When to Start Planting Vegetables in Massachusetts

Planning and planting a vegetable garden requires research and patience and always depends on the weather in your region. In cold regions like USDA Hardiness zones 4 to 7 of Massachusetts, it's important to get the timing right and take advantage of possible short summers.

Frost Dates

• All vegetable planting depends on the last frost date in a given region. Summertime plants are frost-sensitive, for the most part, and will only thrive after all frost is off the ground.

Early Spring

• Frost dates in Massachusetts range from late April in New Bedford to late May in Hyannis. According to the National Gardening Association, gardeners should plant crops like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, lettuce and spinach two to three weeks before this last frost date. This first planting should therefore take place in early April to early May, respectively.

Mid-Spring

• Warm-season plants should wait until after frost is off the ground and temperatures have warmed to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Massachusetts gardeners should plant tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash, cucumbers and beans two weeks after the last frost date, or early May to early June, depending on the region.