When Can Gardening Start In MA? Your Guide To Last Expected Frost

Massachusetts gardeners with an itch to get their hands dirty should hold off a bit longer/can scratch it in the coming weeks.

The ground in the Greater Boston area should be warm enough for planting by April 8, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The website has a handy tool to find the average date of the last frost by city and state, right down to the ZIP code.

This date is not absolute. It relies on historical climate data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Environmental Information, meaning there is still about a 30 percent chance of frost occurring after this average date.

This year, the Almanac combined long-range weather forecasts with historical frost averages to create a map showing where the last frost may occur earlier or later.

The last frost date in Massachusetts is expected to be earlier than normal this year, despite the very cold and snowy winter.

While most differences are minor — typically one to two weeks — even a few days can influence whether a plant flourishes or gets bitten by frost. The map is designed to guide the earliest planting of frost-tolerant vegetables and flowers.

The Old Farmer's Almanac's spring 2026 weather forecast for New England is that it will be both warmer than usual and drier than usual.

The Old Farmer's Almanac, which has advised readers how and when to grow things since 1792, also has a 2026 planting guide calculator that allows Massachusetts gardeners to narrow down when they should put different vegetables in the ground.

Some plants to start with in Massachusetts are broccoli, kale, lettuce, spinach, onions, and tomatoes (indoors before transfer), sow peas, radishes, spinach, and lettuce.

Another good resource for gardeners is the University of Massachusetts Landscape, Nursery and Planting Schedule.

Extension scientists and specialists, who face the same weather and pest management challenges as other gardeners, offer geographically specific guidance on planting food crops.