What are the easiest vegetables to start off with for a new gardener?
General PA
I am totally new to vegetable gardening, never grown anything myself before but I have decided that this is the year. I would like to know what the best (easiest!) vegetables are for a beginner like me. I have a good amount of space but I don’t want to run before I can walk and end up unable to manage halfway through the summer.
Posted
by: Karen Miller
(2 points)
Posted: March 15, 2013
Answers
How exciting! You're in for a life-changing adventure, Karen.
Before you even choose your seeds, start with a soil test, then follow the suggestions for amending your soil based on the results of your test. Pay special attention to the pH of your soil, since soil that's too acidic or alkaline will limit the availability of nutrients to your crops.
As for the easiest crops: I'd suggest leaf lettuce, bush beans, snap peas, carrots, beets, and summer squash or zucchini. Most gardeners grow tomatoes. "Little leaf" cucumber is good for beginners; it takes very little space, produces huge crops pf pickling cukes, and resists both the nasty cucumber beetle and most cucumber diseases. Like herbs for seasoning? Parsley, basil, dill, and cilantro are very easy.
Start small with the crops you like best. Visit the garden every day to observe what's going on there. Celebrate your harvest and build on your success next year.
Every plant in nature is susceptible to various diseases and insect pests and sometimes to rodents and larger mammals (woodchucks, skunks, deer, dogs, human vandals). As part of your adventure, you'll eventually learn about them and ways to prevent or limit the damage.
I'd suggest making friends with some veteran gardeners in your area, too. Gardening is somewhat like parenthood--some new question comes up almost daily, and it's great to have a voice of experience close at hand. Most states have a Master Gardener program or a toll-free home-and-garden info line (usually operated through the local Cooperative Extension program) with experienced gardeners on hand to answer your gardening questions.
Before you even choose your seeds, start with a soil test, then follow the suggestions for amending your soil based on the results of your test. Pay special attention to the pH of your soil, since soil that's too acidic or alkaline will limit the availability of nutrients to your crops.
As for the easiest crops: I'd suggest leaf lettuce, bush beans, snap peas, carrots, beets, and summer squash or zucchini. Most gardeners grow tomatoes. "Little leaf" cucumber is good for beginners; it takes very little space, produces huge crops pf pickling cukes, and resists both the nasty cucumber beetle and most cucumber diseases. Like herbs for seasoning? Parsley, basil, dill, and cilantro are very easy.
Start small with the crops you like best. Visit the garden every day to observe what's going on there. Celebrate your harvest and build on your success next year.
Every plant in nature is susceptible to various diseases and insect pests and sometimes to rodents and larger mammals (woodchucks, skunks, deer, dogs, human vandals). As part of your adventure, you'll eventually learn about them and ways to prevent or limit the damage.
I'd suggest making friends with some veteran gardeners in your area, too. Gardening is somewhat like parenthood--some new question comes up almost daily, and it's great to have a voice of experience close at hand. Most states have a Master Gardener program or a toll-free home-and-garden info line (usually operated through the local Cooperative Extension program) with experienced gardeners on hand to answer your gardening questions.
Posted
by: Peg Boyles
(4 points)
Posted: March 15, 2013
Karen Miller commented,
Thank you Peg, I'm really excited and have been out buying some supplies today! about 11 years ago.
Thank you Peg, I'm really excited and have been out buying some supplies today! about 11 years ago.
Another staple that I always include is swiss chard. It is a great leafy green that is super healthy and produces all year right into November (in PA) (it has fantastic frost resistance). Use it in any way that you would normally use spinach. Swiss chard can grow in partial shade to full sun, and is best direct seeded into the ground around mid to late April (you can also start earlier if you employ a fabric row cover to protect the seedlings). As Peg suggested, test your soil first and amend to correct the pH or any nutrient deficiencies. Swiss chard does great with a little slow release pellet fertilizer, or simply with some rich compost mixed into the soil.
If you are keen on trying tomatoes, try to get a cherry variety to start out with. Cherry tomatoes tend to be more resistant to late blight and some other diseases, making it more likely you will get a good crop. If you want a variety that does not get too big, look for the word "determinate" in your seed catalog description. These grow to a certain size and then stay around that size from then on out. Indeterminate tomatoes will make huge tall branching plants if you let them.
You might want to check out the "square foot gardening" method. It is sort of a good approach for beginner gardeners and helps you to understand basic planting principles and how to get a lot of veggies out of a smaller space. There are a couple of books about square foot gardening that should be available at your library or local bookstore.
If you are keen on trying tomatoes, try to get a cherry variety to start out with. Cherry tomatoes tend to be more resistant to late blight and some other diseases, making it more likely you will get a good crop. If you want a variety that does not get too big, look for the word "determinate" in your seed catalog description. These grow to a certain size and then stay around that size from then on out. Indeterminate tomatoes will make huge tall branching plants if you let them.
You might want to check out the "square foot gardening" method. It is sort of a good approach for beginner gardeners and helps you to understand basic planting principles and how to get a lot of veggies out of a smaller space. There are a couple of books about square foot gardening that should be available at your library or local bookstore.
Posted
by: Kerry Mauck
(58 points)
Posted: March 15, 2013
Defiantly grow radish they are as close to instant gratification as you can get. Though I would advise against taking purely an easy road mentality. Try growing anything you think would be fun or tasty. Assuming your not growing produce for sale then failure is an option and not as heartbreaking (still heartbreaking though). The next year you will find ways to do better, or differently till you do do better.
As a new gardener I would try to become aware of how wet or dry the ground is before and after watering. If you can control the moisture you will get your plants to germinate. Then you geta chance to eat em! Also keep in mind the temperature of the ground. Gardening is a lesson in observation you don't have to act on everything you observe but try and figure out where, why and how the dots are connecting.
As a new gardener I would try to become aware of how wet or dry the ground is before and after watering. If you can control the moisture you will get your plants to germinate. Then you geta chance to eat em! Also keep in mind the temperature of the ground. Gardening is a lesson in observation you don't have to act on everything you observe but try and figure out where, why and how the dots are connecting.
Posted
by: Wurgulf
(1 point)
Posted: March 28, 2013
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