Home Gardening in Iowa: How to Start from Scratch for Indoors, Outdoors, Backyard, and Containers

Most of Iowa is favorable to growing a plentiful crop of veggies in home gardens, so long as you take the appropriate measures. Many individuals who have grown vegetables as a hobby or because they enjoy the flavor discover that home gardening can be advantageous considering the high cost of food today.

Below we learn how to set up a home garden in Iowa, the different types of home gardens for Iowa, how to set up an indoor home garden in Iowa, how to set up a backyard home garden in Iowa, and how to set up a container home garden in Iowa, about the planting zones of Iowa, and different fruits and vegetables that are suitable for Iowa home gardens.

Home gardening in Iowa

When should I start my garden in Iowa?

When you should sow seeds depends on the time of year, the plant species, and the transplant schedule. After Mother’s Day in May (as a general rule), Iowans can begin planting their gardens from seeds grown in the middle to late February. However, this varies with each kind of plant. Transplanting is successful with certain seedlings. The danger of frost is gone, but additional seeds can be planted in the garden.

Historically, April 25 has been the day when frost is finally no longer a concern in Des Moines. Only hardy, long-season seeds are started here. We seed things like peppers, tomatoes, and a few different kinds of herbs. Eggplant, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts are among other competitors. Before the latest frost date, you can begin planting tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants in late February or early March.

The rest of the garden is planted throughout the months of April and May. As was said before, our growing season isn’t long enough for all garden seeds to be started outside. For instance, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants require an early start to have fruit in July and August. Even cool-season plants like broccoli and cauliflower benefit from an early start.

What veggies can I grow in Iowa?

Some dependable veggies can handle the chilly, erratic weather of Iowa’s autumns and winters. Planting these cool-season veggies in your Iowa garden is ideal when temperatures range from the high 80s to the low 20s. Vegetables include kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, swiss chard, beets, green onions, cauliflower, cabbage, peas, lettuce, arugula, carrots, broccoli, beans, and radishes are all good options.

These plants can handle the wide range of temperatures in Iowa’s climate. Many veggies indeed thrive in the chilly spring temperatures of Iowa. However, some vegetables, like kale and spinach, can benefit from brief periods of cooler temperatures by developing a somewhat sweeter flavor.

When should I start my seeds indoors in Iowa?

When to start seeds indoors is a topic often covered on the back of seed packs. Typically, they will state how many weeks there are before the final frost date. Typically, the last frost in Iowa occurs around April 15, so you can use that date as a starting point to figure out how long you have before you can safely plant your seeds outside. Seeds should not be started in January. Some slow-growing woody herbs can be planted in January, such as oregano, rosemary, lavender, thyme, and sage.

Tomatoes, peppers, leeks, onions, and celery seeds should be planted around the end of February. About the middle of March, you can start planting broccoli, collards, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and Swiss chard seeds. Cantaloupe, watermelon, lettuce, pumpkin, squash, and sweet potato seeds can be planted around the end of March. Planting seedlings outside and sowing some seeds directly into the garden may begin around the middle of April.

When can you plant tomatoes outside in Iowa?

Once frost risk has passed, it’s time to plant your tomatoes outside. Tomatoes can be planted after May 10 in central Iowa. Growers in southern Iowa can get a head start on their plantings by a week, while those in northern Iowa should hold off until the following week. Tomatoes should be planted no later than June 20.

Fertile, well-drained soil is ideal for growing tomatoes. Stay away from areas with a lot of clay or poor drainage. Tomatoes need six hours of sunlight daily for optimal growth and fruiting. Planting tomatoes in a new site every year will help prevent the spread of foliar diseases like Septoria leaf spot, early blight, and others.

Tomatoes and other solanaceous crops (potatoes, peppers) should not be grown in the same region for more than three or four years without being rotated. Tomatoes can be grown in huge pots of four to five gallons, allowing those without access to a garden to enjoy this summer’s harvest. Put the pots on a deck or patio that gets plenty of sunlight.

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What zone is Iowa for planting?

Iowa has a minimal number of plant hardiness zones because of its unusually humid climate for a continental area. All states endure severe weather, from bitterly cold winters to blisteringly hot summers and wet spring to round off the year. Humidity and heat are perennial problems throughout the summer. Temperatures throughout the day during the summer months often reach the upper 90s and occasionally approach the 100s.

During the winter, temperatures often dip far below freezing, with -18 degrees being a common low. Iowa averages 166 sunny days per year and 200 overcast or partly cloudy days. Iowa’s growth zones range from 4b to 5b, with a small section in the south reaching 6a. For successful garden planning, familiarity with planting and hardiness zones is crucial. Use an online planting zone map to identify their planting zone and learn what plants can be grown there and when they should be planted.

The Iowa planting zones determine what plants will grow best in different climates. Regions are sorted based on when their first and last frosts occurred. The best time to sow your garden depends on the last expected frost date. You can grow anything hardy in your zone or a lower one. This means that people living in zone 4b may safely grow anything meant for zones 1 to 4. Gardens full of plants rated as thriving in higher hardiness zones run the risk of being destroyed by harsh winters in regions with shorter growing seasons.

Flowering plants and other plants can flourish in Iowa’s fertile soil. Flowers like the creeping phlox, peony, lily-of-the-valley, daffodil, purple coneflower, daylily, and Virginia bluebell are all wonderful options. Brussels sprouts, Beans and peas, cabbage, broccoli, and lettuce are some of the top choices for a state garden.

What fruits can I grow in Iowa?

You can choose decent locations and soils around Iowa to grow strawberries, red raspberries, currants, and gooseberries. However, only in the south and center of Iowa should you attempt growing black raspberries and blackberries since they are less winter resistant. While southern and central Iowa are ideal, reasonable yields can be achieved in northern Iowa by carefully selecting resistant varieties.

Although blueberries can survive in Iowa, the state’s typically alkaline soils aren’t suitable for growing them. If well-drained soils are used, and cold-hardy apple varieties are chosen, apples can be grown throughout Iowa. While apples can survive Iowa winters quite well, other stone fruits (including apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines, and plums) are not as tough.

How do I start a backyard garden in Iowa?

Choosing a perfect location

The two most crucial elements in the landscape design are water and sunlight. Sunlight is the catalyst that kickstarts the photosynthesis process in plants. The sun’s rays are essential for the survival of plants that thrive in direct sunlight. Vegetables that grow the quickest require a location exposed to direct sunlight for at least six to eight hours every day and are free of things like trees, shrubs, and fences. Nevertheless, growing sun-loving vegetables in heavily shaded places will provide little results.

The circumstances are perfect for growing plants if your yard gets much sunlight. Root crops like carrots, radishes, and beets in Iowa need at least four hours of sunlight daily to be harvested successfully. Consider how close your plot will be to a water source when deciding where to put it. Consistent watering is essential for the first few weeks following germination or transplanting when these plants are very fragile.

To avoid overwatering your plants before they have a solid root system, you should spray them once a day instead of giving them a thorough weekly bath. Deeper water penetration encourages root development because it increases nutrient availability to the roots. Homeowners can save water and time using drip irrigation or soaker hoses.

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Soil preparation for your backyard garden

Green manure plants are one kind of cover crop you can grow. Legumes provide nitrogen to the soil throughout their growth, making them a worthwhile addition to any backyard garden. Cover crops often planted in the spring serve many purposes: protect soil from erosion, suppress weed growth, and produce compost.

After two weeks have passed since the green manure crops were dug up and gathered, you can plant your vegetable and flower seeds or seedlings. By taking this course of action, the plant material will decay and provide the new plants with the necessary nutrients. Young plants, such as seedlings, can’t survive the high temperatures produced by decomposing green manure.

Before planting, scrape off any mulch and put it in compost in your Iowa container garden. For the additives to degrade and replenish the soil, it is best to let the soil rest for some time before planting. This method also lessens the likelihood of damaging the roots. Slow-release nutrients and organic matter should be added to clay-based soil, such as leaf litter, straw, grass clippings, and non-oily kitchen wastes. As part of your standard garden upkeep, utilize organic mulching products.

Start planting your backyard plants

Getting your feet wet with pot seedlings is the ideal way to learn the ropes before moving on to the yard. This helps keep fragile seeds from being lost and allows for easier monitoring. The second set of leaves indicates that the beds no longer need to be watered regularly. Germination rates are often low when seeds are old, improperly stored, or sown at an improper depth; whenever the soil is too cold, moist, or dried; when manure burns the seedling; or when the topsoil crusts over due to excessive soil muck moisture.

When conditions for growth (such as humidity, temperature, light, and drainage) are ideal, seedlings are less likely to succumb to damping-off. Start putting in your seedlings immediately. The seedlings should be carefully extracted from the soil. If you’re working with seedlings, be careful not to squish them. While the plants can be coaxed into sprouting new sets of leaves and roots, they won’t be able to grow any further stems or branches, no matter how much care they’re given.

The package has everything you’ll need to sit down and write or indulge in your favorite frozen treat. When relocating seedlings, water less often but wet the soil more deeply. This results from more moisture in the soil and a stronger root system. Transplanting plants in the summer is best done in the late afternoon or evening. This allows plants to recover and replenish before exposure to high temperatures and bright lights. For optimal growth, seedlings should be spaced together enough that the shadows created by the adult plants’ leaves reach the soil between the seedlings.

Roots won’t overheat since the soil can’t warm up in the sun. When looking for transplants, choosing plants with mobile roots is best. If the plant’s roots don’t expand rapidly enough in the summer heat, the plant won’t be able to drink enough water. Root balls must be ripped apart correctly so that roots can develop rapidly after planting.

Water your backyard garden

Plants need to be watered when you put a spade into the soil and meet resistance. Runoff may be a problem for even a small home garden if the soil is allowed to get continuously saturated with water. Watering the area often till runoff is the greatest method to guarantee the area will pass the shovel test. Having too much runoff means wasting valuable water. Plants’ roots need to grow deeper to get water. Therefore, you must teach them to do so. Soil has to be watered about once every 2 to 3 weeks in the spring.

Plants simply need thorough weekly watering once, even in extreme heat. Irrigation water can penetrate as far as one inch into the soil, depending on conditions. There are many kinds of soil, ranging from sand and loam to clay and everything in between. The typical depth range for plant root zones is two to twelve feet. Larger plants, like tomatoes, have deeper root systems. The hard clay soil can absorb more water over a shorter period than in a single large watering.

Morning watering prevents plants from drying. The danger of mildew will be reduced since water won’t evaporate, and the plants will be dry by bedtime. If the evenings are very hot, the plant’s leaves may not dry in time for sunset if watered from above. Fungal diseases thrive at 72 degrees Fahrenheit in warm, damp environments for two to four hours. Overwatering is a major contributor to plant mortality. It has been believed that overwatering leads to root rot and ultimate death.

It’s recommended to avoid walking about on your garden’s soil just after it has been watered so as not to compact the soil. You can use stepping stones or cover the ground with straw or mulch to create walkways. Maintain the plant’s symmetry by watering it upside down at regular intervals. Mulching the soil reduces the frequency and severity of floods without negatively impacting productivity.

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Fertilize your backyard garden

Fertilizer is essential for annual flowers and plants’ quick but transitory development. Ideal fertilizer would gradually release nutrients throughout time. To thrive, plants need more than just NP-K and nitrogen. Plants can thrive without excessive amounts of fertilizer. Analyzing the N-P-K ratio is preferable to choosing rose or citrus-specific fertilizers. Compost has several benefits, such as its cheap cost, the ease with which it can be made at home, the inclusion of micronutrients, and the organic matter it contains.

In the first few weeks of spring, spread a full fertilizer over the garden. Plants need a steady supply of easily accessible nutrients once planted or rooted. In addition, gardeners can get more from their plants if they feed them well since healthy plants can better withstand pests, diseases, and environmental challenges like heat and drought. Vegetables should be transplanted six weeks after being treated with manure tea or fish emulsion.

Using a container heated in the sun, combine one part manure with two parts water to brew tea. The mixture should be stirred well once weekly. If you prepare beforehand, you can buy a nutrient-rich tea to use for watering and feeding your plants a whole month in advance. For example, mixing one teaspoon of fish emulsion and half a teaspoon of kelp or seaweed makes a potent “garden tea” fertilizer. This solution should be applied to the soil and foliage every two weeks to ensure optimal development.

How to manage pests and diseases in your backyard garden?

The first step in developing an effective pest and disease management strategy is to get familiar with the types of pests and diseases you are likely to face. The location and types of crops you are growing will play a role in determining which pests might pose a threat. Many pests and diseases are widespread, whereas others are primarily concerned in certain regions.

Identifying the source of an issue is considerably less difficult if you know what signs to look for and when to search for them. Your state’s Extension Service is one of the greatest places to learn about vegetable pests and diseases. Their advice is tailored to issues most likely problematic where you live.

Plants fed well are better equipped to ward off pests and diseases, just as humans who eat well and get enough exercise and rest are less prone to become ill. Soil health is crucial for plant growth. Soil bacteria and other helpful organisms thrive when organic matter is added regularly, so be sure to include compost into your gardening routine.

Maintaining a clean and healthy garden – Finish the gardening season with a thorough garden clean-up. Garden trash is a major vector for many pests and diseases found in plants but can be carried yearly. Avoid composting any plant material that shows signs of infection or infestation. Most household compost heaps won’t become hot enough to kill bugs and pathogens.

To prevent pests and diseases that the soil can carry, it is best to move similar plants to new spots in the garden each year. For most crops, a rotation of three years is ideal, but if this isn’t possible where you are, do the best you can. Get the soil to the moisture level when it’s neither too dry nor too wet. Wet foliage encourages the growth of many diseases, so take care not to water the tops of plants. You can speed up the drying process of the leaves by watering them in the morning or using a soaker hose or drip irrigation.

Avoid gardening while the leaves are moist from rain or dew if you don’t want to transfer diseases from plant to plant. Plants need room to breathe; squished plants absorb moisture and become breeding grounds for pests. Avoid bringing in pests by thoroughly inspecting any transplants you intend on purchasing (particularly the undersides of the leaves) to ensure that they are disease-free and strong.

Flower gardens that attract predatory insects are an integral part of a sustainable gardening practice that relies on Mother Nature to maintain a pest-free environment. The pollen and nectar from flowers in the garden are a vital food source for predatory and parasitic bug species at certain times of their life cycles. Many beneficial insects are drawn to plants with daisy-like blooms, such as golden marguerites and coneflowers, or umbrella-shaped clusters of tiny flowers like those seen on yarrow and dill.

They can be given both food and shelter by planting flowers as a border around the vegetable garden. Avoid mistaking the “good guys” for potential troublemakers by familiarising yourself with all phases of their life cycles. A variety of changes in appearance between the immature and mature phases are possible. If you can, choose disease-resistant types. These plants have been engineered to be more resistant to a few of the most frequent diseases that affect a certain crop.

Look for letters following the variety name showing resistance, or consult a catalog, seed package, or tag. For instance, verticillium wilt and fusarium wilt resistance can be found in tomato cultivars denoted by the letters V and F. Controlling weeds is important because they may serve as a host for pests and fight with your plants for resources like water, sunlight, and nutrients. Insects, mites, and aphids that plague your garden vegetables may also feed on the weeds growing next door. Mulch is an excellent method of reducing weed growth and retaining soil moisture.

How to start a container garden in Iowa?

Choosing the containers

Numerous varieties of containers exist. Some great examples are barrels, pails, boxes, and bushels. It depends on crop and space. Vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and okra do well in water bucket gardens. Herbs, spinach, and onions do well in compact pots with little maintenance. They are a fantastic landscaping option because of their minimal care needs and strong root systems.

Both permeable and impermeable containers can be found in use today. Glazed containers made of plastic, metal, or glass are considered nonporous. No matter how large your container is, you must ensure that it has enough drainage. To aid drainage, fill the container with pebbles (about an inch’s worth). Most effectively, drain holes should be set halfway to one inch above the base of the container.

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Choose the right soil

The key to successful plant development is soil that drains well. Soilless or synthetic mixes, such as peat moss or sawdust, are ideal for planting vegetables. Water and nutrients can be retained without causing the soil to become saturated, and it drains fast since the soil is sterile and contains no weed seeds. Mix equal volumes of vermiculite, peat moss, and limestone with the recommended amounts of fertilizer, phosphate, and garden fertilizer to avoid the formation of clumps.

Before applying a 5-10-10 or 6-12-12 fertilizer, mix in equal parts of compost and vermiculite. The fertilizer superphosphate (0-20-0-) and lime (limestone) should be combined (1:1). When trying to contain dust, water is your best bet. Before sowing or transplanting, soak the seed mixture. Soil amendments may include various materials, including peat moss, compost, sterilized soil, vermiculite, and perlite. Composting cow manure is beneficial to soil because it increases fertility. To a greater extent than their non-soil counterparts, soil-and-soil mixtures retain water over the long term.

Water your container garden

The major benefit of growing plants in containers is that they only need a single daily watering. However, plants might die from poor drainage. When there is excess water and the mixture is excessively saturated, the plants will perish due to a lack of oxygen. If you water a plant’s leaves, you might be contributing to the spread of disease. A fertilizer solution, rather than just plain tap water, should be used for all waterings, except for the weekly leaching.

Water-retaining gels are becoming more popular for use in container gardening. Hydrogels, often formed from starch, are a kind of gel with a thick, gel-like consistency. These things take in as much as one hundred times their body weight in water before expelling. They must be added into the soil before anything can be planted. Mulch also has the added advantage of reducing water loss through the soil. The soil’s health can be enhanced in several ways by applying mulches.

Manage pests and diseases in your container garden

Many of the most effective organic insecticides available today are from neem oil. There are around 200 different kinds of insects, many of which can withstand certain medications because of how they eat. These pests include things like aphids, mealybugs, and flea beetles. It successfully gets rid of bugs without endangering humans or animals. In addition, this medication’s antifungal effects are well supported by the available research. Powdery mildew is less likely to develop as a result of this.

Natural pesticides based on tobacco are efficient, especially on caterpillars and aphids. For best results, let the mixture of one cup of tobacco and four liters of water sit for at least a day. A strong and comfortable light source is needed to bring out the best in these parts. As a result, a lighter, greener hue will be present in the final product. The solution is sprayed on the plants once it has been fully mixed.

Is growing your indoor garden worth it?

Whenever possible, indoor gardeners should recycle and reuse materials to save costs. The initial expense of indoor gardening tools, such as a grow lamp or watering system, is lower than the expense of growth in the open air. Some vegetables can be challenging to grow indoors. Most types of fruit cannot be successfully grown in a greenhouse.

Indoor gardening might be cost-effective if you often purchase the sorts of produce and herbs that you could grow in your home. However, only lettuce and herbs are suitable for home cultivation. Saving money on herbs and lettuce by growing them from seed at home. Your lettuce and herb savings in Iowa will vary depending on how much you normally spend on these items.

Can you grow an indoor garden in the winter?

You can grow your fruits, vegetables, and herbs through the winter by indoor gardening. Involve the kids in sowing seeds and maintaining a watering schedule, bringing in plants growing outside, or starting seeds inside to be transplanted in the spring. Even while a winter indoor garden won’t supply you with all you need, it can supplement what you buy at the grocery store. As a bonus, keep your “green thumbs” active over the winter by keeping plants inside.

Although you won’t be able to harvest a cornfield’s worth of ears in the dead of winter, several crops thrive as houseplants throughout the colder months. Plants can be grown inside throughout the winter, but only if a south-facing window is available or if artificial grow lights are used in conjunction with the natural sunlight. Affordable and widely accessible, full-spectrum fluorescent lights provide the best value. In addition to these necessities, a growing medium and containers, or a hydroponics setup, will be needed.

Do Iowa indoor gardens attract bugs?

Many different kinds of insects are drawn to houseplants. Indoor gardens are especially vulnerable to assault in poor ventilation or high humidity. Fungus gnats, scales, spider mites, aphids, mealybugs, thrips, and whiteflies are the most prevalent pests. In the United States, aphids do more damage than any other kind of pest. By keeping an eye on your plants, watering them enough, and maintaining optimal growth conditions, you can reduce the likelihood of pest infestations and afford the time to remove them before they do significant harm.

How do I start an indoor garden in Iowa?

Indoor gardening can be more than simply a couple of potted plants on a windowsill, but it doesn’t have to be hard. Indoor gardening is often understood to be the practice of bringing indoors a variety of plants that one would normally grow outside. Indoor gardening can be more efficient and fruitful if you have room and equipment. Keeping the temperature steady and maintaining the environment so your plants may flourish is less challenging.

Simply select plants that will grow in your location. Unlike many outdoor gardens, where the weather determines the growing season, you may have access to items like vegetables or herbs all year round if you provide the correct circumstances. Your plants’ light needs should determine your indoor garden’s location. Indoor plants will never receive the same exposure to direct strong sunshine as outside plants, and even window light would be less than sunlight outside.

If you don’t have access to natural light in your apartment or are trying to replicate outside conditions for large, sun-loving plants, grow lights may be a need. On the other hand, if plants need deep shadows, it’s best to keep them away from windows. Your indoor garden will thrive in a light, well-drained potting mix unless you use a hydroponic system or just want to cultivate air plants. The exact proportions of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite in the mix can vary based on the plants being grown.

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This mixture is very absorbent and resists compacting when wet. However, it won’t be suitable for ferns and other plants that need constant watering because of how rapidly it dries up. No two houseplants will have the same watering needs. However, one of the most prevalent issues with indoor gardening is overwatering. Sadly, root rot is a significant cause of death for houseplants. Before starting a garden, learn all you can about the specific kind of plants you want to grow.

In addition, distilled water at room temperature is ideal for watering plants. Sometimes the shock of water from the tap might kill your plants. Providing enough nutrition to your houseplants is crucial to their long-term health and growth. Some potting soils include added nutrients, but the plants will have exhausted them within a few months. It is common to wait months between applications of slow-release fertilizers. One of the main advantages of indoor gardening is that the atmosphere can be controlled in terms of temperature and humidity.

Many houseplants thrive between 40 and 60 percent relative humidity. During the colder months, when the heat is on, the air in your home can get quite dry; if you have plants that need a high humidity level, you may want to consider purchasing a humidifier or relocating the garden to the bathroom. It’s essential to give your houseplants a new home every year, or whenever they start to become root bound, for optimal growth and health. Make sure there’s room in the kettle for more plants.

How do I start my raised garden bed first?

Despite its current popularity, raised-bed gardening is not without merit. The actual condition of your spine is crucial. Raising the bed eliminates the need to bend over as often. Plants benefit from a bed since the light can more easily reach the soil, making for healthier development. Fewer weeds and a more streamlined aesthetic are other benefits of a raised bed. Moreover, a raised bed can be built directly on compacted soil.

To begin, choose a location that works well with the style of your garden. Growing vegetables well requires a lot of sunlight, water supply proximity, and wind protection. Though the flat ground is preferable, any patch of soil can be adjusted to level it. Some use stone retaining walls, but wood is the most popular and cost-effective option for constructing beds. Use only untreated wood if you care about the safety of your produce. Due to its inherent resistance to decay, cedar is the greatest material.

Boards made from non-rot-resistant wood will only survive around 5-10 years. It is not required to dig up the grass before construction if it is taking place over grass. The grass underneath will die of suffocation and decomposition if just fresh soil is applied. To be specific, however, that no grass will ever grow to the point where it blocks the light from the garden, it is recommended that a layer of newspaper or cardboard be laid down and soaked in water before installing the soil. Raised beds provide better soil for plants.

Combine nutrient-rich soil with compost to get your vegetables off to a healthy start. If your measurements are still handy, you may easily determine how much soil will be needed. Using the dimensions of your plot, you can calculate the number of cubic feet of soil you’ll need using the formula: length * width * depth. Building a raised vegetable bed requires time, new soil, and wood. The time and effort spent on its construction will pay dividends in reducing weeding needs, more growth area in prime soil, and less strain on your back.

Conclusion

The number of people who grow vegetables at home has risen. Home vegetable production can be successful or unsuccessful for several reasons; however, negligence, not following directions, and not keeping up with new developments in vegetable growing are three of the most common reasons for failure. If you live in the following cities/towns/counties of Iowa (IA) in the United States of America, this article might be helpful with the basics of setting up a home garden indoors, outdoors in backyards, and in containers.

Des Moines	Iowa City	Cedar Rapids
Dubuque	Sioux City	Waterloo
Davenport	Ames	Council Bluffs
Ankeny	Boone	Ottumwa
Mason City	Cedar Falls	Fort Dodge
West Des Moines	Marshalltown	Bettendorf
Muscatine	Pella	Coralville
Decorah	Keokuk	Urbandale
Dyersville	Fort Madison	Waukee
Indianola	Grinnell	Oskaloosa
Johnston	Maquoketa	Clive
Sheldon	Storm Lake	Grimes
Le Mars	Winterset	North Liberty
Iowa Falls	Sioux Center	Webster City
Chariton	Estherville	Le Claire
Oelwein	Clarinda	Waukon
Albia	Anamosa	Central Iowa
West Iowa	South Iowa	East Iowa
North Iowa

Home Gardening in Iowa: How to Start from Scratch for Indoors, Outdoors, Backyard, and Containers

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