What vegetables are easiest for beginners?
Written by
Nguyen Minh
Reviewed by
Prof. Samuel Fitzgerald, Ph.D.Beginner gardeners should look for forgiving vegetables , those that tolerate mistakes yet yield dependable results. I like to recommend bush beans to beginners because they sprout quickly and resist common pests. Being able to grow in a variety of soil conditions and recover soon from watering mistakes, these hardy crops help build gardeners' confidence quickly.
Bush Beans
- Plant after last frost in 2-inch (5 cm) deep soil
- Harvest in 50-60 days with continuous picking
- Tolerate imperfect watering better than pole varieties
Leafy Greens
- Lettuce and spinach grow in partial shade areas
- Harvest outer leaves allowing center to regrow
- Resist light frosts extending growing seasons
Radishes
- Mature in just 25-30 days for instant gratification
- Thin to 2-inch (5 cm) spacing when seedlings appear
- Grow well in containers as shallow as 6 inches (15 cm)
Zucchini
- Produce abundant harvests from few plants
- Direct sow after soil reaches 60°F (15.5°C)
- Tolerate beginner overwatering better than tomatoes
Radishes are a great plant to start with for quick success. These pungent roots are the fastest of all vegetables to mature into edible plants. New gardeners need quick successes, and radishes will provide excellent crop production. Their quick crop production makes a good marker for rows with slower-maturing crops, such as zucchini, which uses space efficiently. Radishes are also a wonderful plant for building confidence in beginning gardeners.
Utilize container gardening methods to take advantage of limited space. Bush beans flourish in pots 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter, and lettuce does well in window boxes. My students in apartment gardening, using fabric pots and a good potting mix, are having excellent results on balconies.
Your first year's garden should not include vegetables that give you difficulty. Forget about capricious eggplants and celery, but stick to dependable ones. My first garden, twenty years ago, had bush beans and lettuce, which taught me the basic nuances of gardening without incurring any tears. These easy vegetables sparked a lifelong enthusiasm.
Read the full article: 10 Essential Vegetable Garden Planning Steps
