Expert advice for NJ home gardeners from a Registered Dietitian — backed by nutrition science and rooted in the Garden State’s unique growing conditions.
The top gardening tips for New Jersey home gardeners include testing your soil through Rutgers Cooperative Extension, growing seasonal NJ crops like Jersey tomatoes and blueberries for peak nutrient density, planting a variety of colored vegetables, watering deeply in the morning to prevent fungal disease, and using gardening as a mindfulness and mental health practice. Here’s what every NJ gardener should know.
1. Test your New Jersey soil before you plant anything
New Jersey soil varies dramatically depending upon location. Northern New Jersey, where I live, and Central New Jersey, are mainly clay and dense, offering high nutrients and excellent moisture retention. Other areas, like the Pine Barrens and South Jersey may be sandy, which offer good drainage, but less nutrient retention.
Regardless of your region, it’s a good idea to get a soil test through Rutgers Cooperative Extension Soil Testing Lab, which offers affordable pH and nutrient panels specific to NJ growing regions. The results tell you exactly what to add, e.g. lime to raise pH for tomatoes (as tomatoes do prefer slightly acidic soil), or compost to improve drainage in clay-heavy Morris or Sussex County soil.
As a Registered Dietitian, I emphasize soil health because it directly affects nutritional output, and the health and yield of your plants. Plants grown in mineral-rich soil produce higher levels of vitamins, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, making home-grown produce more nourishing than store bought produce that traveled many miles following the harvest.
Choosing to grow organically also yields higher nutritional value, plus more anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. Instead of relying on pesticides, the plants form their own defenses in the form of phytonutrients.
If you do not have access to a cooperative for testing, you can buy kits at your local garden center, and there are also meters you can buy on Amazon that will evaluate light, pH, soil moisture, and nutrients. Below is what I use at home in my raised beds and pots.
I like to use a mix of mushroom compost and a nutrient rich soil amendment that has lobster and crab shells to help prevent blossom end rot.
2. Grow New Jersey’s most nutritious seasonal crops
Jersey is best known for tomatoes, blueberries, sweet corn, and peaches because our climate produces exceptional flavor and nutritional profiles. Freshly harvested produce retains the most vitamin C, folate, and antioxidants, which begin to degrade within hours of picking. Growing your own or buying from a local NJ farm stand or farmers market ensures you are eating produce at peak nutritional value. Supermarkets cannot replicate the nutrient density of home grown or locally purchased.
Early Spring, I plant frost resistant seeds like leafy greens, and root crops like beets, carrots, potatoes, and radishes. Once the risk of frost is low, which is typically around Mother’s Day or May 15th is when I plant my tomatoes, peppers, and herbs like basil. I also have perennial herbs like sage, oregano, and chives that come back on their own. In the Fall, I grow garlic which will winter over, and produce scapes by June, and the garlic will be harvest ready by 4th of July.
If you can’t grow garlic, you can likely get scapes at your local farmers market. We use our scapes to bulk produce pesto like my 5 Minute Easy Garlic Scape Walnut Pesto which we freeze in ¼ cup portions on a parchment lined sheet pan, and then pack in the freezer for heart healthy nutrient dense pesto to enjoy all winter long. Here is my Instagram Tutorial on Garlic Scape Pesto
If your garden still has significant sun in the Fall, you can repeat any of the Spring plantings like cruciferous vegetables, root vegetables, and greens.
3. Eat the rainbow to maximize phytonutrients
The anti-inflammatory properties of plants are the pigments. That’s why it’s important to get as many colors on your plate as possible.
We know of over 25,000 phytonutrients that plants produce to protect themselves from sunlight, disease, and pests, and all of those anti-inflammatory benefits are passed onto us.
Here are just two examples:
Anthocyanins are a water soluble flavonoid antioxidant that produce purple, blue, and gorgeous red hues in plants like pomegranates, blueberries, strawberries, purple potatoes, and the skin of eggplant. The protect us from oxidative stress, promote healthy skin, offer cardiovascular benefits, and protect us from certain cancers.
Carotenoids are fat soluble pigments that can be shades of red, yellow, or orange, and include beta carotene, an immune boosting carotenoid found in carrots, lycopene found in tomatoes and watermelon that protect against prostate cancer, and lutein and zeaxanthin, that protect against macular degeneration.
As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I recommend aiming to grow a variety of produce that may not be readily available at your supermarket to increase the variety of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients.
In my garden right now, I am growing candy cane beets, purple radishes, and rainbow carrots.
Greens grown from seed thrive in New Jersey. I like to grow greens that I do not see in my supermarkets. It seems that once kale became popular, it has taken shelf space away from other varieties. I have growing from seed right now arugula, frisee, and an heirloom red lettuce.
You can spend just a few dollars for 100 plant seeds, about the same costs as one head of greens.
If you’d like to get started on an Anti Inflammatory Diet, check out my comprehensive primer: What to Eat on an Anti Inflammatory Diet
4. Water in the morning to prevent disease in NJ’s humid summers
New Jersey’s humid Mid-Atlantic summers create ideal conditions for fungal diseases like powdery mildew and late blight, especially on tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers. The most effective prevention is watering deeply in the early morning so leaves dry before evening, preferably with drip irrigation to reduce water use by up to 50% while maintaining consistent soil moisture, and keeping the leaves of your plants from getting wet.
Consistent moisture also prevents calcium uptake problems like blossom end rot in tomatoes and peppers, a common frustration for NJ home gardeners which may be caused by irregular watering, in addition to soil nutrient imbalance, and unfavorable soil pH. It’s also important not to overcrowd your garden to reduce risk of blight.
5. Use gardening as a mental health practice — not just a food source
Research consistently shows spending regular time in green spaces to reduced cortisol, lower anxiety, and improved mood. It doesn’t have to be some complicated influencer “grounding” or “foresting” practice. Just 20 minutes of weeding activates the body’s rest-and-digest response.
Beyond stress reduction, studies show that growing your own food is associated with greater mindful eating behaviors and improved overall dietary quality, and if you can get kids involved, you will see more acceptance of produce.
So get out and get your hands in some dirt!
Instagram Tutorial – Grow Your Own Scallions!
Frequently asked questions
What vegetables grow best in New Jersey?
Jersey tomatoes, blueberries, sweet corn, peppers, zucchini, kale, and peaches perform exceptionally well in New Jersey’s climate. Cool-season crops like lettuce, spinach, and broccoli thrive in April–June and again in September–October.
When should I start gardening in New Jersey?
New Jersey’s last frost date ranges from mid-April in northern counties (Sussex, Warren) to late March in southern counties (Cape May, Cumberland). Start cool-weather crops 4–6 weeks before last frost, and warm-weather crops like tomatoes and peppers after all frost risk has passed.
How do I test my soil in New Jersey?
Rutgers Cooperative Extension offers soil testing services for NJ residents. Submit a soil sample through your county’s Cooperative Extension office for a pH and nutrient analysis with region-specific amendment recommendations.
Is homegrown produce more nutritious than store-bought?
Yes! Freshly harvested produce retains significantly more vitamin C, folate, and antioxidants than produce that has been transported and stored. Nutrients degrade after harvest, so growing your own or sourcing locally minimizes this loss. Freezing produce, like greens and berries will also help retain nutrients so you can enjoy all types of produce off season with maximum nutrient retention.
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