When to Harvest Garlic in Pennsylvania, and How to Cure It
In most of Pennsylvania, garlic planted the previous fall comes out of the ground between late June and mid-July, once the bottom leaves have browned and…
Gardening in Pennsylvania
Everything we have worked out for Pennsylvania: 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 Philadelphia, the last spring freeze runs March 29 to April 6 and the first fall freeze runs November 5 to November 16, USDA zones 5a-7b, 4,116 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 Pennsylvania: 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.
When to Pick Apples in Pennsylvania, and How Long They Keep
Apples in Pennsylvania come off the tree anywhere from early August to late October, and the calendar tells you almost nothing on its own.
Does Insulation Keep a Home in Pennsylvania Cool?
Yes, insulation keeps a Pennsylvania home cooler in summer, but the state’s climate means the bigger payoff often comes from the other six months.
Does a Wall in Pennsylvania Need a Vapor Barrier?
Yes, Pennsylvania requires an interior vapor retarder on framed walls, and the reason is simpler than the code language suggests: the entire state sits…
Heating With Pellets in Pennsylvania: What a Winter Takes
Pennsylvania winters are long rather than extreme, and that shapes everything about running a pellet stove here.
Cabbage worms in Pennsylvania: When It Shows Up and What Stops It
Cabbage worms show up in Pennsylvania gardens as soon as cole crops go in the ground, and they don’t leave until frost shuts things down for the year.
Trees, Shrubs and Perennials for Pennsylvania: What Will Not Survive
In Pennsylvania’s USDA hardiness range of 5a to 7b, the short answer is reassuring: of the 65 landscape trees, shrubs and perennials this site documents…
How Much Insulation Does a Home in Pennsylvania Need?
Pennsylvania sits across two federal climate zones, 5A and 4A, which means the correct insulation level depends on which zone a given county falls into…
When Can You Turn the Heat Off in Pennsylvania?
May is the quietest month in Pennsylvania, but “quiet” here doesn’t mean the house asks for nothing.
Will Sweet Corn Ripen in Pennsylvania?
Yes, in most of Pennsylvania sweet corn ripens without much drama, but the calendar that matters isn’t the frost date most gardeners circle on their…