Quick Answer: Best Vegetables to grow in New Hampshire
The best vegetables to grow in a New Hampshire garden are beans, okra, eggplant, pepper, tomato, pea, cabbage, kale, and carrot. The best seasons to grow vegetables are spring, summer, and fall.
Do you want to grow some vegetables in your New Hampshire garden?
This article is well-researched and organized to assist you in learning about the best vegetables to grow in the state.
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Contents
Best Vegetables to Grow in New Hampshire
Warm, humid summers and long, chilly, and snowy winters are characteristics of New Hampshire’s humid continental climate. All year long, precipitation is distributed fairly evenly.
The most common soil types in New Hampshire are sandy loam and loamy sand, the well-draining nature of which is beneficial to many plants.
Before planting, it is essential to understand the type of soil in your area and the vegetable variety that will grow best there.
Below is the list of the best vegetables to grow in New Hampshire.
1. Beans
Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)are warm-weather plants indigenous to Peru. Because of their high nutritional value, these biennials are regarded as “superfoods.”
Why Grow Beans?
Beans are a popular vegetable among gardeners in New Hampshire because they need minimal water, can withstand droughts, and do well in the state’s summer environment.
Depending on your preferences or the amount of available area, there are many different types to choose from (such as pole and bush variations.
All types don’t take up a lot of room.
They are legumes with nitrogen-fixing root nodules that contribute to the soil’s nutrient content.
Maintenance and Care
Beans require 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day as well as well-drained, slightly acidic soil free of salts.
Due to their thin root system, they need regular weeding and careful maintenance.
Bacterial blight and bean leaf beetle are common concerns.
Here’s a growing guide for snap beans:
2. Okra
Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), a warm-weather crop, is well-known for its delicious, delicate, and nutrient-rich pods. It has a four-month lifecycle and originated from the Abyssinian Center of Africa.
Why Grow Okra?
Okra is another nitrogen-fixing heat-loving plant that would grow well during the summer months in New Hampshire.
By sheltering the ground with its broad leaves, it also aids in the prevention of weed development.
Harvest is possible 50–60 days after sowing, and okra provides 10% of the daily required intake of folic acid and vitamin B6.
Maintenance and Care
It is necessary to provide low watering and ample sun for the best results., but during dry spells, water frequently. Once a month, fertilize using natural fertilizers (fish emulsion or seaweed).
Corn earworms, stink bugs, ants, and root-knot nematodes are some common concerns.1,2
Here’s a growing guide for Okra:
3. Eggplant
Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is tropical, herbaceous, and annual. Native to India, it belongs to the tomato family.
Why Grow Eggplant?
There are varieties of eggplant that have been developed to grow well in the short growing season available in New Hampshire, they are also well suited to the climate and you can easily grow them from transplants.
They usually can withstand drought and do not require external pollinators.
Maintenance and Care
The soil can be mulched to lessen the stress of heat and drought. To maintain healthy fruit development, sufficient irrigation (2–3 times per week) is needed during fruiting.
To avoid bruising, eggplants must be plucked gently.
Common concerns include flea beetle and Phomopsis fruit rot.
Here’s a growing guide for eggplants:
4. Pepper
Peppers (Capsicum annuum) are related to eggplants. The plant, which is native to Mexico, comes in a variety of colors, sizes, and flavors (from sweet to fiery).
Although treated as annuals, they are perennial and live for 3-5 years in warm climates
Why Grow Pepper?
Peppers thrive in New Hampshire when the weather and soil warm in spring.
To compensate for the state’s short growing season, you can start the seeds indoors before spring or plant transplants after the last frost.
Grows well in containers, which allows you to save space while getting good yields for the available space. Some varieties are resistant to insects.
Pepper seeds are viable for two years. Dried peppers retain their flavor for around a year when kept in clean glass jars
Maintenance and Care
Black plastic mulch around peppers will help them flourish by warming the soil and reducing weeds.
Pepper plants are vulnerable to over-fertilization with nitrogen (which causes flower drop) and droughts. Weeds must be removed in the early stages.
Aphids, pepper weevils, mites, southern stem blight, sunburn, leaf diseases, and anthracnose are common concerns.
Here’s a growing guide for peppers:
5. Tomato
The tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), a common garden plant related to peppers and eggplant, produces fruit in a range of colors, sizes, and forms.
The plant, native to South America, has a 6 to 8 months lifespan.
Why Grow Tomato?
Tomatoes are warm-season plants that will thrive in New Hampshire once the threat of the last frost has gone, and if the variety is suitable for your area.
They are well-liked in New Hampshire home gardens because they are versatile, simple to grow, and prolific growers that can be produced in small garden spaces.
Maintenance and Care
They require soil that is rich in fertile and well-drained, and a location that is bright with at least a half-day of direct sunlight or more.
In order to survive severe winds and hold their increasing weight, they must be staked or caged.
A few common concerns are blossom end rot, leaf blight diseases, mites, aphids, fruit worms, hornworms, etc.
Here’s a growing guide for tomatoes:
6. Pea
Peas (Pisum sativum), the small, edible legumes are one of the oldest and most widely grown vegetables in the world. These annual plants are native to the Mediterranean region.
Why Grow Peas?
Peas are one of the most cold-hardy plants that flourish in the cool weather of New Hampshire. Peas are best planted in the early spring, as soon as the garden soil is dry enough to work on
Being nitrogen-fixing plants, they enrich the soil. They can be grown vertically or in raised beds and take up little space.
Maintenance and Care
They require full light, well-drained soil, and less fertilization than most other vegetables.
Vining peas require a trellis or other structure to climb on. Water thoroughly once a week. Provide adequate water when the plant is blossoming.
Common concerns are root rots, mildew, aphids, and pea weevils.
Here’s a growing guide for peas
7. Cabbage
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) is one of the most popular leafy vegetables grown for its green, purple, or white dense-leaved heads.
Native to the Middle East, this biennial is ready for harvest 90-120 days after planting.
Why Grow Cabbage?
Cabbage and other brassica crops are hardy crops that are well adapted to growing in New Hampshire. Although the plant is frost-hardy,
It is best to plant it after the last frost in spring. It can also be planted in the fall 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost.
It is easy to grow and high yielding. Chemicals present in cabbage may help protect against radiation and cancer.
Maintenance and Care
Cabbage grows best with 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Fertilizers rich in nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and boron are required for its growth.
Aphids and cabbage worms are common insect pests.
Here’s a growing guide for cabbages:
8. Kale
Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica), also known as leaf cabbage is a biennial plant grown primarily for its edible leaves, and also for ornamental purposes.
This cruciferous vegetable is native to the Eastern Mediterranean region and can mature up to three months.
Why Grow Kale?
Kale is one of the few vegetables that can endure very low temperatures (tolerates frost and snow) in New Hampshire gardens (and yet retain its distinguishing dark green to purple color). It grows best in spring and fall.
Fresh kale is a wonderful source of vitamins A and C and lasts for one to two weeks.
In addition to its use as a crop, kale can be cultivated for its aesthetic value and beautifying your vegetable patch.
Maintenance and Care
Mulch the soil to limit weed development, retain moisture, and keep the plant cool. Kale must be fertilized and kept well-watered. As needed, use a high-nitrogen fertilizer.
Aphids, cabbage looper, and cabbageworm are common concerns.
Here’s a growing guide for kale:
9. Carrot
Carrots (Daucus carota) are prized for their crispy texture, flavor, and nutritional content.
This biennial root vegetable is native to Iran and Afghanistan and is often referred to as the “ideal health food.”
Why Grow Carrots?
Carrots are cool-season vegetables growing well in New Hampshire in spring or fall.
It is ideal to sow them 2-3 weeks before the last frost date.
It only takes 60 to 80 days to harvest carrots after sowing, and they require little maintenance during growth and can be grown in containers.
The plants might be able to tolerate hot sun, but it is best to plant them in cool seasons.
Maintenance and Care
It is necessary to take into account the soil type and watering schedules. Heavy watering and soil that has been compacted can harm these plants.
Weeds must be carefully removed since they threaten young plants.
Carrot weevils and wireworms are common concerns.
Here’s a growing guide for carrots:
What is the easiest-growing vegetable in New Hampshire?
Given New Hampshire’s climate, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, onions, peas, and peppers are some of the easiest-growing vegetables in the state.
What is the best time to grow vegetables in New Hampshire?
Spring, summer, and fall are the ideal seasons to grow vegetables in New Hampshire. Although there are cold-hardy plants that will survive winter, it’s best to grow them during spring or fall.
FAQs
Summer vegetables like beans, eggplants, etc. can be planted in the month of May.
Vegetables like broccoli, kale, chard, collards, spinach, turnips, carrots, etc can be grown in winter as long as they are planned well and kept protected from the extreme cold.
Memorial Day is a reasonable estimate for the final frost date in central New Hampshire.
Most plants can be planted beginning around this time.
Quick Recap: Top Vegetables to Grow In New Hampshire
| Vegetables | Why grow? |
|---|---|
| Beans | 1. Drought hardy, less space 2. Nitrogen-fixing |
| Okra | 1. Enriches soil and reduces weed 2. Harvest reaped within 2 months |
| Eggplant | 1. Drought tolerant 2. Do not require an external pollinator |
| Pepper | 1. Require less space 2. Produce well for the space given |
| Tomato | 1. Require less space 2. Remarkably productive |
| Peas | 1. Cold hardy, less space 2. Nitrogen-fixing |
| Cabbage | 1. Frost hardy 2. Good yield |
| Kale | 1. Cold hardy, grows in containers 2. Ornamental |
| Carrot | 1. Need little care 2. Thrive well in cold |
Bottom Line
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