What Vegetables to Grow

Tomatoes are a favorite vegetable of the home gardener.

If you are contemplating planting a vegetable garden, you may be wondering which vegetables you should plant. Truthfully, there are a lot of things to consider when planning what vegetables you want to put in your garden. You need to consider what vegetables you and your family like as well as think about how much space you have. Think about when you will eat the vegetables, whether right away or if you want to preserve some for the future.

Space Considerations

If space is an issue for you, it may not be wise to plant vegetables that have a tendency to spread out all over the garden. Pumpkins are one of those vegetables. Unless you want to plant only pumpkins in a small garden plot, refrain from planting pumpkins. Instead, plant vegetables that will give you high yields for the space you have, such as bush beans, tomatoes and peppers. Dwarf varieties of squash plants such as zucchini and yellow squash are also good options for small spaces, especially if you want to plant only two or three plants.

Preferences

Plant the vegetables that your family enjoys eating. If okra is not a favorite, do not plant that. If your family enjoys eating fresh salads during the summer months, plant your vegetable garden accordingly. Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, peppers, broccoli and cauliflower are all great salad vegetables that grow well in the home garden.

Reason For Gardening

Think about what your reason is for having a garden. If it is just for fun or to teach the kids about gardening and growing food, pick easy to grow vegetables that the family will enjoy, such as pole beans, tomatoes or cucumbers. If your garden is to provide food for your family throughout the winter months, a much larger garden is necessary. Plant vegetables that you can store either by canning or freezing, such as tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, beans, peas or carrots.

Gardening Zone

What vegetables you plant in your garden depends somewhat on what zone you live in. If you live in a zone that has a long growing season, you have many more options than those that live in short-growing-season areas. If you have a short growing season, choose the variety of vegetables accordingly. Plant dwarf vegetables that grow and produce fruit faster since they are smaller. Many vegetables have varieties that have shorter growing seasons because the produce is not as large, such as cherry tomatoes over beefsteak tomatoes that need more time to mature to ripeness.

References

• Mississippi State University: Vegetable Gardening In Mississippi
• The School Vegetable Patch: Choosing Vegetables