Yes — Strong Match
mache is grown as an annual, so season length decides it here, not a winter zone — and Connecticut's typical season runs ~207 frost-free days against the ~45 mache needs.
Sow by about Sep 11
Mache is grown as an annual, so what decides it here is season length, not a winter zone. It needs about 45 frost-free days and a typical Connecticut season runs ~207 frost-free days, leaving 162 days of slack. That is room to sow as late as about Sep 11 and still finish before the usual first freeze (Oct 31), or to run a second succession.
Want more weeks at either end of that window? How to buy the weeks →
45 frost-free days required against Connecticut’s ~207-day season. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS 1991-2020 (28°F killing freeze), state median across counties, via stateClimateData.ts.
Mache in Connecticut — the short answer
Mache in Connecticut: full sun, against a state median of ~207 frost-free days.
- Connecticut zones
- 6a-7b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Mar 31 - Apr 11 – Oct 30 - Nov 3
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 191 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
- Days to maturity
- 50 days
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Mache is grown as an annual, so your winter zone isn't the deciding factor — your frost-free window is. A typical Connecticut site runs ~207 frost-free days, but that is a state median, not your yard: slope, trees, and low spots move the last-frost date across a single parcel. Enter your address and we'll score mache against your land's actual frost dates, sun, and soil.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your parcel report in seconds — read in full free for your first 14 days
Connecticut is not one climate
A single Connecticut answer averages 9 counties whose growing seasons are 48 days apart — from 191 frost-free days in Northwest Hills County to 239 in Greater Bridgeport County. Which end of that your land sits nearer changes what mache can finish before the first hard freeze.
The middle half of 9 counties runs 202–216 days, with a median of 207 days — a 48-day span end to end.
Measured across 9 Connecticut counties. NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Zone Comparison
Mache Needs
- USDA Zones: Data pending
- Frost-Free Days: 45+
- Sun: Full SunWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Mature size: 6 in tallWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Picking window: ~21 days of harvestWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
- Drought tolerance: LowWe haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Connecticut Has
- USDA Zones: 6a-7b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Mar 31 - Apr 11
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Oct 30 - Nov 3
- Annual Rainfall: 44-52 inches
- Common Soils: Glacial till, Sandy loam, River valley silt
Preferred Soil pH
We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Mache in Connecticut
The frost window
Across Connecticut, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 31 and Apr 11, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 30 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 202-day window you can count on — up to 217 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Frost hardiness
Mache takes cold down to about -5°F before a freeze kills it, so you can plant on the early side of Connecticut's window — even a few weeks before the final hard freeze. That is the point where cold damages growing tissue, not a winter-survival floor — an established perennial comes through far colder while dormant, which is what its hardiness zone tells you. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
When to start the seed
Mache is direct-sown where it grows rather than started under cover, so there is no seed-tray head start to bank — Connecticut's dates above are the whole calendar for it. That makes the last-freeze date the binding constraint, and a warmer pocket of your own yard is worth more to this crop than it is to a transplanted one.
Days to maturity vs. the window
At 50 days to maturity (Growable Ground Plant Database), counting from the last hard freeze it ripens with 152 days to spare even in Connecticut's tightest freeze scenario — room for a later start or a second sowing.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Northwest Hills County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
Frost-free days
Mache wants 45+ frost-free days; a typical Connecticut site sees ~207 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
Growing degree days
Mache needs ~600 GDD (base 50°F) to ripen. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. The state median runs ~2664 GDD (from PRISM 1991-2020 climate normals), so Connecticut's typical season clears that easily.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Mache likes near-neutral soil (pH 6-7.5). That's the common-ground band across Connecticut's glacial till and sandy loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6.5 and 7 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Connecticut soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Connecticut site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, a raised bed lifts the roots above wet ground, or work in compost. pH range, preferred pH and drainage need: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Your land, not the state average
Whether mache is safe to eat from Connecticut soil is a block-by-block question, not a town-wide one — 11,437 documented contamination sites mean levels spike on some parcels and not the one next door. What mache takes up depends on the horizon its roots actually reach on your parcel, so only a test on your address settles it.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO + EPA/state contamination databases.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Connecticut soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
Before you plant mache for food
Anything you grow to eat takes up what is in the ground it grows in, so what is on record near you is worth knowing before mache goes in. What follows is Connecticut’s documented federal record at state scale — a screening signal, not a soil test, and not a statement about any one lot.
Safe to Grow Here?
What the federal record shows across Connecticut — and how to grow with it.
We checked the federal record across Connecticut — 11,437 documented sites across 7 of the 8 source types we track.
The most significant on record: 279 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Connecticut carries one of the heavier federal records we track — and that's not a verdict on your yard. Proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis: nothing here says any particular parcel is affected. It does earn one concrete step — before food beds go in the ground, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with, and raised beds of imported, lab-tested soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Sources Checked
across Connecticut
Severity Distribution
across Connecticut
Highest-Severity Sites
A note from Gnorman
What an experienced grower watches for around here
In and around Connecticut, Superfund runs higher than the national average — 279 sites across Connecticut. That's not a problem with your land — it's information about it.
Superfund: Superfund sites represent the most severe contamination in the federal system.
Commission professional soil testing before any food production (test for heavy metals, VOCs, and SVOCs).
Sources: EPA, USGS — 950K documented sites tracked nationwide across 8 federal source types.
What Else to Consider for Mache in Connecticut
The zone range tells you where mache is grown — but Connecticut growers also need to think about:
Rocky glacial soils require clearing and amendment
Short growing season in northern hills
Deer pressure is high in suburban areas
Growing mache here specifically
Because you eat the leaves of mache that sit in the soil, contamination matters more than for most crops — Connecticut has 11,437 documented sites, and lead concentrates block by block, not town-wide.
Test your soil for lead first, and if the reading is high grow mache in a raised bed of imported, lab-tested soil, which lowers contact with the ground but does not remove it. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Connecticut grower, not just mache — is covered on the Connecticut growing guide.
Timing shifts within Connecticut
Connecticut isn't one climate. In Northwest Hills County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 19 — roughly 12 days later than the recorded state median — so plant mache to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Mache needs about 45 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Northwest Hills County — Connecticut’s shortest season at 191 frost-free days — clears that by 146 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Connecticut. What varies is your own parcel.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Mache's 45-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Mache draws honeybees (low value). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, mache can only work that bloom inside Connecticut's frost window — roughly 207 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Mar 31 - Apr 11) and closing at the first (Oct 30 - Nov 3), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Pollinator value: We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet.
Connecticut Cooperative Extension
For Connecticut-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for mache, the canonical source is UConn Extension. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Mache native to Connecticut?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Mache as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Connecticut's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Connecticut natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
Looking for plants that belong here? The Connecticut growing guide lists plants that USDA PLANTS records growing in Connecticut and that Kew and NatureServe Explorer both list in its native range, leaving out any that NatureServe flags as exotic there or that our audit holds.
State records: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution data (presence, not state-level nativity), accessed 2026-10-19.
Common Questions About Growing Mache in Connecticut
When can I plant Mache in Connecticut?
Connecticut's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Mar 31 and Apr 11, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Oct 30 and Nov 3 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Time outdoor planting to after the last hard freeze for your specific site — a further two to three weeks for anything tender — and count back from those dates for transplant scheduling.
Can Mache mature before first frost in Connecticut?
Yes — Mache matures in 50 days (Growable Ground Plant Database), and Connecticut's dependable hard-freeze-free window runs 202 days (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020), leaving 152 days of margin. Plant once the last hard freeze has passed — two to three weeks later for anything tender — and it ripens ahead of the first fall freeze.
What hardiness zone is Mache grown in across Connecticut?
Connecticut spans USDA hardiness zones 6a-7b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Mache carries a range of zones Data pending, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Connecticut site have?
A typical Connecticut site sees ~207 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Mache needs 45+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Northwest Hills, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Mache native to Connecticut?
No — the USDA PLANTS Database lists Mache as introduced rather than native in the Lower 48, so it is not part of Connecticut's native flora. It grows here as a garden plant; pairing it with a few Connecticut natives keeps local pollinators fed too.
How should I amend the soil for Mache in Connecticut?
Mache prefers pH 6-7.5 and well (dry spells) drainage. We haven't confirmed this against a published source yet. That sits in the common-ground band across Connecticut soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Mache actually grow on my specific land in Connecticut?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores mache against your address's mapped soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Connecticut
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores mache against your land's mapped soil, modelled sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Connecticut mache averages can't show:
We read public map data around Connecticut — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Connecticut mache average
Explore More
Growing guides for mache
Explore Connecticut county by county
Connecticut carries 9 counties with their own USDA zone — a sample of the growing pages for mache there:
Where else mache grows
Mache's zone band crosses state lines — these are the states closest to Connecticut in winter climate where it also has a page, plus the far ends of its range. Each one re-answers the question with that state's own record.
More to grow in Connecticut
Connecticut has a growing page for 887 plants — a rotating sample of the rest of the shelf.
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
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