Types of Fast-Maturing Vegetables Suited to New Hampshire

New Hampshire presents a challenging but rewarding environment for home gardeners. Short summers, wide temperature swings, and variable last-frost dates across the state mean gardeners must prioritize crops that reach harvest quickly. Fast-maturing vegetables maximize limited warm-weather days and let you harvest multiple successions in a single season. This article details the best fast-maturing vegetables for New Hampshire, specific varieties and days-to-maturity, planting and care techniques, and practical season-extension strategies so you can reliably grow productive beds even in cooler zones.

Understanding New Hampshire’s Growing Season

New Hampshire spans USDA hardiness zones roughly from 3b to 6a. Coastal and southern towns have earlier last frost dates and longer growing seasons; northern and higher elevation areas see later spring thaws and earlier autumn frosts.
Timing your planting depends on the local last spring frost and first fall frost. As a rule of thumb:

• Cool-season crops can be sown 4 to 6 weeks before the last expected frost or as soon as soil is workable.
• Warm-season crops need to be planted on or after the last frost when soil temperatures are warm enough (generally 50-60 F for root crops, 60-70 F for warm-season crops like beans and squash).
• Use season-extension tools (row covers, cold frames, hoop houses, black plastic mulch) to start earlier and harvest later.

Microclimates-south-facing walls, raised beds, and sheltered locations-can reliably add weeks to the effective season. For New Hampshire gardeners, pairing fast-maturing varieties with season-extension techniques yields the best results.

What Makes a Vegetable “Fast-Maturing”

A fast-maturing vegetable reaches edible size in fewer days from sowing than typical varieties. Days-to-maturity is often listed on seed packets and ranges:

• Very fast: 20-30 days (e.g., radishes, baby leaf greens)
• Fast: 30-50 days (e.g., lettuce, baby carrots, peas)
• Moderate: 50-70 days (e.g., beets, early potatoes)
• Slow: 70+ days (e.g., winter squash, full-sized sweet corn)

Choose varieties labeled “early,” “quick,” “mini,” “baby leaves,” or with short days-to-maturity. Also factor in whether you are direct sowing or transplanting-transplants save days compared to seeds sown outdoors.

Fast-Maturing Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are ideal for short seasons: they germinate quickly and can be cut multiple times.

Lettuce and Mixed Salad Greens

• Recommended varieties: ‘Salad Bowl’ (25-35 days for baby leaves), ‘Buttercrunch’ (45-55 days full head), ‘Little Gem’ (40-45 days).
• Tips: Sow every 10-14 days for continuous harvest. Use shallow seed depth (1/8 inch) and keep soil consistently moist. Partial shade in summer prevents bolting.

Spinach, Arugula, and Baby Greens

• Arugula: 20-30 days to baby leaves; fast flavor hit early spring and fall.
• Spinach: 25-45 days depending on variety; sow as soon as soil can be worked.
• Swiss chard baby leaves: 30-40 days; full-size takes longer.

Kale and Mustard Greens

• Kale baby leaves: 25-30 days; mature heads 45-55 days for some varieties like ‘Red Russian’ and ‘Siberian’.
• Mustards: 20-30 days for microgreens and baby leaves.

Fast-Maturing Root Vegetables

Roots can be quick if you choose small, baby-root crops and early varieties.

Radishes

• Typically 20-30 days.
• Varieties: ‘Cherry Belle’ (22-28 days), ‘French Breakfast’ (20-30 days), ‘Easter Egg’ mixes.
• Tips: Radishes are one of the fastest ways to get an early harvest in NH. Sow every 7-10 days for continuous harvest. Thin seedlings to avoid oversized roots.

Baby Carrots and Early Carrot Varieties

• Baby carrots: 50-60 days for varieties bred for short roots.
• Varieties: ‘Thumbelina’ (50 days), ‘Nantes’ (55-60 days).
• Tips: Sow in loose, stone-free soil; thin to recommended spacing to encourage uniform roots.

Beets and Turnips

• Beets: 45-55 days for baby beets; ‘Detroit Dark Red’ is a reliable early choice.
• Turnips: 30-50 days depending on variety; ‘Hakurei’ salad turnips mature quickly and are delicious raw.

Fast-Maturing Alliums

Alliums can be quick when using early sets or seedlings.

Green Onions (Scallions) and Spring Onions

• Scallions: 30-40 days from seed for baby greens; sets are faster.
• Bunching onions: 60 days for larger harvests.

Garlic Scapes and Early Harvests

• Garlic itself is long-season, but garlic scapes can be harvested in early summer if planted the previous fall.

Fast-Maturing Legumes and Pods

Peas and bush beans are great quick producers.

Peas

• Shelling and snap peas: 50-65 days to maturity.
• Early varieties: ‘Sugar Snap’ and ‘Green Arrow’ perform well in cooler springs.
• Tips: Sow peas as soon as soil can be worked. Provide a trellis for vining types to save space and accelerate maturity.

Bush Beans

• Bush beans: 45-60 days; ‘Provider’ and ‘Blue Lake’ have relatively quick turnarounds.
• Tips: Plant midspring after soil warms. Succession plant every 2-3 weeks.

Quick Brassicas

Some brassicas produce baby greens or early heads quickly.

Baby Broccoli and Kohlrabi

• Kohlrabi: 45-60 days; ‘Early White Vienna’ is a classic early variety.
• Tender baby broccoli: harvest as small shoots in 50-60 days.

Cabbage and Broccoli (as Transplants)

• Early transplants of broccoli and cabbage can yield in 60-75 days when started indoors and set out early.

Top Fast-Maturing Vegetables for New Hampshire

• Radishes: 20-30 days.
• Arugula: 20-30 days.
• Spinach: 25-45 days.
• Salad lettuce (baby): 25-35 days.
• Peas: 50-65 days.
• Bush beans: 45-60 days.
• Kohlrabi: 45-60 days.
• Turnips: 30-50 days.
• Baby beets: 45-55 days.
• Early potatoes (new potatoes): 70-90 days for small tubers.

Practical Planting and Succession Strategies

1. Plan successive sowings every 1-3 weeks for fast crops like radishes, lettuce, arugula, and peas to stretch harvest and reduce loss to bolting.
2. Start warm-season transplants indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost (tomatoes, peppers) and direct-sow cool-season crops 4-6 weeks before last frost.
3. Use quick-turnaround crops as gap fillers: sow a patch of radishes or arugula between transplants to use space while larger plants establish.
4. Rotate crops and avoid planting brassicas in the same spot year to year to reduce pest and disease buildup.

Season Extension Techniques That Make a Difference in New Hampshire

• Row covers add 5-10 F and protect seedlings from frost, insects, and wind. Use light-weight fabric for early spring.
• Cold frames let you start hardy transplants weeks earlier. A simple pop-up cold frame or repurposed window works well.
• Hoop houses and low tunnels extend the season by several weeks to months and allow you to grow warm-season crops earlier.
• Raised beds warm faster in spring due to better drainage and shallower soil depth; they also improve access and soil control.

Soil, Watering, and Fertility Guidance

• Aim for a well-drained loam with organic matter at 3-6% for most vegetables. Add compost yearly (1-2 inches) and side-dress with balanced fertilizer during heavy growth.
• pH: most vegetables prefer 6.0-7.0. Test soil every 3-4 years and lime if pH is below 6.0.
• Water consistently: fast-maturing crops are often shallow-rooted and demand steady moisture. Mulch to conserve water and reduce temperature swings.

Common Pests and Problems in New Hampshire and Remedies

• Slugs and snails: hand-pick, use traps, or create barriers with diatomaceous earth.
• Flea beetles: row covers and barrier cloths in spring; rotate crops.
• Cabbage worms: pick by hand or use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) for control.
• Damping off in seedlings: avoid overwatering, use sterilized seed starting mix, ensure good airflow.
• Late blight and fungal diseases: promote air circulation, space plants properly, remove infected plants promptly.

Example Planting Calendar (Using a May 15 Last Frost Date)

• 4 weeks before last frost (mid-April): direct sow peas, spinach, arugula, radish, onions sets where soil is workable. Start lettuce indoors for transplanting.
• Last frost +/-: transplant cold-hardy seedlings (lettuce, kale, broccoli) into protected beds or cold frames.
• 1-2 weeks after last frost (late May): direct sow bush beans, carrots in warmed soil; transplant tomato and pepper seedlings if protected nights.
• June through August: succession sow every 10-21 days for lettuce, radishes, and beans to keep a steady harvest.
• Late summer (August): sow a final round of fast greens and turnips for fall harvest; use row covers to protect from early frosts.

Conclusion: Concrete Takeaways

• Prioritize very fast crops for immediate gratification: radishes, arugula, baby lettuce, and scallions.
• Use varieties with short days-to-maturity listed on seed packets and plan for multiple successions.
• Employ season-extension tools (row covers, cold frames, raised beds) to gain weeks of productive growing time in New Hampshire.
• Prepare soil with compost, maintain consistent moisture, and be proactive about pests common to the region.
• Plan planting relative to your local frost dates and consider an example timeline to squeeze as much production as possible from the short season.

With the right variety choices and a bit of planning, New Hampshire gardeners can harvest fresh produce throughout the growing months and even into early fall. Fast-maturing vegetables are the foundation of a productive, reliable garden in cooler climates-use them strategically and you will see steady yields even when the summer is brief.