When Sweet Corn Is Ready in Maine, and How Fast It Fades
Sweet corn in Maine is ready roughly 60 to 90 days after planting, and planting waits for soil near 60 F, which arrives well after the last frost.
Maine
Home and garden guidance for Maine: planting dates for its climate zones, the codes that apply locally, and the rebates residents can actually claim.
Gardening in Maine
Everything we have worked out for Maine: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Portland, the last spring freeze runs April 22 to May 1 and the first fall freeze runs October 9 to October 21, USDA zones 3b-6a, 2,408 growing degree days in the year.
That is enough for early varieties, tight for anything late. Garlic does well: 30.4 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Maine: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
Growing Roses in Maine: Planting Dates, Varieties and Local Pests
Plant container roses in Maine once the last spring freeze is behind you, which at Portland falls between April 22 and May 1.
Growing Hydrangeas in Maine: Types, Colour and Winter
In Maine, plant container-grown hydrangeas in early May, once the last spring frost window has closed, or in late summer so roots settle before the…
When to Lift Onions in Maine, and How to Cure Them
Lift onions in Maine when the tops fall over and the necks go soft, not on a date.
Heat Pump or Gas Furnace in Maine: Which Costs Less to Run?
On running cost alone, a natural gas furnace beats a heat pump in Maine: $24.91 per million Btu of heat delivered, against $37.02 for a heat pump at the…
How High to Mow a Lawn in Maine
Most Maine lawns want to be cut somewhere between 1.5 and 3.5 inches, and the right number depends on the grass underneath.
When to Plant Grass Seed in Maine
Late August to mid-September is the best time to sow grass seed in Maine, with spring as the second-best option once the soil warms up.
When to Dethatch a Lawn in Maine
For most Maine lawns the answer is early fall, and for plenty of them it’s never.
When to Aerate a Lawn in Maine
In Maine, the best time to aerate a lawn is early fall, while the grass is still growing and before the first frost.
When to Winterize Sprinklers and Outdoor Faucets in Maine
Empty sprinkler lines and outdoor taps in Maine by early October in the southern coastal part of the state, and earlier the farther inland or north you…