What to Plant in Massachusetts in July
July in Massachusetts sits deep in the frost-free stretch, months past the last spring freeze and months before the first fall one, so the answer is…
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 to Plant in Massachusetts in January
January in Massachusetts is a planning-and-pruning month, not a planting month.
What to Plant in Massachusetts in February
Nothing goes into open garden soil in Massachusetts this month. The last spring frost at Boston’s Logan Airport falls between April 1 and April 8, and…
What to Plant in Massachusetts in December
By December, Massachusetts gardeners have almost nothing to plant in open ground.
What to Plant in Massachusetts in August
August in Massachusetts sits squarely between the state’s last frost window (April 1 to April 8) and its first fall frost (November 3 to November 14), so…
What to Plant in Massachusetts in April
April sits right on top of Massachusetts’ last frost window, so the answer changes week to week.
Growing Peppers in Massachusetts: Fruit Set, Heat and Timing
Massachusetts averages 10.2 days a year at or above 90°F, which is mild enough that pepper fruit set rarely fails from heat alone here.
Growing Potatoes in Massachusetts: Dates, Varieties and Summer Heat
Massachusetts logs just 10.2 days a year above 90°F at the Boston reference station, according to NOAA NCEI Climate Normals, a low heat load that means…
Pepper Varieties That Ripen in a Massachusetts Season
Massachusetts gardeners can ripen a full pepper crop, but only if they respect two temperature walls rather than one.
Watering Through a Dry Spell in Massachusetts
The short answer: Massachusetts gardens face a real but manageable dry stretch each summer, driest in August, with just enough heat days to push plants…