Does a Wall in Massachusetts Need a Vapor Barrier?
Yes. Massachusetts sits entirely within IECC Climate Zone 5A, and under the 2021 International Residential Code, that zone falls outside the exception…
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.
Heating With Pellets in Massachusetts: What a Winter Takes
Massachusetts winters put pellet stoves to real work. Boston averages roughly 5,545 heating degree days a year and a heating season that runs about eight…
European corn borer in Massachusetts: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
European corn borer shows up in Massachusetts corn patches by late May, and the state’s cooperative extension service tells gardeners to start checking…
Cabbage root maggot fly in Massachusetts: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Cabbage root maggot fly shows up in Massachusetts as soil warms in spring, when the first adults emerge to lay eggs at the base of young transplants, and…
Trees, Shrubs and Perennials for Massachusetts: What Will Not Survive
Massachusetts runs from USDA zone 5a in the Berkshires to 7b along the coast, and against the 65 trees, shrubs and perennials this site tracks, every…
How Much Insulation Does a Home in Massachusetts Need?
Massachusetts sits entirely in one insulation zone, which simplifies things more than most states can claim.
When to Sow Carrots in Massachusetts: Counting Back From the Last Frost
Massachusetts gardeners sow carrots by counting back from the last spring frost, using the 70 to 100 days the crop needs to mature from seed, never from…
When Can You Turn the Heat Off in Massachusetts?
There’s no single date. September is the closest Massachusetts gets to a lull, but even that month asks the furnace and the air conditioner to work in…
Will Sweet Corn Ripen in Massachusetts?
Sweet corn can ripen in Massachusetts, but the state’s calendar leaves less room than most gardeners assume.
When to Sow Sweet Corn in Massachusetts
Sweet corn in Massachusetts goes into the ground once soil temperature holds above 60 degrees, not on the calendar date of the last frost.