Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated

Planting zone for 01440 — Gardner, MA

ZIP code 01440 (Gardner, Worcester County) is in USDA zone 5b: the coldest winter night averages −15 to −10 °F. The median last spring frost is May 2 and the first fall frost October 13.

Where ZIP 01440 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone5b−15 to −10 °F
Coldest night−26.1 to −23.3 °C
Last frostMay 2
First frostOct 13
2012 zone5b

Same zone as on the 2012 map. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 5b means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Gardner, MA…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates in Gardner, MA

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Blue: frost possible · fading green: frost risk falling or rising (90% → 10%) · green: frost-free
Last spring frostMay 2median — 50% chance of a later frost
Safe for tender plantsMay 16only 10% chance of frost after
First fall frostOctober 13median — 10% chance by Oct 1
Growing season163 daysfrost-free, median

A hard freeze (28 °F) usually ends around April 18 and returns around October 25.

From the NOAA station Ashburnham, MA — 4 miles away, elevation 1,109 ft. NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, 32 °F threshold. Low spots and valleys can freeze later in spring than the station.

When to plant vegetables in 01440

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PeasSow outdoors · Mar 21 – Apr 4
SpinachSow outdoors · Mar 21 – Apr 11
Broccoli, cabbageStart indoors · Feb 21 – Mar 7
Broccoli, cabbageTransplant · Apr 11 – Apr 25
Onion setsPlant outdoors · Apr 4 – Apr 18
PotatoesPlant outdoors · Apr 11 – Apr 25
LettuceSow outdoors · Apr 4 – Apr 18
Carrots, beetsSow outdoors · Apr 11 – Apr 25
TomatoesStart indoors · Mar 7 – Mar 21
TomatoesTransplant · May 9 – May 23
Peppers, eggplantStart indoors · Feb 21 – Mar 7
Peppers, eggplantTransplant · May 16 – May 30
BeansSow outdoors · May 9 – May 23
Sweet cornSow outdoors · May 9 – May 23
Cucumbers, squashSow outdoors · May 9 – May 23
Fall lettuce, spinachSow outdoors · Aug 18 – Sep 1
GarlicPlant cloves · Sep 29 – Nov 3
Start seeds indoorsSow or plant outdoorsFall plantingMedian last & first frost

Counted from the median last spring frost (May 2) and first fall frost (Oct 13) with the rules of thumb U.S. extension services publish. Cool-season crops take a light frost; warm-season crops do best once the soil is above about 60 °F.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 01440 came on Apr 12 — 6 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Apr 18).

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Native plants for zone 5b in Massachusetts

527 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Massachusetts, and rated by the USDA to survive −15 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 5b. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 66

American basswood100 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican beech80 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −44 °FAmerican chestnut115 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican elm120 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican sycamore100 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −34 °Farborvitae50 ft · blooms mid spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °F

Shrubs 104

alderleaf buckthorn3 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −33 °FAllegheny serviceberry35 ft · blooms early spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Falternateleaf dogwood25 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −47 °FAmerican black currant3 ft · blooms early spring · to −46 °FAmerican hazelnut10 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican holly40 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −20 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 181

alkali buttercup1 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican bur-reed3 ft · blooms indeterminate · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican eelgrass1 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican licorice4 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican lotus3 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −36 °FAmerican pokeweed7 ft · blooms mid summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °F

Grasses 154

American beachgrass2.5 ft · blooms spring · high shade tolerance · to −28 °FAmerican cupscale3 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −18 °Farctic brome3 ft · blooms early summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °Fawlfruit sedge4 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FBailey's sedge2.1 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −33 °Fbeaked spikerush3 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −28 °F

Vines 7

American bittersweet15 ft · blooms spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Fdevil's darning needles15 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °Ffrost grape83 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −23 °Friverbank grape45 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °Fsummer grape30 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −23 °Ftrumpet honeysuckle16 ft · blooms late summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °F

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Gardner, MA.

Soil in Gardner, MA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 01440 is Bucksport — muck, very poorly drained.

TextureMucktop layer
DrainageVery poorly drainedconsider raised beds
Organic matter80%high
Hydrologic groupB/Dmoderate when drained; wet otherwise
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Bucksport and Wonsqueak mucks, 0 to 2 percent slopes.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 01440; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Gardner, MA

Summer high80 °Faverage high, July
Winter low14 °Faverage low, January
Hot days3days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights152nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days2,244base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day15 h 19 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 03 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growLong-daysummer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too)
Precipitation47.8 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32 °FJanuary: average high 31 °F, low 14 °F 31°14° JanFebruary: average high 33 °F, low 15 °F 33°15° FebMarch: average high 41 °F, low 23 °F 41°23° MarApril: average high 55 °F, low 34 °F 55°34° AprMay: average high 66 °F, low 44 °F 66°44° MayJune: average high 75 °F, low 54 °F 75°54° JunJuly: average high 80 °F, low 60 °F 80°60° JulAugust: average high 78 °F, low 57 °F 78°57° AugSeptember: average high 71 °F, low 51 °F 71°51° SepOctober: average high 57 °F, low 39 °F 57°39° OctNovember: average high 46 °F, low 31 °F 46°31° NovDecember: average high 35 °F, low 20 °F 35°20° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″3″4″5″6″January: 3.17 in precipitation 3.2 JanFebruary: 2.20 in precipitation 2.2 FebMarch: 3.83 in precipitation 3.8 MarApril: 3.91 in precipitation 3.9 AprMay: 3.86 in precipitation 3.9 MayJune: 5.03 in precipitation 5.0 JunJuly: 4.06 in precipitation 4.1 JulAugust: 4.21 in precipitation 4.2 AugSeptember: 4.47 in precipitation 4.5 SepOctober: 4.82 in precipitation 4.8 OctNovember: 3.70 in precipitation 3.7 NovDecember: 4.53 in precipitation 4.5 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Ashburnham, MA (4 mi away); precipitation: Gardner 1.4 Ssw, MA (2 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

3 of the 8 nearest ZIP codes are in a different zone — elevation and distance from water change winter lows quickly.

014385b
East Templeton, MA · 3 mi
014736a
Westminster, MA · 5 mi
014416a
Westminster, MA · 5 mi
014365b
Baldwinville, MA · 5 mi
014685b
Templeton, MA · 5 mi
014525b
Hubbardston, MA · 6 mi
014755b
Winchendon, MA · 7 mi
014306a
Ashburnham, MA · 7 mi

Massachusetts planting zones →

Questions about 01440

What planting zone is ZIP code 01440?

ZIP code 01440 (Gardner, MA) is in USDA hardiness zone 5b on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches −15 to −10 °F (−26.1 to −23.3 °C).

When is the last frost in Gardner, MA?

The median last spring frost (32 °F) near 01440 is May 2; after May 16 there is only a 10% chance of frost. Data: NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Ashburnham station.

When is the first frost in Gardner, MA?

The median first fall frost near 01440 is October 13, giving a median frost-free growing season of 163 days.

When should I plant tomatoes in 01440?

Start tomato seeds indoors around Mar 7 – Mar 21 and set transplants outside around May 9 – May 23, one to three weeks after the median last frost.

How much rain and snow does 01440 get?

About 47.8 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Gardner 1.4 Ssw station).

How hot do summers get in Gardner, MA?

The average high peaks at 80 °F in July, with about 3 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 01440 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Bucksport at the center of ZIP 01440: muck, very poorly drained.

Did spring come early in Gardner, MA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 01440 came on Apr 12 in 2026, 6 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Apr 18), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Gardner, MA?

Long-day onions: the longest day near 01440 is 15 h 19 min, so summer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too).