Do you dream of harvesting your own home grown vegetables, but just don’t
know where to start? Growing your own' isn’t complicated.
While not totally foolproof, certain plants are ideal for gardening neophytes
who want to increase their chances of gardening success.
Here's a list of the top 10 easiest vegetables you can grow, regardless of
skill level or age.
1. Carrots
742Find a plot of soil (or a deep pot) that is free from rocks and deep enough to
handle this root vegetable. Rocky soil can result in crooked carrots that, while
perfectly edible are not the most aesthetically pleasing. Carrots are ready for
harvest when their tops breach the soil line.
2. Green Beans
There are many different kinds of beans, but "broad beans" are one of the easiest
vegetables to cultivate. Bush beans are more productive, but broad beans are
easier to manage. Pole beans, while easy to grow, also need a trellis.
Watch the bees pollinate their pretty flowers and before you know it you will be
harvesting a bumper crop of fresh picked beans from June onwards, with a
flavour that puts supermarket beans to shame.
3. Lettuce
Crunchy fresh leaves with a fantastic range of textures and flavours. A salad fresh
from your yard is unbeatable! Luckily, lettuce--a vast category of plants that includes
microgreens , head lettuces, leaf lettuces, spinach, and arugula--is an easy plant
to grow and maintain.
4. Cucumbers
If you let them, cucumber plants will sprawl, so provide your plants with ample space
to stretch their roots. Try smaller varieties to make your own homemade pickles!
Be sure to avoid planting cucumbers until all danger of frost has passed.
5. Spinach
Spinach is remarkably high in iron and is a wonderful addition to salads, omelets,
and soups. You can pick it continuously once its leaves are of a reasonable size
to encourage new growth.
6. Tomatoes
With a little water and a lot of sun, tomato plants will grow and fruit all summer long!
Tomatoes are fragrant and nutrient-rich, and nothing can beat the taste of a freshly
picked homegrown tomato!
7. Radishes
Radishes are ideal for beginner gardeners. Plant seeds directly into the garden in
early spring or fall for a peppery addition to your favorite salads. Scarlet Globe is
one easy option.
8. Bell Peppers
Like tomatoes, starter bell pepper plants are widely available at nurseries and home
improvement stores. They make a crunchy additive to salads, add a pop of color to
soups, and act as a nutritious compliment to kabobs.
9. Summer Squash
Squash is a high yielding plant, so you will probably only need a few plants to
feed an entire family.
Squash plants dislike the wind, so be sure that your plot has some protection. Harvest when
the plants are about 8-10 inches long.
10. Basil
You can grow basil in pots or in the ground—even indoors on a sunny windowsill.
Sow seeds directly into the garden in a sunny, well-drained area.
When the leaves reach a desirable size, just pluck them from the plant and wait as the
basil continues to provide fragrant and flavorful leaves that you can also dry and use
long after summer is past.