Starting a garden is one of the most rewarding and joyous things you can do at home. I recommend you start your garden with 6 vegetables for beginner gardeners I find are the easiest to grow.
Tomatoes have always been one of my favorite vegetables to grow. I recommend buying tomato seedlings at your local nursery when you are first starting your garden. You will notice on the plant markers, tomatoes are classified as either indeterminate or determinate varieties. Determinate varieties set the fruit all at once; indeterminate varieties set their fruit throughout the growing season. Grow tomatoes in full sun after all danger of frost has passed. Be sure to support tomatoes upon planting using tomato cages or stakes.
Peppers are another great crop and again I also recommend purchasing seedlings at your local nursery. You can find a wide selection from spicy to sweet peppers. Peppers need to be grown in full sun and set out in your garden after the risk for a frost has passed.
Beans are a fun crop to grow as well. These are best started from seed and depending on the variety are ready to pick between 50 – 75 days. I recommend starting with bush beans; these grow in compact bushes and do not require stakes or poles for support.
Cucumbers are very prolific, but they do need support to grow and more room than the above mentioned plants. A wire or string trellis is perfect for support. There are many varieties available including small pickling varieties all the way up the large salad type cucumbers you find at the grocery store. Cucumber plants will keep producing all summer and you can usually find cucumber seedlings at your local nursery.
Radishes can almost create instant satisfaction. When planted from seed, they mature in as little as 30 days. Great in salads, this cool weather crop can be planted in late winter / early spring. Plant seeds every two weeks to create a staggered harvest of fresh, crispy radishes.
Lettuce and salad mixes are available in many different varieties and flavors. Spicy peppery arugula to crispy romaine can all be sown from seed. Lettuce prefers cooler weather and will often not grow well over 80 degrees. They can even be grown in partial shade! Lettuce seeds can be sown every two weeks to get a continual harvest throughout your growing season. Harvest lettuce in as little as 21 days for young tender leaves or let it grow longer for larger leaves or heads of lettuce. Check out my Growing Lettuce from Seed post for more tips!
Remember to read the back of your seed packets for helpful tips such as seed planting depth, spacing, and planting time for your area.
If you’re a seasoned gardener, chime in below and let us know your favorite crop you enjoyed growing when you first started out and our recommendations for vegetables for beginner gardeners to start growing!
