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Here in Connecticut, there really aren’t any vegetables that you can’t grow. However, there are some options that can extend your production season, allowing you to enjoy your fresh harvests almost all year long. Here are some ideas on what you can grow in your Connecticut garden for extended enjoyment. Even though we are catering this post to Ct gardeners it applies to all of us gardening in zones 5 & 6. So you can enjoy the information and beautiful photos as well.
• Cabbages are fantastic vegetables that are not only easy to grow, but they’re versatile in the kitchen and you can grow them most any time of the year. They’re an excellent early spring crop and fall crop, and will continue to do well right up until things frost over.
• Lettuces and other leafy greens like mustard and collard greens are more wonderful cold season crops that can be started before frost or early in September for a late fall harvest.
• Squashes also do well in the Connecticut area, as they also enjoy an extended season and appreciate cooler weather. This includes hard squashes, such as acorn squash and ornamental gourds.
• Perennial or biennial vegetables such as asparagus are wonderful Connecticut crops that do well in our climate. You can start asparagus from prepared cuttings that will result in a crop of beautiful asparagus the following year, or you can start asparagus from seed which will produce a heavy yield of fresh spears two years later. Asparagus will continue to come back year after year, so if you alternate years when you sow your seed or plant your spears, you’ll be rewarded with fresh asparagus each year.
• Tomatoes that have a shorter time to maturity such as Better Boy and Jet Star will mature quickly enough during the summer and make plenty of big, red tomatoes that ripen quickly. Cherry varieties are a sure thing as well, as they grow and continuously bear many smaller tomatoes in almost any conditions, not including frost of course.
• Root veggies are excellent, well bearing crops suited perfectly for growing in a Connecticut garden. These include carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips. These vegetables are also naturally disease resistant, making them enjoyable for even the most novice of gardeners.
• If you have a lot of space and sun, sweet corn can be easily grown in Connecticut. Choose corn that matures in a shorter amount of time if you can. The Marai series is an excellent, disease resistant and absolutely delicious option for sweet corn. This hybrid is gaining popularity and can be found with a quick Google search.
• Eggplant is a very hardy and fun vegetable to grow, easily in the cooler climate of Connecticut. There are many varieties to choose from- from smaller white varieties that look exactly like little eggs, to large robust dark black eggplant that taste wonderful in just about anything you cook them with.
You can grow warmer season crops in Connecticut as well, with some extra care and experience. And, if you happen to have a greenhouse, hoophouse, or a hotbed, you can grow anything in a Connecticut garden. The possibilities really are endless!
