The Best Areas in the United States to Grow Vegetables
Since 1975 the U.S. consumption of vegetables has steadily increased. In 2010 the United States Department of Agriculture, reporting a wide use of vegetables, said, "On a fresh-weight basis, per capita use of all vegetables and melons averaged 440 lbs. during the first nine years of this decade, with potatoes accounting for 30 percent of the total. Tomatoes, all lettuce, all sweet corn and onions round out the top five vegetables."
States
Virtually every state in America grows vegetables. Georgia is famous for Vadalia onions. Gilroy, California, is the garlic capital and Idaho has gained fame from its baker potatoes. Washington state is the largest producer of carrots, followed by California and the U.S. is the second largest producer of carrots behind China. The main vegetable-growing states are California, Washington, Idaho, Wisconsin and Florida. Wyoming has only 952 acres in vegetable production compared to nearly 1.2 million acres in California.
Arkansas
The rich red dirt of the fertile Arkansas River Valley provides an ideal environment for growing many fresh-market vegetable crops. Bixby, Oklahoma, on the banks of the Arkansas River, claims to be the fresh produce capital of the area. Zucchini, sweet corn, okra, cucumbers, beans and pumpkins are the prize crops. Although Oklahoma produces a substantial amount of sweet corn, Iowa continues to lead the nation as the number one sweet corn producing state.
Hawaiian Islands
Blessed with abundant sunshine, plentiful rainfall and warm temperatures, the Hawaiian islands are an ideal spot to grow most vegetable crops. The fertile volcanic soil makes it easy to grow carrots, eggplant, beans, melons and squash. The gentle trade winds provide air circulation necessary to preventing mold and plant disease on plants grown in tropical climates. There are literally hundreds of different varieties of fruits and vegetables grown in the islands. The Island of Maui is famous for onions. The annual value of the onion crop in Maui county exceeds 9 billion dollars.
Florida
Snow peas, tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, onion, okra, and all varieties of peppers flourish in Florida. Abundant sunshine, lots of rain and fertile soil provide the perfect environment for growing vegetables.
California
California continues to lead the nation in vegetable production. Almost 50 percent of the fresh vegetables purchased in supermarkets across the United States comes from California. The Salinas Valley is the largest producing area of cool-weather crops including lettuce, spinach, artichokes and tomatoes.
America's Best Places to Garden
What you want to grow determines which place in America is the best for gardeners. For example, citrus fruits grow abundantly in Florida and Arizona while California grows the majority of the country's commercial produce. The Midwest is known for vegetables, grains and cattle. Other than perhaps Death Valley, the tops of the Rocky Mountains or the swamps in the South, there really isn't a bad place to garden in America.
Giant Vegetables
Alaska, with its nearly 24-hour-long days filled with sunshine in the summer, grows the largest cool season vegetables. It holds the world record for the world's largest cabbage, which weighed in at over 125 lbs. with leaves over 5 feet across, according to the Anchorage Daily News. The state also holds the record for the world's largest rutabaga at over 82 lbs, and the world's heaviest carrot at 18 lbs. If you want to grow giant vegetables, it seems that Alaska is the best place to garden.
Fruit
If you want to grow apples, pears, peaches, grapes and oranges, then California is the state where you should be. It's tops in production of those five fruits, according to the Consumers Union. New York is second for apples and grapes, Oregon for pears, Georgia for peaches and Florida for oranges.
Vegetable Garden
According to USDA Economic Research Service, the top five states in vegetable production are California, Idaho, Washington, Wisconsin, and Florida. Idaho and Wisconsin lead in potato production while California produces 60 percent of the nation's fresh and processed vegetables. If you plan on growing a vegetable garden, these five states would be the best locales.
Year-Round Gardening
If you like to putter in your garden year-round, the best places to garden in would be those states that don't experience cold winters. These include the Arizona desert, where even tomatoes have been known to continue ripening in December, Florida, California, parts of Texas and parts of the Deep South. These areas allow for two crops of cool-season vegetables. The first crop is generally planted in January with the second seeded in late August. Additionally, a warm-season vegetable crop can be grown from April through early winter.
Tropical Fruits
If bananas, mangoes, pineapples, guavas or other tropical fruits are on your list of favorite plants, then Florida and Hawaii are the best locations for your garden as their climates are similar to those of the fruits' native areas. For example, Hawaii is famous for pineapples. While Arizona and south Texas experience warm enough temperatures, they don't receive nearly enough rainfall to support the healthy growth of tropical plants. For best results, you'll have to supplement what little rain there is with lots of watering.
