If you’re looking to start growing your own food, vegetables will probably play a large part. While you can grow just about any vegetable you want – depending on the season – there are some that are definitely easier for beginners. Here are my Best Veggies for Beginning Gardeners.
First off, the most efficient and easiest way for a new gardener to start off on the right foot is to buy plants ready for planting. While seed-starting can be fun, it takes a lot of time, effort, and keen attention. Head to your local garden centers and take a look around. You’ll find all sorts of vegetables and herbs ready to make a home in your garden. And, they’re typically pretty inexpensive.
Leafy greens, beans, onions and potatoes are fun to grow from seed or “set” (meaning a pre-sprouted onion or potato), and they don’t take long to sprout. Be sure to check your seed or set packages for timing of planting, and sun and water needs.
Leafy Greens
One of the easiest types of vegetables for beginners to grow is salad greens or leafy greens. This includes most types of lettuce and greens that you would use for a salad, such as spinach, kale, arugula, collard greens, and lettuce like romaine and iceberg. Cabbage can also be included in this category. Lettuce is actually really beautiful and enticing in a garden when it begins to grow, plus there is always room for adding more greens to your diet. If you are using seeds, spring and fall are typically the best time to plant greens. Don’t forget that you can cut lettuce just above ground level, and it’ll keep growing! That’ll keep you greens-filled all season long!
Tomatoes
Another vegetable, which is actually a fruit, is tomatoes. These are also ideal for your salads and various other meals. If you have enough of them, you can also start making your own tomato sauce and salsa with your harvest. Tomatoes grow really fast and are simple to grow, making them perfect for the gardening beginner. There are also many ways to grow tomatoes, from on the vine to baskets or in a pot. And, the varieties are amazing. Look for cherry or grape tomatoes, perfect little nuggets and so fun to pick and eat fresh from the plant. Or, try a Roma. Then there’s the big, beautiful beefsteak. Lush and juicy, perfect for a sandwich or burger. There’s nothing quite like a tomato straight from your garden.
Tomato Hint #1:
If you want to save space in a square-foot garden, tomatoes grow GREAT in pots and make a beautiful patio decoration. Get yourself a variety of good sized pots, at least 18″ deep. Fill with potting soil (not topsoil), and plant one tomato plant per pot. I recommend inserting tomato cages right away so that your plants grow right into the cage. You could also use three garden dowels and garden twine to craft your own. Cluster them in a sunny, hot location and let them flourish.
Tomato Hint #2
Tomatoes like it hot and they don’t like to dry out. Be sure to keep them in a sunny spot, and the soil evenly moist. If you’re growing them in a pot, be sure the pot has good drainage. When tomatoes are too wet, they get “blossom rot” – the icky black stuff on the bottom of the fruit. Or they simply won’t bear any fruit.
Beans
If you enjoy green beans, then you’re in luck because these are also relatively easy for beginners to handle. You can grow beans directly from the seed and have that sense of accomplishment when they start to sprout. Whether you love yellow, green, or purple, there are so many things you can make with fresh beans. And, they’re another great pick-and-eat vegetable! By the way, bush beans are perfect for square-foot gardening.
Peppers
There’s a whole world of peppers waiting for you. Whether you want a nice mild bell pepper, or prefer spicy jalapenos or Thai chilis, they’re super easy to grow. But, here’s the trick….peppers like “hot feet.” That means they like their roots to be really warm. So, when I plant peppers, I cut a piece of black garbage bag, and nestle it on the ground around the based of the plant. I hold it in place with garden pins or even small rocks. The black plastic will absorb more sun and heat for the plant roots.
Cucumbers
Another vegetable that is so good fresh from the garden is cucumbers. The vines or bushes typically grow pretty quickly, and it’s not long before you’re harvesting the goodness. If you’re pressed for space, don’t forget you can grow them vertically! Simply install a trellis of some sort, and train the vines to go upward. In containers, you can train them to wrap around tomato cages, too. Alternatively, look for bush cucumbers. They grow in 2′ to 3′ mounds and are great if you don’t have a lot room. You need to have warmer temperatures and plenty of sunlight, plus regular watering for your cucumbers.
Onions
If you cook a lot at home, then you probably also use onions regularly. This is what makes onions such a fantastic vegetable to grow in your garden. They are easy to grow and good for beginners, plus there are a lot of different uses for them. The easiest is to plant what are called “set onions”. These are onions that are already sprouted and a tiny onion bulb is already growing. Simply press them into the ground, and watch them go! Garden centers typically offer different types of onions by the bag or in bulk bins. You should also be able to find shallots! Yummmmm……
A perennial addition to your onion stock is Chives. As a kid, we called them “schniddlies”…I have no idea why!? But, we used to sneak a pinch from neighborhood gardens all the time. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I learned they’re called chives! Anyway, you can plant one chive plant and it’ll not only get nice and big, but it’ll come back on it’s own every year. You simply snip what you need! Eventually, they do blossom a pretty purple flower that bees love.
Potatoes
Now, if you really want to have some fun, try some potatoes! They don’t need a lot of room, and in fact, you can grow them in pots or even garbage cans. Garden centers will be selling either bulk or bags, and you should be able to find red, russets, Yukon golds, purples, and fingerlings. Simply dig a hole, drop in a potato and let it go. You want to be sure the base of the plant is mounded with dirt, and I always mulch mine. The fun thing is the plant will tell you when it’s time to harvest. First, it grows upright and bright green. Eventually the greens flop over. When the greens start to wilt, carefully dig down deep keeping distance from the plant itself. Turn over the soil and TAAAA-DAAAAHHHH! You have taters! I think potatoes and Brussels sprouts are the most fun to grow. Brussels sprouts can be a bit more challenging, though!
Herbs
It’s so much fun to have herbs at the ready, and they’re pretty easy to grow! Think a bit about what you like to cook with most. Herbs, in my opinion, are best bought as tender plants. You can either plant in the ground (except mint – DO NOT put mint in the ground!!!) or in pots. I bought a half of a barrel years ago, plopped it on a pot caddy, and plant a kitchen herb garden every year. Check your area for which might be perennial (come back on their own every year) and which are annual.
So, there you have it. The Best Veggies for Beginning Gardeners. I’d love to hear what you choose…drop a comment below! And, be sure to check out How to Start a Square Foot Garden!
