🌱 Can I Plant Yet? Fargo Garden Planting Guide
NDSU Extension says to plant by soil temperature, not the calendar. Here's each crop's number next to Fargo's real soil temperature, plus the frost forecast for the warm-season crops.[1]
Soil temperature by crop
| Crop | Plant when soil reaches | Also |
|---|---|---|
| Lettuce & peas | 40°F | Cool-season - can go in early. |
| Carrots, radishes & spinach | 45°F | Cool-season. |
| Beets, Swiss chard & onions | 50°F | Cool-season. |
| Sweet corn (treated seed) | 55°F | after the danger of frost. Untreated seed: wait for 65°F. |
| Beans & cucumbers | 60°F | after the danger of frost. Warm-season. |
| Tomatoes & peppers (transplants) | 65°F | after the danger of frost. NDSU: soil 65-70°F and nights consistently above 45-50°F. |
NDSU says to measure 2 inches deep, average three days, and not to plant soil that's still sopping wet.[1] Fargo's public soil reading is at 4 inches, which warms more slowly in spring - so this page errs on the side of waiting. (That substitution is our call.) Fargo's median last spring frost is mid-May - see frost dates.
Starting seeds indoors
NDSU's schedule for planting out the week before Memorial Day:[2]
- Week of March 17, 2027: Oregano and thyme
- Week of March 31, 2027: Eggplant and sweet peppers
- Week of April 14, 2027: Tomatoes, basil, marigolds, kohlrabi, kale, and Swiss chard
- Week of April 28, 2027: Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, pac choi, and vine crops
NDSU published these weeks for 2022; we shifted them to line up with this year's Memorial Day the same way. Check your seed packets too - indoor conditions vary.[2]
Shopping for plants? Here's a short, hand-checked list of local garden centers. Nobody pays to be listed.
References
- NDSU Extension (Esther McGinnis) - Dakota Gardener: Sowing Vegetable Seeds During a Fickle Spring (2022)
- NDSU Extension (Carrie Knutson) - Dakota Gardener: Timing It Right (2022)
- NDSU - North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN) Fargo station; bare soil temperature at 4 inches. Frost forecast: National Weather Service.