Month-by-month growing calendar for Massachusetts

Free to print: pin it up in the shed or by the seed box. Print the calendar

What to do each month for the garden and kitchen lines we grow in Groton, Massachusetts. Dates are for north-central Massachusetts; adjust a week or two for the coast or the hills.

Key dates at a glance

When do dahlias bloom in Massachusetts? From August until the first hard frost, peaking in September. Plant tubers after the last frost, usually late May, and dig them after the first frost.
When to plant garlic in Massachusetts: mid-October to early November. Cut scapes in June and harvest in July.

Month	In the garden	Also
January	Check stored dahlia tubers monthly; remove any that rot.	Grow kits fruit well indoors all winter.
February	Keep checking stored tubers.	A good month for a kit on the kitchen counter.
March	Garlic shoots appear through the mulch; leave the mulch on.	Plan which dahlias to grow.
April	Weed the garlic bed; garlic competes poorly with weeds.	Start dahlia tubers in pots indoors for earlier flowers.
May	Plant dahlia tubers outside after the last frost, usually late May.	Keep the garlic bed weeded and watered.
June	Cut garlic scapes once they curl.	Stake tall dahlias as they grow.
July	Harvest garlic when the lower leaves brown, then cure it for 2–3 weeks.	Pink and golden oyster kits like the summer warmth.
August	Dahlias start blooming, and keep flowering until the first hard frost.	Set aside your best garlic bulbs as next year's seed.
September	Peak dahlia season; cut stems in the cool of the morning.	Order seed garlic for fall planting.
October	Plant garlic, mid-October to early November. Dig dahlias after the first frost.	Cool-weather oysters and lion's mane fruit well indoors.
November	Finish garlic planting; mulch once the ground starts to freeze.	Store dahlia tubers at about 40–50 °F.
December	The garden rests under mulch.	Grow kits make easy winter gifts.

Step-by-step guides: planting garlic · digging and storing dahlias · growing a mushroom kit.

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