10 Easy Vegetables to Grow

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Hooray!

It’s time to finalize garden plans and even put some cold weather crops in the ground.

Don’t procrastinate or be overwhelmed with growing a garden. Plant easy to grow vegetables you actually like to eat.

I know how you feel, I’m a novice gardner too and I want EASY veggies that my lazy summer attitude can easily handle.

Reasons to Grow your Own Vegetables

Easy vegetables to grow

Gardens take some work, but taking the time to plant even a small garden has many benefits. A garden means…

  • more fresh, healthy food in your diet.
  • saving money on food!
  • controlling what goes into the soil and on the plants.
  • burning calories, enjoying fresh air, and reducing stress by working in the soil.
  • increasing self-reliance by building new skills.

Note: If you’ve been meticulously planning your garden space all winter, this article is not for you. You may take this moment to laugh at all of us indecisive gardeners and go read something more scintillating.

I start to get hyper every year when I hear others talking about their new garden experiments and all the scrumptious produce they’ve had great success with. Me? Not really into tons of experimentation, and not so successful with anything remotely tricky in the garden. When I do something, I like to do it well… that’s why I’ve researched 10 of the easiest vegetables to grow for this year’s garden.

The Easy Vegetable List

CARROTS: These quick-growing seeds can be planted in spring or late summer. They prefer cooler climates, and do best in deep, loose soil. Seeds sprout easily, producing a million teeny plants that must be thinned. When tops are two inches tall, pull out enough small ones to leave room for bigger ones to mature.

RADISHES: These do well in containers as well as garden beds. Seeds can be planted in early spring as soon as you can work the soil. They mature and are ready to be eaten within about three weeks! These can be grown together with carrots, helping to break down the surface for weaker carrots to come through. Early spring radishes are milder in flavor, and the heat of summer produces spicier radishes.

LETTUCE: There are many varieties of leaf lettuce you can choose from. Plant as seeds or young plants, making sure they’re placed in afternoon shade and get plenty of water. Pull leaves off heads as they mature to create fresh, crisp salads! A second crop can be started for fall when the blazing hot weather has passed.

TOMATOES: Plant tomatoes after the last frost. Tomatoes are easiest to grow from starter plants. Choose a sunny, warm spot and stake plants to keep them from flopping over when fruit gets heavy. Marigolds planted around garden beds and interspersed between plants will prevent horned worms from making a feast of your tomatoes. Try a cherry tomato plant if you want a sweet snack in the garden until the fall frost arrives.

PEPPERS: Peppers are also grown easiest from small starters, planted after the danger of frost has passed. They prefer moist soil, and benefit from being staked as they grow upright. Peppers can be picked at any size you prefer.

BUSH BEANS: Have children sow these big seeds in late spring. Bush beans don’t require any staking and grow quickly. Choose a spot with full sun for your beans. For maximum sweetness and delicate crispness, harvest when they’re small before seed pods form.

ONIONS: Plant your “sets” (mini onions) early in the season. Don’t pull too early…they’re ready to harvest when green tops begin to yellow. You may want to dry onions out for a week or two if you plan to store them in a cool place.

SPINACH: This leafy green grows easily, but won’t tolerate heat. Plant in the spring (and harvest before the summer heat) or in late summer for a fall crop. Harvest some leaves beginning at 30 days and regularly thereafter to encourage growth.

CUCUMBERS: Plant cukes when the danger of frost has passed. Allow space for plants to sprawl, or trellis them upward to save space in the garden. Grow smaller varieties if you want to make your own pickles. Harvest cucumbers regularly to keep plants producing.

ZUCCHINI: Plant seeds or starter plants in late spring. Choose a sunny spot and create a mound for planting. Zucchini plants will sprawl, so be sure to give them some space. Harvest frequently while veggie is small and skin is shiny. The problem with zucchini is trying to find recipes to put them all to use!

** To get started, find high-quality gardening supplies and seeds here!

Growing is Fun – Involve Everyone

Growing your own veggies doesn’t have to take a ton of effort. Poll the family to see what they’re interested in having on the table and enlist help from each person. Put the kiddos in charge of planting veggies they choose, and assign “garden jobs” to each member of the family. You’ll need a Garden Prep Team, a Watering Specialist, a Harvesting Technician, a Recipe Locater (so you can put all the yummy fresh food to use)… you get the idea–be creative. Time to start preparing that garden space and narrowing down the list of veggies making a appearance this year!

How about you? What will be sprouting in your garden? Do you have some go-to veggies that make the cut each year?

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References and Resources

  • Lettuce” on Wikipedia
  • “30 Ways in 30 Days to Stretch Your Fruit and Vegetable Budget” by the Fruits and Veggies Matter branch of the CDC.
  • Home Vegetable Gardening” by Larry Bass, Extension Horticultural Specialist at North Carolina State University

Recommended Reading

photo credit

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About Betsy Jabs

Betsy holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Counseling, and for nearly a decade worked as an elementary counselor. In 2011 she left her counseling career to pursue healthy living. She loves using DIY Natural as a way to educate people to depend on themselves to nourish their bodies and live happier healthier lives. Connect with Betsy on Facebookand Twitter.

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Comments

  1. Avatar photoRuth says

    How late is too late to plant some late summer veggies? We live in NY and it’s apple/pear season right now. I was thinking peas or lettuce.

  2. Avatar photoKelly J says

    I was at a store recently, and even though I rarely purchase real books anymore, two of the ones there caught my eye.

    The first one is called “Homegrown Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs” by Jim Wilson. This has units on Why, where & how, Understanding your soil, The three “E”s (Ease, Economy, and Enjoyment, Selected Vegetables, Selected Fruits, Selected Herbs, Advances in Organic Food Gardening, and Modern Victory Gardens. It also has Zone maps, glossary, resources and tons of useful info. In each section, it breaks down the best way to start them (seed vs. plant vs. cutting) and why. When to plant them, how to care for them, and also culinary tips. There is a section on drying herbs, and the author’s favorite method, which I found quite interesting.

    The second one that I purchased is called “Easy to Build Backyard Projects” by Monte Burch. The reason that I wanted to mention this is because this a section on gardening, and some of the ideas are playing in my mind as unique and creative. Yes, there is the typical compost bin and planter bench, but there is also what they called a “Potting Cart.” It is a wheeled 2-tier cart, and what I really like about it is that they ran some PVC up the back of the cart, and put a shut off valve and a garden hose adapter on the bottom, and a simple ‘L’ on the top, and viola! You have water so that when you are repotting a plant or starting a seed tray, you don’t have to haul the water to your plant! Just some food for thought, and some references that I found interesting!

    Love the articles, and thanks for doing what you two do!

    Blessings!

    Kelly J

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Oh wow! Those do sound like two awesome resources! Thanks for sharing Kelly…you’re getting ME excited for gardening! 🙂

  3. Avatar photoBre says

    I currently live in an apartment with no yard and I have never done any gardening before. Is there any herbs or vegetables that you would recommend to a beginner to grow indoors or possibly on a porch? I planted a small basil plant in a pot indoors from a starter plant a few days ago, so we’ll see how that turns out.

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      I was actually going to suggest basil…it’s a really easy one to grow. I think it will turn out surprisingly well for you and it’s so fun to have around to throw in dishes all summer long! We have also done tomatoes in pots on our patio…just make sure it’s a bigger pot so the roots have room to spread. If you wanted to grow pole beans, you could construct something out of sticks or stakes that the beans could crawl up. Also, you might like to have a little patch of lettuce in a long, shallow planter. Chives, oregano, and thyme are some other herbs that do really well in pots. (Oregano and thyme prefer lots of sunlight, so near a window would be best.) Have fun experimenting! 🙂

    • Avatar photoSue Reynolds says

      I have put all sort of herbs in big & small planters on my window sill & on small decks (if apt had any). Used them all year long. Just moved palnters inside when it got cold to a sunny window. I have grown chives, rosemary, thyme, basil, small onions, and the list can go on depending on what all you use.

  4. Avatar photoSue Reynolds says

    I am so with you on getting my garden. Do to my cancer scare last year I am not up to par as I’ve been in years past. So I would like to help you as you have been helping us. Maybe gardening will be more fun. “All New Square Foot Gardening” By Mel Bartholomew. I like the ideal of getting away from roll gardening to doing it in a squared area. making square boxes & planting my same crops but easier to care for & all organic! I feel this will make gardening a lot more better! See what you all think?

  5. Avatar photoStacy @Stacy Makes Cents says

    Tomatoes on the list really made me giggle. 🙂 Last year we purchased a very hearty $5 tomato plant from the Farmer’s Market. It produced two tomatoes. We called them our $2.50 tomatoes. LOL
    Then again, I have The Black Thumb of Death.

    • Avatar photoMatt Jabs says

      LOL, that’s funny Stacy, “The Black Thumb of Death.” I suggest hitting the library and picking up one of the books mentioned in this article… I promise they’ll help with that. 🙂