What Eats Carrot in Massachusetts, and When
There’s no single, current answer to “what eats carrot in Massachusetts,” because no state agency keeps a static list of carrot pests, and pest pressure…
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.
What Eats Onion in Massachusetts, and When
Ask what’s eating your onions in a Massachusetts garden, and the honest answer is: probably nothing that anyone tracks by name.
What Eats Parsnip in Massachusetts, and When
None of the ten pests Massachusetts’s extension service tracks are true parsnip specialists.
What Eats Potato in Massachusetts, and When
The short list for Massachusetts potato patches comes down to two names: Colorado potato beetle, the one doing almost all the damage, and European corn…
When to Overseed a Lawn in Massachusetts
Most Massachusetts lawns should go down with seed between late August and the end of September, with the exact cutoff set by how far you live from the…
First and Last Frost Dates in Massachusetts
Massachusetts’s official frost-date window, based on the Logan Airport weather station in Boston, runs from April 1 to April 8 for the last spring frost…
When to Pick Tomatoes in Massachusetts, and Ripening the Rest
The safest rule beats the calendar: pick before the first fall frost, not on a fixed date.
When to Harvest Garlic in Massachusetts, and How to Cure It
Garlic in Massachusetts comes out of the ground when the lower leaves have gone brown while the top few stay green, which usually lands somewhere in the…
When to Pick Apples in Massachusetts, and How Long They Keep
Most Massachusetts apples come off the tree between early September and late October, but the exact week depends on variety, not the calendar.
Does Insulation Keep a Home in Massachusetts Cool?
Yes, insulation keeps a Massachusetts home cooler, but the state’s summer is short by national standards.