When
In a South Dakota garden, carrots lose more to the ground under them and the weather over them than most gardeners expect: forked roots in heavy soil…
Gardening in South Dakota
Everything we have worked out for South 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 Sioux Falls, the last spring freeze runs April 29 to May 9 and the first fall freeze runs September 24 to October 4, USDA zones 3b-5b, 3,003 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 South 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 Eats Onion in South Dakota, and When
Onion pests in South Dakota are mostly generalists, not onion specialists. Wireworms working underground and grasshoppers chewing leaves are the…
What Eats Potato in South Dakota, and When
Five. Of the twelve garden insects SDSU Extension documents for South Dakota, five feed on potato, and the Colorado potato beetle does the most visible…
What Eats Parsnip in South Dakota, and When
South Dakota gardeners lose parsnip mostly to soil pests early in the season and chewing insects later, not to one single named enemy.
Finishing a Basement in South Dakota: Permits, Ceiling Height, Egress and Waterproofing
South Dakota has no statewide residential code, so permit rules, ceiling height minimums, and egress window sizes depend on your local building department.
What Do Homes in South Dakota Cool With?
South Dakota homes cool mostly with central air. 76% of homes run a central air-conditioning unit, and 92% have some form of air conditioning at all.
When to Overseed a Lawn in South Dakota
South Dakota lawns need seed down before mid-September in most counties, with the safest overseeding window running from early August through the first…
First and Last Frost Dates in South Dakota
South Dakota’s official climate data puts the state’s average last spring frost between April 29 and May 9, and the first fall frost between September 24…
When to Pick Tomatoes in South Dakota, and Ripening the Rest
Pick tomatoes in South Dakota before the first fall frost hits your county, and don’t wait for every fruit to blush red on the vine.
When to Harvest Garlic in South Dakota, and How to Cure It
Garlic in South Dakota is usually ready to lift in mid-to-late July, roughly nine to ten months after fall planting, once the lower leaves have browned…