State × crop calendar
Peppers planting in Massachusetts.
- Primary crop
- Zone 6a
- 165-day season
- Last frost May 1
- Vegetable
- Frost Sensitive
Peppers planting in Massachusetts is shaped by the state's 6a dominant hardiness zone, last frost date around May 1, and a 165-day growing season. Peppers is widely grown in Massachusetts — commercially significant or common in home gardens and food plots.
Planting dates on this page are climatological estimates from USDA frost-date norms and zone-typical planting offsets. Verify against UMass Extension for variety- and county-specific guidance.
Planting calendar — 2026
Frost-anchored windows.
Peppers · Massachusetts · planting calendar
Planting windows shift earlier in southern parts of the state and later in northern parts. Use last frost date in your specific county as the reference.
Planting windows
Earliest → ideal → latest.
Spring planting
PeppersEarliest
May 15
Ideal start
May 22
Ideal end
June 12
Latest
July 3
Soil-temp trigger
Transplant when soil reaches 65°F at 2-inch depth — typically 2 weeks after last frost. Peppers are even more cold-sensitive than tomatoes.Harvest window
Typical start
July 31
Typical end
August 30
Harvest timing varies with planting date and seasonal weather — these dates are typical for the ideal planting window.
Growing notes
Peppers grows well in Massachusetts's typical climate. Massachusetts's 165-day growing season and 6a hardiness zone support reliable production with appropriate variety selection.
Peppers is widely grown in Massachusetts — commercially significant or common in home gardens and food plots.
Agronomy reference
Peppers fundamentals.
Soil-temp minimum
60°F
Soil-temp optimum
65–85°F
Days to maturity
70–100
Water (in/wk)
1–1.5"
Soil pH
6–6.8
Nitrogen demand
moderate
Days to maturity from transplant. Long growing season requirement makes transplant essential in most northern states.
Common pests to watch
- Aphids
- Pepper weevil
- Hornworms
Pest pressure varies by region and year. Confirm current outbreaks with UMass Extension.
Common diseases
- Bacterial spot
- Phytophthora
- Mosaic virus
Resistance varieties shift each year. Check the current variety trial report for your state.
Variety selection
Peppers varieties for Massachusetts live with your extension.
Variety selection
Variety performance is micro-regional and changes with each year's trial cycle. We don't republish variety lists — instead, we point directly at the source.
UMass Extension →Search the extension site for “peppers variety trial” or “recommended peppers varieties” to find the current report.
Yield varies significantly by variety, soil, fertility, and management. Consult your state extension service for variety performance trials in your region.
Peppers timing. Live alerts.
Bield Farm ties weather and soil-temperature stations in your county to crop planting thresholds — get notified the day soil temp clears your target window.
Start free trial →