Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in South Dakota
South Dakota gardeners lose pepper fruit for two opposite reasons: heat that shuts down pollen during a stretch of 90-degree afternoons, and cold nights…
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.
When to Start Pepper Seed in South Dakota
In South Dakota, the window for starting pepper seed indoors runs roughly from mid-February to mid-March.
When to Plant Potatoes in South Dakota: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
Plant potatoes in South Dakota 14 to 21 days before your local last spring frost, as soon as soil temperature hits 50°F, per Utah State University…
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in South Dakota
In South Dakota, potatoes generally come out of the ground before the first fall frost hits, in the window of September 24 to October 4 at the Sioux…
Potato Varieties That Suit South Dakota
South Dakota gardeners get the best results from early- and mid-season potatoes, not late-season ones.
What to Plant in South Dakota in September
September in South Dakota splits into two gardens: the one you still have, and the one you’re closing down.
What to Plant in South Dakota in October
October in South Dakota lands after the first fall frost window at the reference station (September 24 to October 4), so the answer is short: garlic and…
What to Plant in South Dakota in November
By November, South Dakota’s growing season has already closed. The first fall frost window (September 24 to October 4, per NOAA climate normals) has come…
What to Plant in South Dakota in May
In most of South Dakota, May is the month the garden finally opens up. The last spring frost window runs from April 29 to May 9, so early May still…
What to Plant in South Dakota in March
Across most of South Dakota, March lands six to nine weeks before the ground is reliably frost-free, so the honest answer is that almost nothing goes…