Gardening in NH

[Fragilityh14]

So....the title says most of it...

I'm really just wondering what it is like gardening in New Hampshire...it is generally in the same hardiness zones as where I am from in Washington. ..but since it is such a different part of the country soil, pests, fungus, weeds, etc are all different...however I imagine that most crops that you can grow in Washington can be grown there just different varieties...

I am just wondering about gardening experiences, these things are often ultra local, as far as what the soil is like, but some things just grow really well in places without a lot of work...for example Western Washington is great for growing all these Cole crops because there is a very long mild growing season, whereas most other places have shorter but far warmer growing seasons...

What have you guys grown and how has it worked? especially love impressions from people who have moved to NH and I want to know where you gardened before ^_^

[Russell Kanning]

it is like too big of a subject ... where do you begin? ... how about you move here and then just start growing things?

[toowm]

Now, Russell, you should know gardening types and their subversive discussions about

soil, pests, fungus, weeds, etc

. I'm married to one. I'll get you her thoughts (likely to be a long screed) on the local conditions.

[Lloyd Danforth]

At some point over 100 years ago Everybody in the state lived on  food grown or fished in the state.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Most of the bigger rocks were placed on boundary stonewalls hundreds of years ago by hardworking Yankee farmers.   We are Zone 5 ....

I know, at least in the CT River Valley, the rocks keep coming

[Fragilityh14]

believe me, I am moving there as soon as is feasible. if my life just fell into beautiful place maybe even for the next summers growing season, however, as it stands I will probably in eastern washington for the next summers growing season, but will be in  New Hampshire for the growing season after that.

but, it's great to know about growing things in a specific area in advance to be able to think about what one could do in the garden there.

I also want a moon garden...are there fireflies in NH? There must be right?....I've never seen a firefly, I'm very interested.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Yes, there were Fireflies, also called Lightning Bugs, at Porcfest.

[Kat Kanning]

The soil's usually fairly sandy.

[JonM]

I pulled up some weeds in my front yard, tossed them with the dirt they clung on to into my driveway.  I was a bit lazy about cleaning them up, and a couple of weeks later they were still thriving in the little clump of dirt on my driveway.  Quality of dirt may vary by location.  But boy do I have a lot of friggin stones burried in my yard.

[Dreepa]

Jon you grow rocks in your yard?

I think you may have dropped some pebbles in my yard because there seem to be rocks growing here as well.  Please come get them.

Our garden sucked this year... all of our fault.
Next year will be better.

My yard lights up at night with fireflies... pretty cool.

[Russell Kanning]

but, it's great to know about growing things in a specific area in advance to be able to think about what one could do in the garden there.

depends on where you end up
In most places in NH there is not much for topsoil, but we do get steady rain.

[dawn]

In Winchester we were near the lake and had very sandy soil and lots of rocks. In Westmoreland, near the CT river, we have gorgeous soil with almost no rocks. This has been farm land for many, many years.

Traditional planting date is Memorial Day - last frost is usually over by then. First frost date is a bit after Labor Day.

So, that leaves plenty of time for just about everything. Right now, we are harvesting lettuce, spinach, snow peas, zucchini, carrots, beets, radishes, summer squash, kale, cucumbers. Tons of green tomatoes on the vines and tons of winter squash growing by leaps and bounds.

[Rochelle]

They do have books on this subject. A friend from work lent me hers for a bit; she purchased it at the UNH bookstore and you could definitely pick up a copy. It was all on what kind of plants grow well in NH, where in the yard to plant them (wooded area, sunny, etc.) and that sort of thing. Very interesting.
I get the general impression that for most vegetables that you would plant outside, you have to get them started inside first and then move them outside when the frost danger is mostly over.

I can't wait until I finally have a garden out here!

[Lloyd Danforth]

I'm guessing UNH and possibly any country agriculture dept. has published studies on growing stuff in NH.  Paid for it,might as well take advantage of it.

[Lloyd Danforth]

1minute.

http://extension.unh.edu/Counties/Counties.htm