Many people, myself included, are growing their own vegetables to beat the credit crunch. And why not? Planting a few seeds in containers, in your backyard, or in your garden will produce delicious organic vegetables, and can save money too! Growing organic vegetables is easier than you think. Here are the 12 vegetables you’ll have no problem planting, caring for, and harvesting in your own garden, even if you’re a first-time gardener!
#1. Radish
These are particularly easy to grow and can be intercropped with rows of lettuce to take up a minimal amount of space! The good thing about radishes is that very few pests bother them. Choose a sunny position, sheltered in the ground, well fed with organic matter. Sow the seed thinly, evenly ½ inch below the surface of the soil with an inch of space between each. Water the soil well before sowing and after the seeds emerge, water them lightly every other day. Radishes are a great source of potassium, folic acid, magnesium, and calcium, and are perfect in salad dressings or as a side dish for salads. Radishes grow fast and should be ready to go in several weeks.
#two. pumpkin zucchini
Zucchini and squash grow well in most climates and need very little special attention. If you plant zucchini you could end up with a lot more than they can eat!
Zucchini and squash are very low in calories but packed with potassium, manganese, and folic acid. Sow several zucchini seeds in a mound of composted soil about a foot high and a couple of feet wide. Space each bunch about 3 feet apart, water them liberally every other day, and wait for them to sprout in a couple of weeks. They should be ready to harvest about a month later. For any early start, sow the seeds individually about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) deep, in small pots and place at a temperature of 65-70F (18-21C). After seed germination, grow in a well-lit spot, harden off and sow after last spring frost when weather is warm.
#3. carrots
Carrots tend to be pest free and need little attention. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, antioxidants, carotene and dietary. Dig a hole less than an inch deep and plant a couple of seeds in each, leaving several inches between holes. Thin in stages 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) apart. Keep the soil moist but remember to water the carrots less as they begin to ripen.
#4. Spinach
A highly nutritious and easy to grow crop, rich in calcium and iron. Spinach can be eaten plain, cooked, and made into a sauce for potato chips. Turn over the soil with compost and plant seeds less than an inch deep, spacing them at least 4 inches apart to allow room for growth. Pick young leaves regularly. Sow the soil a couple more times during the first month and keep this area well watered.
#5. Green peas
Peas are another high-yielding crop, both sweet peas and sugar snap peas. Aside from fruit flies, these guys attract very few pests. A good source of vitamins A, B and C. Cultivate the soil just before planting top dress with a balanced fertilizer. Keep in mind that your soil must drain well for peas to flourish. Space each seed several inches apart and plant an inch deep. Newly planted seeds require 1/2 inch of water each week, while more mature plants need a full inch. Any surplus peas can be frozen very successfully.
#6. Peppers
Bell peppers contain nutrients like thiamin and manganese. Peppers can be stuffed with meat and rice or used in sauce and pasta, and raw in salads. Till the soil with compost and Epsom salts, this will make it rich in magnesium to help the peppers develop healthily. Peppers can be grown outdoors in grow bags, large pots, etc. Since they grow best in warm soil, sow seeds a foot or more apart in raised beds or containers. Water them frequently, keeping the soil moist, or they may taste bitter once harvested.
#7. Lettuce/tender vegetables
Lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to grow; you just have to plant the seeds, water and watch how fast it grows. Lettuce is a good source of folic acid and vitamin A, it is used as a main ingredient mainly in salads, but it can also be filled with various ingredients to make a lettuce wrap or sandwiches, burgers and tacos. When you cultivate the soil with nutrient-rich compost, break up the pieces and remove the debris. Be sure to plant the seeds 8 to 16 inches apart and water them every morning. Avoid doing it at night because this could cause illness. Loose leaf varieties are ready to start cutting about seven weeks after planting.
Baby greens are simply vegetables that are harvested while they are still young and tender. They are true instant gratification greens – you’ll be harvesting your first salad in less than a month! Sprinkle the seeds as thinly as possible over the soil in a band 2 to 3 inches wide. Space rows of baby greens 6 to 8 inches apart. Or plant baby greens in a pot and cut your salad fresh every night!
#8. Onions
Rich in dietary fiber, folate, and vitamin C, the onion needs little care, just give it plenty of water. Plow the soil a foot deep and get rid of the debris. The easiest way to grow onions is from sets that are small onions. Plant clusters so that the tip is about 5 inches (13 cm) apart in rows 12 inches (30 cm) apart. Or plant the seeds a couple of inches deep and several inches apart. Weed this area frequently but carefully and provide about an inch of water each week.
#9. beets
Beets (beets) can be peeled, steamed, and then eaten hot with butter; cooked, pickled, and then eaten cold as a condiment; or peeled, mashed raw, and then eaten as a salad. Betanin, one of the main nutrients in this dark red or purple vegetable, can help lower blood pressure. Clean and strengthen the seeds by soaking them in room temperature water for a day. Plow up the soil and remove the stones from the top 3 feet. Plant each seed 2 inches (5 cm) apart, thin to 4 inches (10 cm) apart, and water them at least once a day.
#10. Broccoli
For the most part it doesn’t need a lot of special care, broccoli is an easy to grow vegetable that gives the best yield for the space it takes up and is grown when other greens are in short supply. A 15-foot (4.5 m) row will accommodate six plants to provide self-sufficiency for a family of four. Sow broccoli seeds in spring in a seedbed ½ inch (1.25 cm) deep and transplant when seedlings are about 4 inches (10 cm) tall 2 feet (60 cm) apart each way.
#eleven. Tomatoes
There are many benefits to growing tomatoes: they’re tasty, they’re good for you, and the dollar value of the yield can be very significant. Tomatoes are rich in nutrients like niacin, potassium, and phosphorous, antioxidants like lycopene, anthocyanin, and carotene, and vitamins A, C, and E.
Sow the seeds just below the surface in a tray of peat-based compost. When the seedlings have produced two pairs of true leaves, prick them into 3-inch (7.5-cm) pots and place them in a warm, bright indoor location (such as a window sill). After the last danger of frost has passed, choose a spot in your garden that receives at least 6-8 hours of sunlight and test the pH level of the soil; it should be between 6 and 7. (To lower the pH level, add sulfur, to raise it add lime). Spread compost over this area and mix it into the soil. After they harden off, space tomato plants 2 feet (60 cm) apart in rows 3 feet (90 cm) apart, bush plants 3 feet (90 cm) apart. Water them a couple of times a week.
Tomatoes need a little more attention than the other vegetables on the list. However, for how little attention tomatoes need, you reap an incredible reward in the sheer amount of fruit they produce. To help you get started, here is a complete guide to growing tomatoes.
#12. Herbs
There are many herbs like thyme, rosemary, basil, mint, sage, chives, parsley, and oregano that need very little attention and can be successfully grown in pots on a patio, balcony, or deck. Buy some of your favorite small herb plants at your local nursery and get a container that is at least 6-12 inches deep. You can plant multiple herbs in a wide or long container or use at least a 6″ pot for individual plants and you’ll enjoy not only their fragrance and beauty, but also their culinary benefits. Water sparingly because herbs don’t like to sit around. in ground water.
If you’re a first-time gardener, start small with any of the vegetables I’ve mentioned. You will soon gain confidence and have a beautiful organic garden!