When to plant · 35 cities · zones 5b–7a
When to plant mustard greens in Massachusetts
Direct sow mustard greens around Apr 27 — the Massachusetts statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 27 across 539 ZIP codes and 72 NOAA stations.
The rule: Direct sow as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, and again in late summer for fall. Seed germinates fastest at 55–65 °F and may stall above 80 °F.
Massachusetts mustard greens, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 27, first fall frost Oct 14, 2027 season. Each cultivar's own indoor lead time and days to maturity, same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Cultivar | Start indoors | Sow | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 27 | May 27 | 30 from sow |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost. Statewide dates are the ZIP-weighted median of every NOAA 1991–2020 station Massachusetts's ZIP codes resolve to.
Mustard Greens in Massachusetts, city by city
Mustard greens, scheduled from each city's nearest NOAA station — the same dates as its frost page.
| City | Last frost | Sow | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bostonzone 7a | Apr 4 | Apr 4 | May 4 |
| Worcesterzone 6a | Apr 23 | Apr 23 | May 23 |
| Springfieldzone 6a | May 3 | May 3 | Jun 2 |
| Cambridgezone 6b | Apr 19 | Apr 19 | May 19 |
| Lowellzone 6b | Apr 30 | Apr 30 | May 30 |
| Brocktonzone 6b | Apr 22 | Apr 22 | May 22 |
| Lynnzone 7a | Apr 25 | Apr 25 | May 25 |
| Quincyzone 7a | Apr 25 | Apr 25 | May 25 |
| New Bedfordzone 7a | Apr 29 | Apr 29 | May 29 |
| Fall Riverzone 7a | Apr 29 | Apr 29 | May 29 |
| Newtonzone 6b | Apr 19 | Apr 19 | May 19 |
| Lawrencezone 6b | Apr 13 | Apr 13 | May 13 |
| Somervillezone 7a | Apr 4 | Apr 4 | May 4 |
| Framinghamzone 6b | Apr 26 | Apr 26 | May 26 |
| Haverhillzone 6a | May 1 | May 1 | May 31 |
| Maldenzone 6b | Apr 4 | Apr 4 | May 4 |
| Walthamzone 6b | Apr 28 | Apr 28 | May 28 |
| Tauntonzone 6b | Apr 22 | Apr 22 | May 22 |
| Reverezone 7a | Apr 4 | Apr 4 | May 4 |
| Weymouthzone 6b | Apr 25 | Apr 25 | May 25 |
| Medfordzone 6b | Apr 4 | Apr 4 | May 4 |
| Peabodyzone 6b | Apr 24 | Apr 24 | May 24 |
| Chicopeezone 6a | May 3 | May 3 | Jun 2 |
| Methuenzone 6b | Apr 13 | Apr 13 | May 13 |
| Everettzone 7a | Apr 4 | Apr 4 | May 4 |
| Barnstablezone 7a | Apr 16 | Apr 16 | May 16 |
| Attleborozone 6b | Apr 27 | Apr 27 | May 27 |
| Salemzone 7a | Apr 25 | Apr 25 | May 25 |
| Leominsterzone 6a | Apr 29 | Apr 29 | May 29 |
| Woburnzone 6b | Apr 25 | Apr 25 | May 25 |
| Beverlyzone 6b | May 4 | May 4 | Jun 3 |
| Pittsfieldzone 5b | May 5 | May 5 | Jun 4 |
| Marlboroughzone 6b | May 2 | May 2 | Jun 1 |
| Fitchburgzone 6a | Apr 29 | Apr 29 | May 29 |
| Amherstzone 6a | May 5 | May 5 | Jun 4 |
What Massachusetts mustard greens need
Organic Seed Starter Potting MixMust have
Seed-starting mix is not potting soil with a nicer label — it is finer, lighter, and low in nutrients on purpose, because a seedling's first roots want air and moisture, not fertiliser.
72-Cell Trays with 1020 Bottoms, 5-PackMust have
The cheap black nursery trays crack after one season and flex enough to break roots when you lift them. These do not. Over five seasons the price per use is lower than the throwaways.
AG-30 Frost Protection Row Cover
AG-30 buys roughly 6 °F of frost protection while passing about 70% of light — enough to carry a crop through an early-October cold snap that would otherwise end your season two weeks short.
Ultra-Fine Garden Netting, 10×33 ft, 2 pcs
A hornworm is a moth's decision made in June. Fine mesh over the bed at transplant means the moth never lands, and you never spray anything at all.
6" Micro-Tip Pruning SnipsMust have
Ninety percent of sauce-garden cutting is snipping a pepper stem or a basil node, and a fine-tipped snip does it better than any pruner. Pulling peppers by hand tears the branch.
Digital Kitchen Scale, 11 lb, g/ozMust have
Fermentation brine is a percentage of weight, not a number of spoons. Without a gram scale you are not following a fermentation recipe — you are guessing at the one number that determines whether it is safe.
One-Touch Coffee & Spice Grinder
Dried cayenne into powder in fifteen seconds. Dedicate one to chiles — grind coffee in it afterwards and you will find out exactly how well capsaicin sticks to plastic.
Half Pint (8 oz) Regular Mouth Mason Jars, 12Must have
Eight ounces is the right jar for a sauce you use by the spoonful. Open a quart of hot sauce and you are racing the fridge; open a half-pint and you finish it while it is still good.
Paid links. We earn a commission from Amazon if you buy; you pay the same. Disclosure.
Mustard Greens in Massachusetts: questions
When should I plant mustard greens in Massachusetts?
Direct sow around Apr 27 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Apr 13 in the warmest tenth of Massachusetts's ZIP codes to May 7 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 11 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Massachusetts?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 27. In the warmest tenth of Massachusetts's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 13; in the coldest tenth, on or after May 7.
When will Massachusetts mustard greens be ready to harvest?
Mustard greens planted on the statewide date is ready around May 27: 30 days from sow.
More for Massachusetts
- When to plant tomatoes
- When to plant peppers
- When to plant tomatillos
- When to plant basil
- When to plant onions
- When to plant cilantro
- When to plant carrots
Mustard Greens in every state → · Massachusetts frost dates → · How frost-date math works →