The Easiest Vegetables for Beginner Gardeners
Freshness is key when it comes to vegetables, and what could be fresher than growing your own? Luckily, you don’t need a green thumb to grow lots of fresh vegetables right in your backyard or balcony. Whether you are new to gardening or just want to create a vegetable garden with the least amount of time and effort, here are the best almost reliable vegetables to grow.
Most gardening sites on the internet agree on which vegetables are best for beginner gardeners. Some of the ones listed here are also the ones that I, the infamous plant killer , have also managed to grow, despite my inconsistent care and the not very sunny patch of land.
You can’t just throw these plants in the ground and walk away hoping they will thrive, but depending on your space, they are most likely to thrive in your edible garden. (I highly recommend Smart Gardener for picking the best places to grow these vegetables, getting gardening reminders, and more.)
Grow a simple salad
Good news! Some of the least picky vegetables are those that are perfect for an instant salad.
Lettuce and other salad greens
Lettuce grows quickly, is really easy to pick (just cut off the tops from the plants or harvest the leaves if necessary) and takes up very little space. It can even be grown in containers, perhaps accompanied by flowers or under taller plants. I have had successful direct seeding even in partially shaded areas. Here’s some more info from Gardener’s Path .
Tomatoes
Arguably the most popular vegetable for a garden of any size, you can grow tomatoes in hanging baskets or other containers or anywhere else where they will get plenty of sun and have support for their stems. The easiest way to grow starter plants is from a garden center at your local hardware store or specialty plant nursery. The Spruce has a great step-by-step tomato growing guide for beginners.
Planting basil next to tomatoes will naturally repel pests and even improve the flavor of the tomatoes – and luckily, like other herbs, basil is easy to grow too.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers love sunshine and warm temperatures, and they also support climbing. (Because they grow vertically, barnacles do well in containers.) If given and watered regularly, they grow almost like weeds. You will probably have enough cucumbers to donate to your neighbors. The National Horticultural Association states that bush (not grape) cucumbers are best for containers or small spaces and have good disease resistance.
Vegetables are easier to grow
Most root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, and radishes are hardy and can be planted in the garden in early spring and left on until fall. As the plants grow, the tops can be harvested. Green beans, pumpkin and zucchini are also indispensable to grow and are quite prolific producers.
Carrot
Remember those projects from elementary school where you grew carrot greens from their tops? Whole carrots are fairly easy to grow in the ground. The only thing about carrots is that they may not grow very large, especially if you have stony soil. Deep, well-drained soil is preferred – a good idea is a raised bed. However, carrots are easy and fun to grow (your kids might even help). They also tolerate light shades, although, like most plants, they prefer full sun. Here’s a growing tip from Cornell .
Radish
You can slice radishes into a salad, but they are also much more versatile than that for appetizers, appetizers, and side dishes . While not everyone loves them, once you see how easy it is to grow them, you can add them to your garden. They reach full size in just 20 days! Harvest to Table has some great tips for raising these little red babies.
green bean
All types of green beans, from green beans (or green beans) to shells or whole beans, are ideal for home gardens. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from, and snapping beans to pick them is pretty fun. I have had better luck with the type of vine compared to the self-sustaining types of pea shrubs, but these shrubs require less space. Both types grow easily from seeds. Most beans prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Harvest to Table has a list of the 25 best beans to grow .
Pumpkin
Pumpkins are relatively easy to grow and are nice to have on hand in the fall. As you probably know from baking and carving, there are different types of pumpkins and some are easier to grow than others. For a complete guide, take a look at the information on Harvest to the Table .
Zucchini
Finally, there are zucchini and other summer zucchini. Serious Food says :
Zucchini grows so abundantly that they are the subject of jokes by many gardeners. (“The only time we lock the doors around these parts is during squash season.”) For most people, one or two plants need to be cut. The flowers are as delicious as pumpkin.
Like beans and cucumbers, zucchini is fertile whether grown in containers or directly in bulk land. Like beans and radishes, they grow easily from seeds. However, they need good moisture and prefer warm soil, so it is best to sow the seeds later in the warmer months (good plant for laying off gardening!). Here is some additional information from Cornell University .
With the seven vegetables listed above (or even a few of them), you will get the freshest produce this growing season – without too much trouble. Hey, the more you sit down, the more you grow.
This story was originally published on 4/11/14 and was updated on 6/20/19 to provide more complete and up-to-date information.