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Sunday, December 13, 2020
So you want to try your hand at gardening and want to start with the easy ones. What would those be? Here are some easy crops to grow. All can be grown in pots or the garden. Start small. Chose a couple to try this year.
Beets-this veggie is easy to start and grow. Just plant seeds in a sunny location and let them grow. They have no pests in my garden and can handle dips in temperatures. You can eat the greens and the beet. I like the Chioggia heirloom. All about beautiful beets
Carrots-this veggie is easy to start and grow. Sow the seeds in either a deep container or in loose soil. Carrots are cold hardy. If not pulled, they will bolt into flowers that look like Queen's Ann Lace, which are in the same family. If left to flower, they are a prolific self-seeder. Danvers Half Long are a solid performer and don't grow as long as the store carrots so they are not as picky on depth of pot or that the soil isn't fluffy in the garden bed down 18". Just plant seeds in a sunny location and let them grow. They have no pests in my garden and can handle dips in temperatures. Grow crunchy, colorful carrots practically year round
Cucumbers-this veggie can be either a vine or bush. If space constrained, grow the bush variety or the vine up a trellis. Can be grown in a pot or garden. I have done both. I prefer growing my cucumbers in the garden. You can start the seeds indoors or plant directly in their growing spot after all danger of frost has passed and the soil is warm. Keep them picked to keep the fruits coming. Bush Champion is a good choice for the pot or garden. How to grow cucumbers-in pots or in the garden
Eggplant-I always grow my eggplants in a pot. They are from the tropics so they enjoy the warmer soil of pots. You can start indoors or buy transplants. I have not had the greatest luck in seed starting. I'd recommend buying a transplant. Since they love warmth, plant outdoors after all danger of frost is passed. Rosa Bianca is a nice variety. I like any white eggplant as well. These varieties stay sweet even in the most oppressive heat. Harvest when the fruits are shiny. If they become dull, they are over ripe. Still edible, but the skin may be tougher than younger fruits. The only pest issue I have with eggplants are flea beetles. They love to eat the leaves! You can ignore them or use insecticidal soap. Be sure to spray only in the evening after all the beneficials are done visiting the flowers. Eggplant-add this native from India to your garden
Lettuce-I grow this veggie year round in pots. I also grow in the spring in the garden bed. Lettuce prefers cool weather. They will send up a flower stalk (bolt) when daytime temperatures hit the 80's. They like lots of nitrogen. I like for slow to bolt or heat hardy varieties in the spring and cold hardy varieties for the fall. About the only pest of lettuce are slugs. I don't usually have issues with slugs, but if you do you can use beer in a cup placed level with the ground or slug bait. To keep lettuce sweet as long as possible, keep the soil moist and when it starts heating up, moving them into shade will extend the harvest. Let them go to seed and re-sow the seeds to keep the harvest going for free. A couple of good heat resistant varieties are Black Seeded Simpson and Red Sails. Red Sails is still sweet as it bolts. Everything you need to know about growing lettuce
Peas-I plant peas first thing in the spring as soon as the soil can be worked. I plant them in pots that I will add pepper or eggplant to the pot later. Peas love the cold and cool weather. I prefer to grow snow peas with its edible pods. The tips and flowers are a tasty addition to salads in the spring. Peas have had no insects pressure in my garden. Sugar Ann bush is a nice choice. Time to plant peas!
Peppers-I grow this veggie in pots. They also grow just fine in the garden. I did have some caterpillars snacking on the fruits this past summer that I have not had before. Peppers are easy to grow from seed. You can also buy transplants. Both do well. For a sweet pepper, I prefer growing snacking size peppers instead of the typical bell peppers. They will give you lots more peppers. Sweet Banana pepper produces very well. If you like spicy peppers, jalapeños and cayenne plants are easy to grow and produce very well. Keep the fruits harvested to keep production going. Peppers are for every taste and garden
Radish-I grow this veggie. in pot I start the seeds directly in the pot; they don't like to be transplanted. I have not had any pest issues with radishes. They enjoy cool temperatures so start in early spring. The warmer the temperatures get, the hotter the radish gets! If you like a little heat, try the heirloom Early French Breakfast. I prefer the mild White Icicle variety. Easy to grow crispy, peppery radishes
Snap beans-can be grown in pots or the garden. The plants are either bush or vining types. I prefer to grow the vining types, pole beans. Pole beans produce all summer. If you are growing a vining type, provide them a trellis. Most vines grow 8-10 feet long unless you pinch off the end when they get the length you desire. An easy heirloom to grow is Kentucky Wonder. I had caterpillars eat on some of the beans. Growing beans
Spinach-I usually grow this veggie in pot. I have also grown in the garden with good success as well. I start the seeds directly in the soil as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring. They enjoy cool weather and go to seed as soon as temperatures get consistently in the 70's. If you don't harvest them all, collect the seeds after they flower to sow spinach in the fall. Like all greens, they need fertile soil. Teton is a heat tolerant variety that will extend your harvest. Grow spinach-a super nutritious, easy green
Summer squash-I usually grow this veggie in the garden but you can grow the bush types in a pot. Summer squash gives you a long harvest. You can use transplants or sow the seeds directly in the ground after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Saffron bush is an easy to grow variety. Squash is susceptible to powdery mildew. You can treat with a fungicide when it starts getting humid to prevent it. You can use copper fungicide as an organic option. Growing zucchini and summer squash
Swiss chard-I grow this veggie in the garden and in a pot. Like all greens, they need fertile soil. Chard is very cold hardy and a short lived perennial. You can buy transplants or start from seed. Start in early spring. Chard can get bitter in the heat of summer but will get sweet again with the cool temperatures of fall. You can use chard in salads when it's sweet and as steamed greens when not so sweet. The only pest I have had with chard are slugs. For year round steamed greens, grow chard!
Tomatoes-I usually grow this veggie in the garden but you can grow the dwarf types in a pot. I usually grow one in a pot each season. The dwarf varieties usually produce early, but since they are small plants, they don't produce a lot of fruits. Tomatoes can have blight problems and the hornworm loves to eat the leaves and fruits. If you see spots on your plants, pull the leaves off and put in the trash. I pick off the hornworms. For small tomatoes, Super Sweet 100 is a prolific producer. For a slicer, the heirloom Cherokee Purple does great in my garden. For paste, try San Remo. Tomatoes 101, everything you need to know to grow great tomatoes
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