Gardening in Black Hills (Spearfish, Hot Springs: fit in, houses, live)

[RobynV]

We are considering a relocation to the Black Hills area- fortunately we have until next May to do our research. My latest question is about the growing season in the Black Hills- any input appreciated. (A hoop house is also an option.) Thanks!

[uncleharley]

The growing season in the Black Hills is varied because of the influence of the hills themselves on the weather. Most weather patterns in the Northern Plains move from west to east. Secondary movements go from north to south. In the summer there will be a few weather patterns which move from south to north. Because the Hills are at a higher elevation than the surrounding plains, these weather patterns tend to be shoved into the atmosphere as the fronts approach the Black Hills. This creates varied weather that can range from having a blizzard along I-90 while Hot Springs has seasonal temps with perhaps a little rain. [I am referring to the last storm of the season this past year.] To summarize those situations, the northern hills tends to get more annual precipitation and tougher winters while the east side and the southern side tend to be warmer and drier.
The serious gardener will probably want a green house or a hoop house of some kind. These will protect your crops from frequent hail storms and make irrigation more effective. The soil thru out the hills is not what most people would want for farming. It ranges from heavy red or yellow clay to rock. Some of the rock is digable, some is blastable. You will want to use generous amounts of compost and fertilizer to enrich the soil. Droughts are common, so you will want to plan on some kind of irrigation system. This can be as simple as a hand held garden hose or as complex as you want to make it. The growing season is longer in the southern hills near Hot Springs, than in the northern hills near Spearfish.

Good Luck,
uh

[no8fann]

Robyn, the growing season in Custer, specifically, is short - the elevation sees to that! It does not warm up sufficiently for seeds to germinate until mid- to late June. Growing from plants is best, and even then, we have had season-ending hail storms the last three years in July. This year, I did not plant our raised beds (another must in this area - topsoil is thin and hard to work here). I planted several hanging pots with small tomatoes and herbs, but they got destroyed when we got 8" of hail - yes, you read that right - at the end of July. Even in the best of years, you can plan on freezing temps to creep back in by Labor Day weekend or shortly thereafter. For a serious gardener, a greenhouse is a must here. Hoop houses are okay, but they have a hard time standing up to the hail.

[RobynV]

Great information as usual. It seems like every time I get familiar with an area and how/what to grow, I move to a completely different area and have to re-learn everything Thanks so much- sounds like a sturdy greenhouse would have to be fit into the budget!

[ColoGuy]

We lived there awhile ago. The soil was pretty good and there was enough rain. Only problem was the short growing season. I think it frosted on August 27th one year? You will want a small greenhouse to get a jump on things I think.

I loved it. Just drove back to my boyhood home last week. Things have REALLY CHANGED.

[RobynV]

Originally Posted by ColoGuy

We lived there awhile ago. The soil was pretty good and there was enough rain. Only problem was the short growing season. I think it frosted on August 27th one year? You will want a small greenhouse to get a jump on things I think.

I loved it. Just drove back to my boyhood home last week. Things have REALLY CHANGED.

Changed how? Just curious!!