With its mineral-rich soil and temperate climate, New England is a great place to grow a wide variety of vegetables. Most common vegetables are relatively easy to grow in the region, and the ones that are a little more challenging still don’t usually take more than mild prep work and careful planning to find the right spot and soil consistency.
Pay attention to things like temperatures and maturity rates to make sure your crops are ready to harvest at the perfect time.
Corn
Sweet corn is an easy crop to grow in New England, making it one of the biggest crops in the region. Unlike some vegetables that need to be planted so most of their growing time is in the cooler months, corn thrives in warm weather.
Corn can be planted as early as April for southern New England regions, while northern corn crops will probably have to wait until May. The soil temperature should be between 55°F and 65°F for best results.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that belongs to the same genus of plants as cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Most people are familiar with Calabrese broccoli, the variety that has a light green stem and a darker green crown made up of small florets. White and purple varieties are also available, but these aren’t as commonly found in the average grocery store.
Broccoli grows best in moist soil that’s rich and slightly alkaline, and it prefers cooler temperatures. Starting from seeds, broccoli will take 3-5 months to mature, so it’s best to start seeds indoors a few weeks before planting in late winter or very early spring. Learn more about growing your own broccoli here.
Peppers
Most pepper varieties grow easily in New England, but bell peppers are a home gardener’s favorite. Bell peppers are ripe when green and big enough to fill your hand, but they can be left on the vine to mature further into yellow, orange or red peppers while their flavor mellows and sweetens.
Peppers like warm temperatures and full sun, and since they take up to four months to mature, you should start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost. Put the seedlings into the ground as soon as outdoor temperatures reach 65°F and the danger of frost has passed. Because peppers have shallow roots, the plants can start to dry out faster than plants with deeper root systems. Water once or twice a week, on average, but more often if there’s little rainfall.
Leafy Greens
The temperature and soil of New England make it easy to grow most leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens and collard greens. A looser, sandier soil is best for these, particularly things like green leaf lettuce or cabbages that grow in heads.
Be sure to plant greens in early spring or late summer when the temperatures are cooler. Hot summer temperatures can give many varieties of greens a bitter taste, so plan to grow these plants before or after the hottest months of the year. Learn more about growing leafy greens here.
Asparagus
Unlike most vegetable plants that you can plant and harvest in the same growing season, asparagus can’t be harvested until the third growing season after planting. It’s not a difficult vegetable to grow, but it does take two years of care without any reward and another year where your harvesting time will be limited to two or three weeks. Instead of planting seeds, purchase crowns that are one year old from a garden dealer to avoid an even longer wait before you can enjoy this crop’s tender green spears.
Carrots
Carrots and other root vegetables do well in New England soil and the milder temperatures of spring and fall. Summer temperatures are best avoided by planting carrots in early spring or late fall to avoid the hottest months. Carrots need loose soil that’s free of rocks and clumps, so dense soil will need to be lightened up with compost.
This is a forgiving crop that can be left growing for a while without worry about the plants withering. Since carrots only take about two months to mature, you can enjoy several carrots harvests during the growing season, and you can start the first crop as early as three weeks before the last expected frost.
Tomatoes
Another plant that’s quick to mature is the tomato plant. In less than two months, you can have a wide variety of tomatoes ready to harvest. Find a spot with full sun, and remember that tomatoes do better if the soil is slightly on the acidic side.
Start seeds indoors in early April and plant the seedlings from mid-May to early June. Many varieties of tomatoes also put on fruit throughout almost all of the growing season, so you can enjoy fresh tomatoes from late July until the first hard frost. Learn more about growing tomatoes.
Green Beans
Almost all varieties of beans, including green beans, grow well in New England and only take about two months to mature. They thrive in the warmer temperatures of summer, so plant in May or June in well-drained soil when the soil temperature is at least 60°F. Soil temperatures at 70°F or above are ideal.
Bean crops carry a risk of soil diseases that isn’t as common with other crops, so to avoid this problem rotate the planting area every two or three years instead of planting beans in the same place annually.
