What to Plant in Maryland in April
April is the pivot point in Maryland’s garden calendar. The state’s last spring frost falls somewhere between April 3 and April 16, so the first half of…
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.
Growing Peppers in Maryland: Fruit Set, Heat and Timing
Peppers set fruit reliably across most of Maryland, but the state’s summer heat load, an average of 24.6 days a year at or above 90 F, can shut fruit set…
Growing Potatoes in Maryland: Dates, Varieties and Summer Heat
Maryland’s summer heat load is moderate, not extreme: Baltimore averages 24.6 days a year at 90 F or hotter (NOAA NCEI, 1991-2020 Climate Normals).
Pepper Varieties That Ripen in a Maryland Season
Most pepper varieties, from sweet bells to hot chilies, can complete a full cycle in a Maryland garden if the transplant goes in as an 8-to-10-week-old…
Watering Through a Dry Spell in Maryland
Maryland’s summer rain doesn’t disappear, but it thins out and gets riskier to rely on.
Watering Pots and Containers in Maryland
Container gardens in Maryland dry out faster than the ground around them, especially through June and July when heat pushes past 90 degrees on more than…
Forcing Spring Bulbs Indoors in Maryland
Forcing spring bulbs indoors works in Maryland the same way it works everywhere: you trick a bulb built for a Mid-Atlantic winter into blooming weeks…
Growing Spring Bulbs in Containers in Maryland
Maryland’s winter already delivers more cold than any spring bulb needs to bloom on schedule in the ground, so the real project here is not tricking…
Maryland Planting Calendar: When to Sow and Plant, Frost Dates Included
Maryland’s frost-free season runs from a variable April last freeze to an October or November first freeze, and this calendar shows how to plan around it.
Canning at Altitude in Maryland: What Your Elevation Changes
Baltimore sits at 33 feet above sea level, and water there boils somewhere between 208 F and 212 F. That’s the sea-level band.