When to Overseed a Lawn in Maryland
Overseed Maryland’s cool-season lawns between early and mid-September, working backward from the region’s first fall frost so seedlings get roughly 45…
Gardening in Maryland
Everything we have worked out for Maryland: 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 Baltimore, the last spring freeze runs April 3 to April 16 and the first fall freeze runs October 26 to November 5, USDA zones 5b-8a, 3,994 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 21.8 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in Maryland: 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.
First and Last Frost Dates in Maryland
Maryland’s last spring frost typically falls between April 3 and April 16, and the first fall frost arrives between October 26 and November 5, based on…
When to Pick Tomatoes in Maryland, and Ripening the Rest
Maryland gardeners pick ripe tomatoes by color and give, not by a date on the calendar, but the fall frost window (October 26 to November 5, per NOAA…
When to Harvest Garlic in Maryland, and How to Cure It
Garlic planted in Maryland the previous fall comes out of the ground the following summer, once the lower leaves have gone brown and only four or five…
When to Pick Apples in Maryland, and How Long They Keep
Most Maryland apple varieties reach picking stage between late August and mid-October, timed to fruit maturity rather than a date on the calendar.
Does Insulation Keep a Home in Maryland Cool?
Yes, insulation helps Maryland homes stay cooler in summer, but the payoff depends on where you sit in a state that spans two different climate zones and…
Does a Wall in Maryland Need a Vapor Barrier?
Yes. Every one of Maryland’s 24 counties falls outside the International Residential Code’s warm-zone exception, so a vapor retarder on the interior side…
Heating With Pellets in Maryland: What a Winter Takes
A Maryland winter runs long before it runs brutal: heating demand stretches from October through May, but the real question for a pellet stove is how…
Box tree moth in Maryland: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Box tree moth has been confirmed in Maryland only since July 2025, and it feeds on boxwood exclusively, not on vegetables or lawns.
Trees, Shrubs and Perennials for Maryland: What Will Not Survive
Maryland’s plant hardiness runs from USDA zone 5b in the western highlands to zone 8a on the lower Eastern Shore.