When to Pick Apples in South Dakota, and How Long They Keep
Apples in South Dakota are picked according to how the fruit itself is behaving, not according to a date on a calendar.
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.
Does Insulation Keep a Home in South Dakota Cool?
Yes, insulation keeps a South Dakota home cooler, but summer is the smaller half of the story here.
Does a Wall in South Dakota Need a Vapor Barrier?
South Dakota’s 66 counties sit entirely outside Climate Zones 1, 2 and 3, which means the 2021 International Residential Code’s exception for warm…
Heating With Pellets in South Dakota: What a Winter Takes
A pellet stove in South Dakota isn’t a decorative extra: with roughly 7,248 heating degree days a year at Sioux Falls, this is one of the harder heating…
Diamondback moth in South Dakota: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Diamondback moth doesn’t survive South Dakota winters. It rides wind currents up from warmer regions each spring, usually turning up on cabbage-family…
Trees, Shrubs and Perennials for South Dakota: What Will Not Survive
South Dakota’s USDA hardiness range runs from 3b to 5b, a spread wide enough that a plant thriving in Sioux Falls can die two winters running in Faith.
How Much Insulation Does a Home in South Dakota Need?
South Dakota’s 66 counties split across two IECC climate zones, but that split doesn’t actually change the insulation numbers much: both zones land on…
When Can You Turn the Heat Off in South Dakota?
In South Dakota, June is the closest thing to a break for your HVAC system, but it barely qualifies as one.
Will Sweet Corn Ripen in South Dakota?
Yes, sweet corn can ripen across South Dakota, but the calendar gives less room than most gardeners assume.
When to Sow Sweet Corn in South Dakota
Sweet corn goes into South Dakota soil once the ground itself, not the calendar, hits 60°F, and that point arrives well after the last spring frost.