Garden Voila

What Vegetables Are Easiest to Grow in a First Garden?

By the Garden Voila editorial team · 1 min read

Answered by the Garden Voila editorial team · Updated

Frequently asked question

I am starting my very first vegetable garden. Which vegetables are the easiest to grow?

Answer

The easiest vegetables for a first garden are the ones that tolerate beginner mistakes, grow quickly and give a good harvest from a small space. Tomatoes, peppers, green beans, zucchini and potatoes are classic choices, and radishes, lettuce and herbs add fast wins. Iowa State University Extension lists tomatoes, peppers, green beans, potatoes and zucchini as five easy vegetables for home gardeners.

Easy vegetables and how to grow them

  • Tomatoes: set transplants about 2 feet apart and stake or cage them. Buying transplants is simpler than starting seed. See how to grow tomatoes.
  • Peppers: plant transplants after frost danger has passed, about 1.5 to 2 feet apart, with small supports for heavy fruit. Harvest green or wait for color.
  • Green beans: choose bush types that need no support. Sow seeds 3 to 4 inches apart, and sow again every two weeks for continuous picking. Pick every couple of days to keep plants producing.
  • Zucchini: sow 3 or 4 seeds per hill, with hills 3 to 4 feet apart. Harvest every couple of days while the squash are small, because they quickly become oversized and seedy.
  • Potatoes: plant seed potatoes about 4 inches deep and a foot apart in spring. Harvest new potatoes young or wait until the tops die back, then cure them in a warm, ventilated place so they store longer.
  • Radishes: sow seed in cool weather and harvest in about four weeks, which gives quick encouragement.
  • Lettuce and salad greens: sow in spring or fall, harvest outer leaves, and they regrow.
  • Herbs such as basil and chives: small, forgiving and useful in the kitchen.

Rules that apply to every crop

Iowa State Extension gives general tips for all vegetables: provide full sun and well-drained soil, supply at least 1 inch of rain or irrigation each week, weed regularly, and rotate planting sites each year to reduce disease. At least six hours of direct sun is the baseline.

Start small

A bed of about 4 by 8 feet or a handful of containers is enough for a first year. Overplanting leads to weeds and burnout. Use our square foot gardening calculator to plan the bed and the seed starting calculator to time seeds and transplants.

Plant what you will eat

The easiest crop is useless if no one eats it. Choose three to five vegetables your household actually likes, and add one new one to try each year.

Common beginner mistakes

  • Planting too early. Tender crops like tomatoes, peppers and squash need warm soil and no frost.
  • Planting too close, which reduces airflow and yield.
  • Overwatering or watering too lightly. Water deeply and less often.
  • Skipping mulch, which holds moisture and suppresses weeds.
  • Ignoring the harvest window. Beans and zucchini need frequent picking.

Source

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