Frost dates · USDA zone 6b
Frost dates for Marlborough, MA
Marlborough, MA sees its last 32 °F night of spring around May 2 and its first of fall around October 6 — a 156-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Apr 22 | Oct 22 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | May 2 | Oct 6 |
| 1 year in 10 | May 16 | Sep 25 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 156 days median, at least 137 in 9 years of 10, at least 174 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Apr 21 and first of Oct 18.
Marlborough planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (May 2) and median first frost (Oct 6) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Feb 7 | Apr 4 | Jul 23 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | May 2 | Jun 1 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Apr 18 | Apr 18 | Jun 2 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Apr 4 | May 16 | Jul 15 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 7 | May 9 | Jul 23 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 21 | May 16 | Aug 19 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 7 | May 9 | Jul 23 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 7 | May 9 | Jul 28 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 7 | May 9 | Jul 28 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Apr 18 | Apr 18 | Jun 27 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 21 | May 9 | Jul 18 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 21 | May 9 | Jul 23 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 21 | May 9 | Jul 28 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Marlborough grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Marlborough container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Marlborough frost questions
When is the last frost in Marlborough, MA?
The median last 32 °F freeze at MAYNARD 2, MA is May 2: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 16; nine years in ten, it comes after April 22. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Marlborough, MA?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 6. One year in ten it arrives before September 25; nine years in ten, before October 22.
How long is the growing season in Marlborough, MA?
156 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 137 days; one year in ten, at least 174 days.
What growing zone is Marlborough, MA?
USDA hardiness zone 6b, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 01752. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Marlborough, MA?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 21 and transplant around May 9, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for May 16. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 23.
When should I plant peppers in Marlborough, MA?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Mar 7; transplant no earlier than May 9, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 23.
Nearby in Massachusetts
- Framinghamlast frost Apr 26
- Worcesterlast frost Apr 23
- Walthamlast frost Apr 28
- Leominsterlast frost Apr 29
- Newtonlast frost Apr 19
- Cambridgelast frost Apr 19
All Massachusetts frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →