The Complete Guide to Gardening in Northern Iowa
When you think of a home, the image that likely comes to mind encompasses the physical structure and its various rooms, as well as your sentimental bond to the space you’ve created. To many people, however, an equally important aspect of “home” is the surrounding outdoor living space.
Whether your property in northern Iowa includes meticulous landscaping, a garden, a yard, or all three, those spaces keep you connected to nature, enhancing not only your quality of life but also the value of your home. With spring underway, now is the perfect time to turn your attention to the exterior of your property and foment new life by planting a fresh batch of produce, flowers, shrubs, and herbs.
How to Start a Garden
Gardening as a hobby provides an assortment of benefits. It can be both cathartic and rewarding, as having fresh flowers, fruits, and vegetables is compounded by the joy of maintaining a beautiful green space on your property and working outdoors among nature.
If you’re preparing to start a garden at your home near Cedar Falls or Independence, Iowa, the first step is assessing the conditions that will affect your garden, including the local soil, climate, and pests.
Soil Conditions in Iowa
Iowa is considered a good place to garden and farm because of the quality of its topsoil. Mollisols and alfisols are the most common types of soils found in Iowa. In particular, mollisols, which abundant in the state, are fertile and suitable for growing crops and plants.
There are a few ways to determine if the soil on your property is conducive to growing and maintaining a garden. A few indicators of fertile, nutrient-dense soil include the presence of earthworms and other soil organisms; different sized aggregates; minimal compaction; and good water infiltration.
Northern Iowa Climate Conditions
The regional climate also affects your gardening process and the success of your plants. The average yearly precipitation in northeast Iowa ranges from 34.6 to 39.2 inches. The last average frost—which is what spring planting is based on—is around May 15 in northern Iowa. You can base your fall cleanup on the first frost, which tends to be around late September.
Preparing for Insects
The presence of pests and insects isn’t a reason not to plant a garden, but it’s good to know what you’re potentially up against. According to the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach department, common garden pests in Iowa include squash bugs, flea beetles, Colorado potato beetles, cabbageworms, and tomato hornworms. There are a variety of natural and chemical methods for dealing with insects and protecting your plants.
You also should be careful selecting the right spot for planting your garden. Most flowers and vegetables need about six to eight hours of full sun each day, while some plants prefer the shade. Avoid planting on a slope, instead selecting a relatively flat spot that includes windbreaks and is easy to irrigate. Finally, if you’re just starting out, consider doing a small garden that is easier to manage until you grow accustomed to the work.
Gardening Tips for Iowa
Like many hobbies, becoming a proficient gardener requires dedication and practice. It also never hurts to pick up a few tips from other property owners in the Black Hawk County area. To get started, here are a few common gardening tips to consider:
Plant on Overcast Days
Perennials and annuals can wilt easier, compared to shrubs and trees, so it helps to plant them in your garden on an overcast day, or even in a light drizzle.
Don’t Plant in Extreme Heat
Fortunately, in Iowa, the summers are cool enough to support your planting activities at nearly any time. However, if there is a dry spell or temperatures are regularly hitting the 90s—which can happen in July or August—take a break from planting new vegetables and flowers.
Avoid Planting in the Fall
Because of the climate in northeast Iowa, planting roses, shrubs, and perennials in the fall is a bit of a gamble. You would do better planting them in the spring so they have a few months establish themselves before being hit by extremely cold temperatures. Waiting until September or October puts them at greater risk of not surviving the winter.
Do What You Can to Improve the Soil
When you're creating new planting holes, take advantage of the opportunity to improve the soil deep below the surface. You can work a bit of compost into the ground with your spade or shovel. If you don’t have compost, try using sphagnum peat moss.
What Plants Grow Well in Iowa?
Whether you’re a longtime gardener or a novice, it’s fun to incorporate a variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other plants in your garden. Some of the vegetables that grow reliably well in Iowa include beans and peas, such as Sugar Bon peas; any type of cabbage; Green Comet broccoli; Jade Cross Brussel sprouts; Snow Crown cauliflower; Salad Bowl and Buttercrunch lettuces; corn; and tomatoes. As for flowers, the Blanket Flower, daylilies, poppies, and peonies are both beautiful and typically low maintenance.
Some fruits to consider for your Iowa garden include plums; bush and sour cherries, although sweet cherries aren't suitable; pears; apples; black chokeberries; and gooseberries and currants. The success of your fruit trees and bushes depends not only on the specific varieties you choose, but also the time of planting, fertilization, and how well you do with winter and wildlife protection.
Iowa Planting Calendar
Planting your vegetable seeds or transplants at the right time is also vital, and knowing the first and last frost dates can help you determine when you should do what. Iowa falls within the 4 to 5 range of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Plant Hardiness Zones. For Northern Iowa, you should use the following schedule to plant and harvest your vegetables:
March: Begin broccoli inside. Plant potatoes outside.
April: Plant broccoli outside. Begin beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, lettuce, onions, peas, peppers, spinach, and tomatoes inside. Near the end of the month, plant carrots, kale, peas and spinach outside.
May: Begin beans, squash, corn and cucumbers inside. Plant beets, onions, and tomatoes outside.
June: Plant Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, peppers, and squash outside.
July: Begin beets, broccoli, kale, spinach, lettuce and peas outside.
August: Plant beets, broccoli, kale, lettuce, peas and spinach outside. Begin carrots inside.
September: Plant carrots outside.
Indoor and Outdoor Home Improvements
As you work on your garden and improving your outdoor spaces, let Home Indeed help you enhance the interior of your home with a remodeling project this spring or summer. From home additions and reflooring to bathroom and kitchen renovations, we use a fine-tuned design-build process that streamlines communication and delivers a cohesive remodeling project from start to finish.
