This guide covers the vegetables that grow well in Missoula and gives you the specific information you need to grow them here. It is not generic gardening advice, but timing, varieties, and tips that account for our short season, cold nights, and dry summers. It’s organized by crop type so you can find what you need quickly. Bookmark this page and come back to it throughout the season.
Planting dates here follow Montana State University Extension’s planting schedules, applied to Missoula’s median frost dates from NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 climate normals: about May 16 for the last spring frost and September 26 for the first fall frost. Those are 50/50 dates, and in about 1 year in 10 frost comes after June 1 or before mid September, so watch the forecast and adjust for your own yard. If you’re not familiar with those dates and what they mean for your garden, start with the Missoula Frost Dates and Planting Calendar first. Days to maturity are typical seed catalog figures. They count from transplanting for tomatoes, peppers, and brassicas and from sowing for direct-seeded crops, and they vary by seed company. The companion lists are traditional pairings. A few, like flowers that draw beneficial insects, have research behind them, but most are gardener lore, so treat them as optional.
Jump to a Section
- Cool-Season Vegetables: Peas, Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower
- Warm-Season Vegetables: Tomatoes, Peppers, Zucchini, Winter Squash, Cucumbers, Green Beans, Corn
- Root Vegetables: Carrots, Beets, Radishes, Potatoes
- Alliums: Garlic, Onions
- Missoula Soil and Water
Cool-Season Vegetables
Cool-season crops are the easiest wins in a Missoula garden. They tolerate frost, go in early, and give you something to harvest while you’re still waiting for tomatoes. Most can also be planted again in late July for a fall crop.
Peas
Best varieties for Missoula: Alaska (55 days), Little Marvel (63 days), Sugar Snap (70 days), Oregon Sugar Pod II (68 days)
Start indoors: Not recommended. Peas don’t transplant well and germinate quickly in cool soil.
Plant outdoors: Early to mid April, about 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost, once the soil can be worked.
Harvest: June to early July
Pests: Aphids are the main issue. Check the undersides of leaves regularly. Powdery mildew shows up late in the season once heat arrives, but by then your harvest should be winding down anyway.
Traditional companions: Carrots, radishes, spinach, turnips
Missoula tips: Peas are a plant-early-and-forget-it crop here. Get them in as soon as the ground thaws and they’ll be done producing before the heat of summer arrives. Use a trellis for climbing varieties. It keeps them off the ground and makes harvesting easier. Alaska is one of the earliest varieties, which helps it finish before summer heat.
Lettuce
Best varieties for Missoula: Black Seeded Simpson (45 days), Buttercrunch (65 days), Red Sails (45 days), Oakleaf (50 days), Forellenschluss (55 days, a beautiful Austrian heirloom that handles cold well)
Start indoors: Optional. Can be started indoors 4 to 6 weeks before transplanting, or direct seeded.
Plant outdoors: Mid April, about 4 weeks before the last frost. Again from late July to mid August for fall.
Harvest: Late April through June (spring), September to October (fall)
Pests: Slugs, aphids, and cutworms. Slugs are the biggest problem in wet springs. Diatomaceous earth around the base of plants helps. Aphids cluster on new growth. Knock them off with water.
Traditional companions: Carrots, radishes, chives, onions, strawberries
Missoula tips: Lettuce bolts (goes to seed and turns bitter) when temperatures get hot. In Missoula that usually happens in late June or July. Succession plant every two weeks from mid April through May to extend your harvest. Choose bolt-resistant varieties if you want to push later into summer. A bit of afternoon shade from taller plants like tomatoes or corn can buy you extra weeks. Fall lettuce is often sweeter and more tender because it matures in cool weather.
Spinach
Best varieties for Missoula: Tyee (40 days), Space (40 days), Bloomsdale Long Standing (48 days, savoyed heirloom), Melody (42 days)
Start indoors: Not necessary.
Plant outdoors: Early April, about 6 weeks before the last frost. Again from late July to mid August for fall.
Harvest: May to June (spring), September through October (fall)
Pests: Leafminers leave pale, winding trails inside the leaves. Remove affected leaves and destroy them. Do not compost them. Aphids and slugs are also common.
Traditional companions: Strawberries, peas, brassicas, radishes
Missoula tips: Fall spinach is often more successful than spring spinach in Missoula. Spring crops bolt fast once summer heat arrives. Plant your fall crop in late July and you’ll have tender spinach through October and sometimes into November with row cover protection. For spring sowings, look for varieties described as slow to bolt.
Kale
Best varieties for Missoula: Red Russian (50 days, very cold-hardy), Lacinato/Dinosaur (62 days), Winterbor (60 days, extremely frost-hardy), Dwarf Blue Curled (55 days)
Start indoors: 4 to 6 weeks before last frost (late March to early April), or direct sow.
Plant outdoors: Late April. Again in late July for fall.
Harvest: June through November and beyond
Pests: Cabbage worms (white butterflies lay eggs on leaves), aphids, flea beetles (tiny holes in leaves), and cabbage loopers. Row cover in spring keeps most pests off young plants.
Traditional companions: Beets, onions, garlic, aromatic herbs, nasturtiums (sometimes used as an aphid trap crop)
Missoula tips: Kale is one of the best vegetables you can grow here. It handles our frosts without complaint and often tastes sweeter after a few frosts, as the plant stores more sugar in cold weather. Red Russian is a good choice for Missoula because of its cold hardiness and mild flavor. Harvest outer leaves and the plant keeps producing all season.
Swiss Chard
Best varieties for Missoula: Bright Lights (60 days, colorful and productive), Fordhook Giant (60 days), Rainbow Chard mix
Start indoors: Optional. 3 to 4 weeks before last frost.
Plant outdoors: Early to mid-April (handles light frost).
Harvest: June through October
Pests: Leafminers and aphids are the main ones. Same management as spinach for leafminers.
Traditional companions: Beans, brassicas, onions, lavender
Missoula tips: Chard is one of the most productive and low-maintenance vegetables for Missoula gardens. Plant it once and harvest from it all season using cut-and-come-again harvesting. Take outer stalks and leave the center growing. It handles light frosts well into fall. Bright Lights is worth growing just for how it looks in the garden.
Broccoli
Best varieties for Missoula: Packman (57 days), Calabrese (58 days), Green Magic (60 days), Belstar (65 days)
Start indoors: March, 6 to 8 weeks before you plan to transplant.
Plant outdoors: Late April to early May. Tolerates light frost.
Harvest: Late June to July. For fall heads, set out a second planting by about late June.
Pests: Cabbage worms and loopers are the biggest issue: larvae of white cabbage butterflies that eat through leaves and hide inside heads. Check plants every few days and pick them off by hand. Aphids cluster in the center of plants. Flea beetles make small holes in leaves of young transplants.
Traditional companions: Onions, garlic, beets, celery, chamomile, nasturtiums, marigolds
Missoula tips: Broccoli prefers to mature in cool weather. Time your planting so it heads up before the heat of July, or plant a second crop in early July that matures in September. Once you cut the main head, the plant produces smaller side shoots for weeks. Floating row cover from transplant through early summer blocks the white cabbage butterflies that lay eggs on leaves.
Cabbage
Best varieties for Missoula: Early Jersey Wakefield (63 days), Golden Acre (64 days), Stonehead (67 days), Red Express (63 days, short-season red cabbage)
Start indoors: March, 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting.
Plant outdoors: Late April. Handles frost well.
Harvest: July to September
Pests: Same as broccoli, cabbage worms, loopers, aphids, and root maggots. Root maggots attack the base of the stem. Protective collars around transplants help.
Traditional companions: Dill, onions, garlic, celery, aromatic herbs
Missoula tips: Consistent moisture is key with cabbage. Irregular watering causes heads to crack. Use row cover early in the season to block cabbage moths. Heads that mature in fall have better flavor and store longer than summer-harvested ones.
Cauliflower
Best varieties for Missoula: Snow Crown (50 days, a fast hybrid), Amazing (68 days), Snowball (70 days)
Start indoors: Late March, 4 to 5 weeks before transplanting.
Plant outdoors: Late April.
Harvest: Late June to July, or September if fall planted.
Pests: Same as broccoli and cabbage.
Traditional companions: Same as broccoli.
Missoula tips: Cauliflower is the most temperamental brassica to grow here. Heat causes it to head prematurely with small, loose curds. Quick varieties like Snow Crown give you the best odds of beating the heat. Time your planting so it matures before July heat sets in, or grow it as a fall crop. Blanching (tying outer leaves over the developing head) keeps it white and mild-flavored.
Warm-Season Vegetables
Warm-season crops need soil that has warmed up and no more frost risk. In Missoula, many gardeners wait until late May or early June before putting tomatoes, peppers, and other heat-lovers in the ground. The soil is warmer, the nights are safer, and you avoid the heartbreak of a late frost wiping out a transplant you babied for weeks indoors. Choosing short-season varieties matters a lot here. It is often the difference between a real harvest and a frost-killed crop of green fruit.
Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant need to be started indoors weeks ahead, and squash and cucumbers often get a short head start too. The mix you use matters as much as the timing. Here’s what to look for in a seed starting mix for Montana gardeners.
Tomatoes
Best varieties for Missoula: Stupice (60 to 65 days, Czech heirloom known for setting fruit in cool weather), Glacier (55 days, very early, determinate), Early Girl (57 days), Siletz (65 days), Juliet cherry (60 days, prolific and crack-resistant), Sungold cherry (57 days, sweet and reliable), Manitoba (60 days)
Start indoors: Late March to mid April, 6 to 8 weeks before you plan to transplant.
Plant outdoors: Late May to early June, after frost danger has passed. With water walls or row covers, some gardeners plant a week or two earlier.
Harvest: Late July through September
Pests: Aphids cluster on new growth and the undersides of leaves. Flea beetles leave small holes in leaves early in the season but rarely cause serious damage. Cutworms cut transplants off at the soil line. A cardboard collar around the base of each transplant stops them. Hornworms are present but less common in Missoula than in warmer climates.
Traditional companions: Basil, marigolds, carrots, parsley, borage
Missoula tips: Tomatoes are among the most popular vegetables in Missoula gardens and among the ones people struggle with most. Two rules go a long way. First, choose varieties that ripen in about 60 to 70 days, as MSU Extension recommends, since anything longer is a gamble. Second, do not rush transplanting. Waiting until late May or early June usually pays off: the soil is warmer, the nights are safer, and your transplants will catch up fast. Water walls are worth using if you want a head start. They can let you plant a little early and protect against a cold night. Stupice is on MSU’s list of recommended tomatoes for Montana and is known for setting fruit in cool weather, which helps in a cool, cloudy summer.
Seed source: Botanical Interests, the seed company we use ourselves, carries Glacier and Sungold (listed as Sun Gold). True Leaf Market carries Stupice and Early Girl. These are affiliate links, so if you buy through them, Garden City Plant Care may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
For a more detailed guide to growing tomatoes here, including transplanting tips and season extension, see Growing Tomatoes in Missoula: A Short-Season Guide.
Peppers
Best varieties for Missoula: Ace Bell Pepper (57 days), Lipstick (53 days, sweet pimento type), Early Jalapeno (65 days), Hungarian Hot Wax (58 days), Shishito (60 days)
Start indoors: Late March to early April, 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting.
Plant outdoors: Late May to early June, once nights stay above about 50°F. Cold soil and cold nights stall peppers, so there is no advantage in rushing them.
Harvest: August through September
Pests: Aphids and flea beetles are the main ones. Aphids on peppers can spread mosaic virus, remove and destroy heavily infested plants.
Traditional companions: Basil, carrots, tomatoes, spinach (as a ground cover underneath)
Missoula tips: Peppers are one of the more challenging warm-season crops in Missoula. Cool nights slow their growth and can make blossoms drop, and our nights stay cool into early summer. Wall-o-waters help early in the season. If frost threatens before you have finished harvesting, a row cover over the entire plant can carry it through a light frost and buy some extra harvest time. Stick with shorter-season varieties, anything over 70 days is a stretch.
Zucchini and Summer Squash
Best varieties for Missoula: Dunja (47 days), Black Beauty (50 days), Patio Star (48 days), Costata Romanesco (52 days, Italian ribbed variety with excellent flavor)
Start indoors: Late April to early May, about 4 weeks before planting out, in peat or paper pots. Or direct sow once the soil is warm.
Plant outdoors: Late May to early June, after frost danger.
Harvest: July through September
Pests: Squash bugs lay clusters of bronze eggs on the undersides of leaves. Check for them regularly and scrape them off. Cucumber beetles spread bacterial wilt. Powdery mildew appears on leaves in late summer but usually doesn’t affect production much.
Traditional companions: Nasturtiums, beans, corn, marigolds, dill
Missoula tips: Zucchini is one of the most productive crops for Missoula gardens. Direct sowing works well once the soil warms, since squash sprout quickly in warm soil (MSU lists 65 to 85°F for germination). One or two plants is usually enough for a household, three and you will be leaving bags on neighbors’ doorsteps. Harvest when small (6 to 8 inches) for best flavor and texture. Check plants every day in peak summer because zucchini goes from perfect to baseball bat size overnight.
Winter Squash
Best varieties for Missoula: Sweet Dumpling (95 days), Red Kuri (92 days), Cornell’s Bush Delicata (about 80 days, compact plants), Acorn squash varieties (75 to 90 days). Butternut squash is a stretch at 85 to 110 days depending on variety, choose the shortest-season butternut you can find.
Start indoors: Late April to early May, 3 to 4 weeks before planting out, in peat or paper pots.
Plant outdoors: Late May to early June, after frost danger.
Harvest: September to early October, before hard frost
Pests: Squash bugs and cucumber beetles. Same management as summer squash.
Traditional companions: Corn, beans, nasturtiums (Three Sisters works well with winter squash)
Missoula tips: Choose varieties under 100 days to give them time to mature before the first fall frost. Red Kuri and Sweet Dumpling are good short-season choices. Most winter squash can be cured in a warm, dry spot for about 10 days before storing, though butternut and Hubbard gain little from it and acorn types should not be cured at all. Do not leave winter squash in the garden after a hard frost.
Cucumbers
Best varieties for Missoula: Diva (58 days, seedless type, smooth skin, excellent flavor), Spacemaster (60 days), Bush Pickle (45 days, great for pickling), Marketmore 76 (67 days)
Start indoors: Late April to early May, about 4 weeks before planting out, in peat or paper pots.
Plant outdoors: Late May to early June, after frost danger, or direct sow once the soil is warm (MSU lists 65 to 85°F for germination).
Harvest: Mid-July through September
Pests: Cucumber beetles (spotted and striped) are the most damaging pest. They spread bacterial wilt, which kills plants quickly. Row cover early in the season keeps them off. Spider mites appear in dry, hot conditions. Keep plants well watered. Aphids cluster on new growth.
Traditional companions: Beans, peas, sunflowers, nasturtiums, dill, radishes
Missoula tips: Growing cucumbers vertically on a trellis saves space, improves air circulation, and makes harvesting easier. Consistent watering is important. Uneven moisture and heat stress can make cucumbers bitter, especially in varieties prone to it. Missoula’s dry summers mean you need to water consistently.
Green Beans
Best varieties for Missoula: Contender (49 days, a dependable early bush bean), Provider (50 days), Blue Lake Bush (57 days), Dragon Tongue (57 days, yellow and purple striped, excellent fresh)
Start indoors: Do not start indoors. Beans do not transplant well and germinate quickly in warm soil.
Plant outdoors: Late May to early June, after frost danger, once the soil has warmed (MSU lists 60 to 85°F for bean germination).
Harvest: Mid-July through August
Pests: Mexican bean beetles leave skeletonized leaves. Aphids and leafhoppers also feed on beans. Most pest pressure on beans in Missoula is moderate compared to warmer climates.
Traditional companions: Carrots, cucumbers, squash, rosemary, nasturtiums, potatoes
Missoula tips: Bush varieties are the better choice over pole beans for Missoula’s shorter season. They produce faster and don’t need trellising. Succession plant every two to three weeks from late May until about early July, which is MSU’s cutoff of roughly 12 weeks before the first fall frost. Beans host nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their roots but use most of that nitrogen themselves. Leaving the roots and residue in the bed returns a little to the soil for the next crop.
Corn
Best varieties for Missoula: Early Sunglow (63 days), Quickie (65 days), Peaches and Cream (83 days, borderline, needs a warm summer)
Start indoors: Not recommended. Direct sow only.
Plant outdoors: Late May to early June, after frost danger, once the soil has warmed (MSU lists 55 to 85°F for sweet corn germination).
Harvest: Late July to August
Pests: Corn earworm, cutworms, and aphids. Corn earworm is a common one. The caterpillar feeds at the top of ears. It is largely cosmetic and can be cut off before eating.
Traditional companions: Beans, squash, sunflowers (Three Sisters planting)
Missoula tips: Plant corn in blocks of at least four rows rather than a single long row. Corn is wind-pollinated and needs nearby plants to pollinate properly. Poor pollination leads to ears with missing kernels. Corn needs space and warm soil, so do not rush planting. Stick with varieties under 70 days to give yourself the best odds of a harvest before the first fall frost.
Root Vegetables
Carrots
Best varieties for Missoula: Nelson (58 days, excellent in heavier soils), Scarlet Nantes (70 days, sweet and reliable), Chantenay Red Core (70 days, shorter and wider, good for clay soil), Little Finger (65 days, small baby carrot, good for rocky soil), Bolero (75 days)
Start indoors: Not recommended. Carrots resent transplanting, so direct seed them.
Plant outdoors: Mid April, about 4 weeks before the last frost. Succession plant through late June.
Harvest: July through October. Cool fall weather can make them sweeter.
Pests: Carrot rust fly larvae tunnel through roots. Row cover prevents egg-laying. Wireworms also tunnel through roots in some Missoula soils.
Traditional companions: Onions, leeks, lettuce, tomatoes, peas, rosemary
Missoula tips: Soil is the main challenge with carrots. Rocky ground and heavy soil, which plenty of Missoula yards have, cause forked, stunted, or misshapen roots. Loosen the bed to about 12 inches and pull out rocks before planting. If your soil is dense, grow shorter varieties like Chantenay or Little Finger that don’t need as much depth. Keep the soil consistently moist during germination, carrot seeds are slow and dry soil stops them cold. Once established they are fairly drought-tolerant.
Beets
Best varieties for Missoula: Chioggia (55 days, Italian heirloom with candy-cane interior), Detroit Dark Red (60 days), Golden Beet (55 days, mild flavor, doesn’t bleed), Bull’s Blood (58 days, grown primarily for its deep red greens)
Start indoors: Not necessary. Direct sow.
Plant outdoors: Mid April, about 4 weeks before the last frost. Can succession plant into July.
Harvest: Late June through September
Pests: Leafminers leave pale trails in leaves. Same management as spinach, remove affected leaves. Aphids cluster on new growth.
Traditional companions: Brassicas, lettuce, onions, kohlrabi, garlic
Missoula tips: Beet “seeds” are actually clusters of two to four seeds, so you will almost always need to thin seedlings to three to four inches apart. Both the roots and the greens are edible, young beet greens are excellent in salads. Beets handle light frost well, so you can leave them in the ground into October. Chioggia is worth growing just for how beautiful it looks when cut.
Radishes
Best varieties for Missoula: Cherry Belle (22 days), French Breakfast (28 days), Easter Egg mix (25 days, variety pack of colors), Daikon (60 days, grown as a fall crop)
Start indoors: Not recommended. Direct sow.
Plant outdoors: Early April. Succession plant every two weeks through May. Daikon in late July for fall.
Harvest: Late April through June (spring), October (fall daikon)
Pests: Flea beetles make small holes in leaves. Root maggots tunnel through roots in some areas.
Traditional companions: Cucumbers, lettuce, peas, nasturtiums, spinach
Missoula tips: Radishes are the fastest and most satisfying early garden crop. Plant them as row markers alongside slower-germinating carrots or parsnips, they will be ready to harvest by the time the carrot seedlings need the space. They bolt quickly in heat so harvest spring varieties as soon as they size up. Fall daikon radishes are worth trying, they grow large, store well, and the greens are edible.
Potatoes
Best varieties for Missoula: Red Norland (70 days, an early red), Yukon Gold (70 days, all-purpose yellow potato), Kennebec (late season, excellent storage), All Blue (90 days, striking purple flesh, borderline for our season), fingerling varieties (most are mid to late season)
Start indoors: Not applicable. Plant certified seed potatoes.
Plant outdoors: Early to late May. MSU’s schedule starts about a week before the last frost. The tubers handle cold soil, but the shoots are frost tender, so hill soil over any that come up before a frost.
Harvest: Late July through September
Pests: Colorado potato beetle is the most damaging. It is a yellow-and-black striped beetle that defoliates plants fast. Hand-pick adults and egg masses (orange clusters on leaf undersides) regularly. Aphids spread potato viruses. Wireworms tunnel through tubers in some areas.
Traditional companions: Beans, corn, cabbage, horseradish (planted at the corners of the bed), marigolds
Missoula tips: Buy certified seed potatoes from a reputable source rather than planting grocery store potatoes, certified seed is inspected and tested for disease. Hill up soil around the base of plants as they grow to prevent tubers from being exposed to light (which turns them green and slightly toxic). Missoula’s relatively dry summers reduce late blight pressure compared to wetter climates. Harvest after the tops die back for the best-storing potatoes.
Alliums
Garlic
Best varieties for Missoula: Hardneck varieties are a strong choice for Montana winters, though softnecks grow here too. Chesnok Red (rich, full flavor), Music (large cloves, stores well), German Red (robust flavor, very cold-hardy), any Purple Stripe variety. Inchelium Red is a softneck variety that stores exceptionally well if you want to braid it.
Plant outdoors: October, about 4 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes (MSU says typically mid October). Mulch with 4 to 6 inches of weed-free straw after planting.
Harvest: Late July, when the lower half of the leaves have turned brown
Pests: Aphids occasionally colonize the leaves. Onion maggots can affect bulbs in some areas. White rot is a soil fungus that can persist for years. Buy clean seed garlic.
Traditional companions: Tomatoes, peppers, roses, fruit trees, brassicas
Missoula tips: Garlic is one of the easiest and most rewarding crops in a Missoula garden. Plant it in fall, mulch it with straw, mostly ignore it over winter, and harvest large bulbs in late July. Hardneck varieties produce a scape in June, a curled flower stalk that you can cut off to help the bulb size up. Scapes are edible and excellent in stir-fries. Cure harvested garlic in a dry, shaded spot with good airflow for two to four weeks before storing.
Seed source: Botanical Interests sells certified organic Chesnok Red and Inchelium Red seed garlic, and True Leaf Market sells German Red. These are affiliate links, so if you buy through them, Garden City Plant Care may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Onions
Best varieties for Missoula: Walla Walla (sweet, long-day), Candy (a day-neutral type that bulbs well this far north), Red Candy Apple (95 days), Yellow Sweet Spanish (110 days, plant early). Look for long-day or day-neutral (intermediate) varieties, since short-day onions will not bulb properly at our latitude.
Start indoors: Late February to early March (about 9 to 11 weeks before transplanting, per MSU) if growing from seed. Most gardeners in Missoula use sets or transplants, which is easier.
Plant outdoors: Sets and transplants go in late April to early May.
Harvest: August to September, when tops fall over naturally
Pests: Onion thrips cause silvery streaking on leaves. Onion maggots tunnel through bulbs, row cover prevents the flies from laying eggs near plants.
Traditional companions: Carrots, beets, tomatoes, chamomile
Missoula tips: Skip short-day onion varieties, which will not bulb properly in Montana. Long-day and day-neutral types are the ones to buy. Sets (small dried onion bulbs) are the easiest way to grow onions and are widely available at local nurseries in spring. Let tops fall over on their own before harvesting, do not knock them down. Cure onions in a warm, dry location for two to four weeks before storing. Properly cured onions store for months.
A Few Notes on Missoula Soil and Water
Soil varies a lot across the Missoula valley. Many yards sit on gravelly or rocky loam that drains fast, some have heavier soil that compacts when dry, and plenty of town is disturbed fill with little organic matter. Compost improves most of them, but more is not always better. Montana State University Extension suggests working 1 to 2 inches of compost into a new bed, then about half an inch a year after that, with a soil test guiding anything more, since heavy compost or manure can build up salts and nutrients. For a closer look at what Missoula soil is typically made of and how to improve it, see Missoula Soil: What You’re Working With and How to Fix It.
Water is the other constant challenge. With about 14 inches of precipitation a year and usually dry summers, Missoula does not get enough rain to grow vegetables without watering. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses are efficient options. They deliver water to the root zone, keep leaves drier, and use less water than overhead sprinklers. MSU Extension’s rule of thumb is about 1 to 2 inches of water a week from rain or irrigation, adjusted for your soil, the weather, and the crop. For more on watering schedules, drip irrigation, and avoiding common mistakes, see How to Water a Vegetable Garden in Missoula.
Mulching vegetable beds with straw or wood chips conserves moisture, keeps soil cooler, and suppresses weeds. Because it keeps soil cool, spread it around warm-season crops after the soil has warmed in late spring. It is one of the most practical things you can do for a Missoula garden and saves significant time on watering and weeding over the course of a season.
Still have questions? The Plant Care FAQ covers frost protection, watering, and more. Or reach out and ask us directly.
Sources
- Montana State University Extension, Can I Grow That Here? Vegetable Seed and Transplant Schedules
- Montana State University Extension, Growing Tomatoes in Montana
- Montana State University Extension, Growing Garlic in Montana
- Montana State University Extension, Successful Home Vegetable Gardening
- Montana State University Extension, Home Composting
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020 (Missoula International Airport)