Growing Carrots in New Jersey: Soil, Sowing and Forked Roots
New Jersey’s benchmark soil, the sandy Downer series, drains well and holds little clay, so carrots planted in it are less likely to fork than in a…
Gardening in New Jersey
Everything we have worked out for New Jersey: what to plant and when, which varieties finish in time, the pests that actually turn up here, and the jobs that pay off month by month. We also cover the rest of the property, from lawns and soil to home care and energy, because a garden rarely stops at the vegetable bed.
The numbers first, because everything else follows from them. Measured at the weather station in Newark, the last spring freeze runs March 29 to April 6 and the first fall freeze runs November 4 to November 16, USDA zones 6a-7b, 3,881 growing degree days in the year.
Garlic does well: 21.8 weeks below 40 °F, comfortably past the six it needs to form a proper head.
Elsewhere on the property in New Jersey: the pests that turn up here.
Figures from NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. A state is not one climate: elevation, a large lake or the coast can move these dates by two weeks either way, so check your own county with the extension service before you spend money.
Growing Beets in New Jersey: Soil, Sowing and Bolting
New Jersey gardeners can grow beets successfully, but two separate problems trip up most plantings: bolting triggered by dry spells right after sowing…
When to Start Pepper Seed in New Jersey
Start pepper seed indoors in New Jersey about 8 to 10 weeks before you plan to move transplants outside, which lands most gardeners somewhere in…
When Does the Heating Season Start in New Jersey?
Heating demand in New Jersey typically kicks in during October, when the average monthly temperature first drops below the 65°F threshold used to…
When to Plant Potatoes in New Jersey: Counting Back From Your Last Frost
The short answer: plant potatoes 14 to 21 days before your last spring frost, once soil temperature reaches 50 degrees F, not on a fixed calendar date.
Harvesting and Storing Potatoes in New Jersey
Get New Jersey potatoes out of the ground before the first fall frost lands, which at the Newark reference station falls between November 4 and November…
Potato Varieties That Suit New Jersey
Early and mid-season varieties are the safer bet almost everywhere in New Jersey, because the state’s last spring frost window (March 29 to April 6, per…
What to Plant in New Jersey in September
September in New Jersey (USDA zones 6a-7b) still sits roughly two months ahead of the first fall frost window of November 4 to November 16, which leaves…
What to Plant in New Jersey in October
October is prime planting time in New Jersey for garlic, cover crops, spring bulbs, and a last round of quick-maturing greens.
What to Plant in New Jersey in November
November closes New Jersey’s outdoor planting season more than it opens it. Garlic and shallots can still go into workable soil early in the month…