Massachusetts Lawn Care: What to Plant and When to Feed It
Massachusetts lawns need cool-season grass such as tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, seeded in fall and fed according to NOAA’s frost data, not spring.
Gardening in Massachusetts
Everything we have worked out for Massachusetts: 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 Boston, the last spring freeze runs April 1 to April 8 and the first fall freeze runs November 3 to November 14, USDA zones 5a-7b, 3,084 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 Massachusetts: 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.
Garlic Varieties That Suit Massachusetts Winters
Massachusetts’ long winter cold suits both hardneck and softneck garlic, with planting timed to the region’s fall frost window each October.
When to Plant Garlic in Massachusetts: Counting Back From the First Frost
Massachusetts garlic goes into the ground mid to late October, counted back from NOAA’s Boston-area first fall frost window of November 3 to 14.
Growing Garlic in Massachusetts: Planting Dates, Varieties and Winter Cold
Massachusetts’s cold winters trigger garlic’s clove division, so plant hardneck or softneck varieties in mid to late October and mulch well before the ground freezes.
Tomato Varieties That Ripen in Time in Massachusetts
This guide lists eight tomato cultivars for Massachusetts, from a 55-day cherry tomato to an 85-day paste type, with each one’s expected ripening margin before frost.
Tomato Planting Dates in Massachusetts: Counting Back From Your Frost Window
Massachusetts tomato transplant dates come from NOAA’s Boston frost window, plus the days-to-maturity arithmetic to beat the fall frost.
Tomato Pests in Massachusetts: Which Ones Actually Show Up Here
A season-by-season rundown of the tomato pests that actually appear in Massachusetts gardens, with the visual details needed to identify each one correctly.
Growing Tomatoes in Massachusetts: Planting Dates, Varieties and Local Pests
Massachusetts tomato timing starts with Boston’s April 1 to April 8 last frost window, then adjusts for inland and higher-elevation gardens statewide.