Growing Spinach in Maine: When Will It Bolt?
Spinach sown in coastal Maine typically bolts in the first half of June, once the lengthening days pass the point where flowering kicks in, not because…
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 Pumpkins in Maine: Will They Ripen in Time?
Pumpkins can absolutely ripen in Maine, but the vine has to flower on time. Coastal Maine’s growing season ends with the first fall frost, arriving…
Will Carrots Fork in Maine Soil?
Carrots can absolutely fork in Maine soil, but not because of some blanket state condition.
When to Sow Beets in Maine
In coastal Maine, using the Portland area as the reference point, beets go into the ground from roughly early to mid-April, two to three weeks ahead of…
Beet Soil in Maine: What the Root Will Meet
Maine’s official state soil, the Chesuncook series, is a sandy, strongly acid Spodosol that formed under stands of conifers, not the loose, dark loam a…
Growing Parsnips in Maine: Will They Sweeten?
Coastal Maine gets cold enough, reliably, to turn a parsnip’s stored starch into sugar.
When to Start Pepper Seed in Maine
In most of Maine, pepper seed should go into trays roughly 8 to 10 weeks before your local transplant date, which falls between April 22 and May 1 along…
Why Peppers Fail to Set Fruit in Maine
Peppers stop setting fruit in Maine mostly because of temperature, not soil or watering.
Growing Carrots in Maine: Soil, Sowing and Forked Roots
Maine’s official state soil, the Chesuncook series, is sandy, acid and moderately well drained under a coating of forest litter.
Growing Beets in Maine: Soil, Sowing and Bolting
Maine’s official state soil, the Chesuncook series, is a sandy, strongly acid Spodosol that formed under conifer stands, not a tilled vegetable bed.