What to plant this week in Omaha, NE
Omaha gardeners are deep in the late-summer crunch, with frost officially not expected until mid-October. This week is prime harvest time for your summer staples like zucchini, yellow squash, and sweet corn while you also start direct-sowing bush beans to extend the season before that first hard freeze hits.
The next 7 days
Omaha, NEGrowing in Omaha right now
- Omaha's clay-heavy soils dry out quickly in our hot spells; mulch heavily around squash and melons to retain moisture for the rest of August.
- Since we don't transplant much this week, focus on direct sowing bush beans and cucumbers now so they establish roots before the autumn rains arrive in September.
- Protect your late-planted lettuce or spinach from the occasional afternoon thunderstorm surge common across the Platte Valley with floating row covers.
- Start planning for winter storage by checking your root cellars for beets, carrots, and parsnips that are ready to pull right now.
Sow this week
7 crops- Bush Bean
- Cucumber
- French Marigold
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zucchini
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
58 crops- Anaheim (New Mexico) Pepper
- Banana Pepper
- Basil
- Beefsteak Tomato
- Beet
- Bell Pepper
- Borage
- Brussels Sprouts
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Carrot
- Cayenne Pepper
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Dahlia
- Edamame
- Eggplant
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Geranium (Zonal)
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Honeydew Melon
- Jalapeño
- Lantana
- Lima Bean
- Malabar Spinach
- Marconi Pepper
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine
- Parsley
- Parsnip
- Petunia
- Poblano Pepper
- Pole Bean
- Potato
- Roma Tomato
- Rutabaga
- Scallion (Bunching Onion)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Serrano Pepper
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Snapdragon
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Tomatillo
- Tomato
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow bush beans every two weeks for a continuous harvest throughout summer.
- Mulch around established tomato and pepper plants to retain moisture as soil temperatures rise.
- Prune dead or diseased foliage from Brassicas like Brussels Sprouts and Kale to improve air circulation.
Pest & disease watch
- Watch closely for bean leaf beetles on your newly sown bush beans and snapdragons as larvae emerge from the soil.
- Monitor tomato vines in the south Omaha neighborhoods for early blight, which thrives in our humid summer afternoons.
- Check watermelon and cantaloupe leaves for cucumber beetles before they introduce bacterial wilt to your melon crop.
Watering this week
Water deeply in the morning to encourage strong root growth while minimizing fungal disease risk.
Pinch back the tips of young Bush Bean plants if they are leggy to encourage bushier, more productive growth.
Omaha gardening questions
3Is it too late to start tomatoes from seed this week?
It is generally too risky to start indeterminate varieties like Beefsteak or Roma indoors now because our last frost averages April 21 and fall nights are cooling. However, you can still direct-sow bush beans and cucumbers if you have room, but tomatoes should be harvested from existing plants rather than started anew.
When should I stop harvesting watermelons in Omaha?
Harvest your Watermelon and Honeydew Melon anytime through late September, as the first frost date is October 17. Pick them before a hard freeze damages the rind, but do not rush harvest until you see the vines starting to yellow naturally.
How do I protect my Zinnias and Cosmos from the wind on West Omaha hills?
Secure these annuals with soft plant ties or staking if they are growing on exposed ridges where our north winds can snap tall stems. Water them deeply every few days during dry spells to help their root systems anchor better against gusty weather.
Other cities in zone 6a
12See the full zone 6a guide → · Plan your Omaha garden in SproutGuide →