{"id":26823,"date":"2024-07-20T14:57:03","date_gmt":"2024-07-20T14:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/?p=26823"},"modified":"2025-07-10T05:01:28","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T05:01:28","slug":"southern-new-hampshire-planting-zones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/southern-new-hampshire-planting-zones\/","title":{"rendered":"Planting Zones of Southern New Hampshire\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Southern New Hampshire mainly falls within USDA hardiness zone 6a, with a few exceptions. This guide will help you navigate the planting zones of this bustling region, so you can select the best plants for your garden\u2019s success.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if you want to know the planting zones of other regions in the Granite State, read our articles below:&nbsp;<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/new-hampshire-planting-zones\/\">New Hampshire Planting Zones<\/a> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/central-new-hampshire-planting-zones\/\">Planting Zones of Central New Hampshire<\/a><\/li>    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/northern-new-hampshire-planting-zones\/\">Planting Zones of Northern New Hampshire<\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <\/li> <\/ul>    <h2 id=\"what-planting-zone-is-southern-new-hampshire\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What planting zone is southern New Hampshire?<\/h2>    <figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"791\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NH300_HS-791x1024.jpg\" alt=\"plant hardiness zone map for new hampshire\" class=\"wp-image-26628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NH300_HS-791x1024.jpg 791w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NH300_HS-232x300.jpg 232w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NH300_HS-768x994.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NH300_HS-610x789.jpg 610w, https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/NH300_HS.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 791px) 100vw, 791px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/planthardiness.ars.usda.gov\/system\/files\/NH300_HS.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">USDA<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before we start, it&#8217;s important to note that defining the exact boundaries of southern New Hampshire can be tricky, as there&#8217;s no clear consensus. For the sake of this guide, we&#8217;re considering southern New Hampshire to include all areas below Concord, including Concord itself.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of this region falls within <strong>zone 6a<\/strong>, which experiences average minimum temperatures ranging from<strong> -10 F to -5 F<\/strong>. However, some counties in southern New Hampshire have areas that fall into<strong> zone 5b<\/strong>, which is slightly colder. Additionally, there&#8217;s a small coastal area in<strong> zone 6b.<\/strong><\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s take a closer look at each county and its planting zones:<\/p>    <h3 id=\"merrimack\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Merrimack<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Merrimack County, the area south of Concord falls into <strong>either zone 6a or zone 5b<\/strong>. Zone 5b experiences slightly colder temperatures, with average minimum temperatures ranging from -15 F to -10 F.&nbsp;<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, <strong>Concord, the state capital, is in zone 5b<\/strong>, while Hooksett, just a 9-mile distance from Concord, is in zone 6a. This variation in zones means that gardeners and homeowners in Merrimack County need to be mindful of their location when choosing plants.<\/p>    <h3 id=\"strafford\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strafford<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The entire lower half of Strafford County falls within <strong>zone 6a<\/strong>. This includes cities like<strong> Dover and Rochester<\/strong>, which benefit from the milder winter temperatures of this zone (minimum of -10 F to -5 F).<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This makes it easier to maintain a vibrant and diverse garden, as well as a lush lawn. Check out our guide, <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/best-grass-seed-new-hampshire\/\">The Best Grass Seed for New Hampshire Lawns<\/a>, for more information.<\/p>    <h3 id=\"cheshire\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cheshire<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Cheshire County, around half of the area falls within zone 6a, while the other half is in zone 5b. There aren&#8217;t clear \u201cborders\u201d between these zones, but generally, zone 5b covers the western, central, and southeastern parts of the county. In contrast, zone 6a includes the northeastern and south-central regions.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, the city of<strong> Keene is located in zone 5b<\/strong>. If you\u2019re unsure which zone you&#8217;re in, we recommend typing your ZIP code into the <a href=\"https:\/\/planthardiness.ars.usda.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">USDA hardiness zone map<\/a> for more precise information.<\/p>    <h3 id=\"hillsborough\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hillsborough<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s what you need to know about the planting zones in Hillsborough County:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li>Only some western regions fall within <strong>zone 5b<\/strong>, primarily the area near US Route 202.<\/li>    <li>Peterborough is in zone 5b.<\/li>    <li>The rest of the county is in <strong>zone 6a<\/strong>.<\/li>    <li>Important cities like Manchester and Nashua are in zone 6a.<\/li> <\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can check out the guide, <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/when-to-plant-grass-seed-new-hampshire\/\">When to Plant Grass Seed in New Hampshire<\/a>, to learn more about what grass grows in this area and when you should plant it.<\/p>    <h3 id=\"rockingham\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rockingham<\/h3>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Almost the entire Rockingham County is located in <strong>zone 6a<\/strong>, including the following cities:<\/p>    <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li>Salem<\/li>    <li>Londonderry<\/li>    <li>Portsmouth<\/li>    <li>Windham<\/li> <\/ul>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, there is a small exception: a coastal region that includes Hampton Beach State Park, the town of Seabrook, Hampton, and the surrounding area. This small area falls within <strong>zone 6b<\/strong>, which experiences average minimum temperatures that range from -5 to 0 F. It is the only area in New Hampshire where zone 6b is present, and it is also the mildest winter in the state.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> The southern part of Sullivan County is either in <strong>zone 5b or 6a<\/strong>. If you\u2019re more interested to learn about Sullivan County\u2019s planting zones, refer to our article \u201cPlanting Zones of Central New Hampshire,\u201d linked in the beginning.<\/p>    <h2 id=\"when-to-call-a-professional\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to call a professional<\/h2>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now you know everything about the planting zones in southern New Hampshire. But if you\u2019re still confused about what planting zones are and how to use them to choose the best plants for your area, read our guide: <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/plant-hardiness-zones-and-your-yard\/\">How to Use the Plant Hardiness Zone Map in Your Yard<\/a>.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For personalized assistance, you can also <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/\">call a lawn care professional<\/a> near you to help you select and plant the best varieties for your garden.<\/p>    <p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Main Image Credit: Joseph Greeley II House | <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.m.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Joseph_Greeley_II_House,_Nashua,_NH_WP_20180610_043.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jane023<\/a> | Wikimedia Commons | <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/deed.en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover the planting zones of southern New Hampshire, which is mainly in zone 6a, with a few exceptions. Find out more about this region&#8217;s hardiness zones.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":26824,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[196],"tags":[132,587,591,592,593,588,590,589,594],"class_list":["post-26823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-hampshire","tag-gardening","tag-lawn-care-concord-nh","tag-lawn-care-dover-nh","tag-lawn-care-keene-nh","tag-lawn-care-londonderry-nh","tag-lawn-care-nashua-nh","tag-lawn-care-rochester-nh","tag-lawn-care-salem-nh","tag-lawn-care-windham-nh"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/house-in-nashua-1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Maria Isabela Reis","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/maria-isabela-reis\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26823"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26823\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40126,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26823\/revisions\/40126"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}