Good Vegetables to Grow
Create a plentiful vegetable harvest by planting a bounty of spring and summer vegetables. With proper planning, vegetable gardening does not have to be an overwhelming task. Most vegetables can be divided into three growing seasons -- spring-grown, summer-grown and fall-grown. A number of easy-to-grow vegetables are ideal for the novice vegetable gardener or as a method for teaching children how to tend the garden. Does this Spark an idea?
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Spring Vegetables
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Spring is the time to plant many vegetables that prefer a cooler growing season, such as radishes and leafy greens. Summer heat can cause these cool-season veggies to become bitter or begin producing seed too early. Radishes come in red, purple and white varieties. These veggies grow best when planted in a sunny location, with a neutral soil pH. Plant seeds about 1/2 inch below the soil and 1 inch apart, recommends EcoSalon. Leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach are also ideal for a spring-planted garden. Lettuce grows well when planted in long, single-file rows. Spinach thrives in moist soil and may require thinning as the growing season continues.
Summer Vegetables
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Summer is an ideal time for growing tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and beans. Tomatoes require staking in the garden to stay upright. Keep leaves dry and protect the roots with a layer of mulch over the soil, recommends EarthEasy.com. Tomato varieties range in size from tiny cherry tomatoes to large beefsteak types. For cucumbers and zucchinis create large mounds of soil about 1 foot high by 2 feet wide and plant three to five seeds in the soil mound. For smaller gardens, plant bush cucumbers. Like tomatoes, beans come in many varieties and thrive in the summer garden. Bush beans grow on a small, knee-high bush while pole beans grow best when allowed to trail up a garden trellis.
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Fall Vegetables
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Plant vegetables in the fall garden that will not suffer damage if exposed to an early frost. Broccoli, onions and peas are some of the hardiest vegetables. These plants often withstand even a hard frost. Start a broccoli crop about two weeks after lettuce plants stop producing. Dig up the lettuce and plant broccoli in the same rows. Onions grow best when planted about 1/2 inch deep and 3 inches apart. Peas require well-drained soil. Plant seeds about 1 inch deep and three inches apart. Protect fall vegetables by covering young seedlings with a garden cloche or plastic sheeting during times of frost.
Easy-Care Vegetables
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For the novice gardener and a child-friendly garden, choose easy-care vegetables such as beets, peppers, strawberries and potatoes. Prepare beet seeds for the garden by soaking them in room temperature water for 24 hours. Plant seeds about 2 inches apart in the garden. Peppers thrive when planted in raised beds and warm soil. Plant new potatoes in mid-spring, just before the final frost, recommends EarthEasy.com. Strawberries are very simple to grow, but also attract birds and wildlife. Prevent predators from eating your crop by covering with open-bottom boxes made of chicken wire.
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References
- Photo Credit garden radish image by popov48 from Fotolia.com
