What to plant this week in Billings, MT
Billings gardeners, it is officially frost-free with the average last freeze having passed on May 8th, opening your season for warm-weather transplants. With first frost not arriving until Oct 8, you have a solid window to get those summer squashes and peppers established in Montana's short but intense growing window.
The next 7 days
Billings, MTGrowing in Billings right now
- Billings sits on hardpan clay-loam that drains poorly; amend planting holes generously with compost or coarse sand before setting out your transplants this week.
- While the city averages 17 inches of rain, heavy thunderstorms often dump moisture quickly; ensure new plantings like basil and peppers are mulched to prevent rapid soil cooling after a storm.
- The city's elevation creates cooler nights that can slow tomato ripening; choose heat-tolerant varieties from your harvest list to maximize yield before the Oct 8 deadline.
Sow this week
No direct sowing windows open this week.
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
46 crops- Basil
- Beefsteak Tomato
- Bell Pepper
- Borage
- Brussels Sprouts
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Celery
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Dahlia
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Habanero Pepper
- Honeydew Melon
- Leek
- Lima Bean
- Lisianthus (Prairie Gentian)
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Nasturtium
- Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine
- Parsnip
- Pole Bean
- Potato
- Pumpkin
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Tomatillo
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Begin succession sowing quick-maturing crops like Bush Beans or Lettuce to extend your harvest before the first frost on October 8.
- Apply a thick layer of straw or leaf mulch around perennial roots and Brassicas like Brussels Sprouts to protect them from early cold snaps.
- Prune back any leggy Summer Savory or Garden Verbena now to encourage fresh growth once temperatures stabilize after the frost.
- Start planning your spring garden by ordering seeds for crops that need a long head start, such as Garlic for next fall planting.
Pest & disease watch
- Colorado potato beetles are currently exploding in Billings backyards, so inspect foliage daily on your potatoes and eggplants immediately.
- Spider mites thrive in our dry summer winds and will target the undersides of zinnias and peppers if humidity drops below average.
- Cutworms frequently emerge from local soil around transplanted beans and squash; check seedlings every morning to remove any cut-off stems.
Watering this week
Reduce watering frequency but increase volume deeply to help plants build frost resistance before the October chill sets in.
Harvest Garlic now if it has finished curing to ensure you get a full bulb before the ground freezes hard.
Billings gardening questions
3Can I start my garlic now in Billings?
Yes, this is the prime time to plant hardneck garlic varieties like 'Music' or 'Silver Skin' as soil temperatures are cooling enough for dormancy initiation.
My zucchini plants in Billings aren't flowering; is it too early?
It is likely the temperature fluctuation between our hot days and cool nights is stalling pollination rather than being too early.
How do I protect my young sunflowers from hail in Billings?
Because our thunderstorms often bring severe hail, install 30-inch tall corn stalks or bamboo stakes around vulnerable seedlings immediately.
Other cities in zone 5a
6See the full zone 5a guide → · Plan your Billings garden in SproutGuide →