Will Spinach Bolt Early in Wisconsin?
Yes, and day length is the reason, not the mercury. Wisconsin’s summer sun stays up long enough that spinach starts running to seed even in a mild June…
Gardening in Wisconsin
Everything we have worked out for Wisconsin: 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 Milwaukee, the last spring freeze runs April 16 to April 29 and the first fall freeze runs October 17 to October 29, USDA zones 3b-6a, 2,808 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 26.1 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Wisconsin: 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 Sow Parsnips in Wisconsin
Sow parsnip seed directly in the ground from late March through mid-April across southern Wisconsin, roughly two to three weeks ahead of the last spring…
Will Parsnips Sweeten in Wisconsin?
Yes. Wisconsin’s cold season runs deep enough, and long enough, to do what a parsnip needs most: turn stored starch into sugar through repeated exposure…
Will Wisconsin Soil Hold an Asparagus Bed for Fifteen Years?
Wisconsin’s official soil, the Antigo series, is well drained loam over silt, and that single trait is the only soil requirement an asparagus bed…
When to Plant Asparagus Crowns in Wisconsin
Plant asparagus crowns in Wisconsin in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked and before the season really warms, roughly the same stretch of…
When Does the Heating Season Start in Wisconsin?
In Milwaukee and across most of Wisconsin, heating demand starts in October, when the month’s normal temperature first drops below the 65°F threshold…
Growing Sweet Corn in Wisconsin: Will It Ripen?
Yes, in most of Wisconsin sweet corn ripens without trouble, but only if you match the variety’s day count to what’s left of the season once the soil is…
Growing Asparagus in Wisconsin: Fifteen Years in One Spot
Wisconsin gardeners planning an asparagus bed are choosing ground for the next decade and beyond, not just this season.
When to Sow Pumpkins in Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, pumpkin seed generally goes into the ground somewhere between mid-May and the first week of June, once the soil itself (not just the air)…
Will Pumpkins Ripen Before Frost in Wisconsin?
Yes, but only if the first flower opens by roughly late August to mid-September, depending on where in Wisconsin you’re growing and which variety you…