Veggies from the supermarket are not necessarily awful. But they aren’t as fresh or as tasty as those cultivated at home. And what’s more important, they don’t offer the satisfaction of growing your vegetables. That’s why we want to show you a list of the easiest vegetables to grow in your garden. You don’t need a hydroponic garden, grow tent, or greenhouse kit to make these vegetables sprout into full-fledge plants that can sustain your life for weeks.
Sure enough, they take little to no effort to grow. Some of them will even grow with no output from your side. Want to know what veggies we’re talking about? Then keep scrolling!
15 Vegetables to Grow as a Beginner
Ready to start enjoying all the benefits of cultivating those vegetables at home? Then you’ll want to know which ones are the best for that.
Below, we talk about 15 of these vegetables, how you can grow them more easily, and how you can consume when it’s time.
#1. Kale
The first and easiest-to-grow vegetable will be kale. Family of the cruciferous vegetables grows almost in any area, including cold places where temperatures reach less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is better to plant it early in the spring. Then it will grow until it is too hot when it will be ready to be consumed.
You can eat kale however you prefer, going from baked to sautéed, in smoothies, omelettes, salads, and even alone if needed. There’s no limit to kale’s versatility.
#2. Lettuce
Another vegetable from the cruciferous family, lettuce, grows almost anywhere with a decent climate. This includes cold areas with direct sun exposure or under the shade in places where heat is more intense.
It is typically recommended to thin lettuce so it can grow larger and tastier. But you don’t have to do any of that. It will grow almost with little effort from your part (only demands watering twice a week).
There’s almost no sense in explaining how to eat lettuce. But for those who don’t have much of an idea, it is better for salads and as aperitive. Either way, it is tasty and has a mildly sweet flavor that anyone can enjoy.
#3. Spinach
If you want a little more difficulty, then you should stay away from cruciferous vegetables and go into the spinach – part of the Amaranth family.
It is an Asian vegetable. For that, it doesn’t like extreme heat. You will be better off planting it in well-drained but humid soil. This soil also needs to have sufficient nutrients for spinach to grow. And it is always preferable to plant it under shadows (it can handle 15 degrees Fahrenheit).
As for its consumption, it needs no preparation. You can wash the leaves and eat them right away. However, people eat them in all kinds of way, going from pie fillings to pizza topping and as a main ingredient in soups and salads, as a seasoning for pasta and rice, and much more.
#4. Green Beans
Another easy-to-grow vegetable you can’t dismiss comes in the form of beans. Whether it is bush beans, pole beans, runner beans, or yard long beans, they all require little effort to grow.
Most beans grow swiftly in warm places with moist soil. They usually thrive with direct sun exposure. But may appreciate some shadow if the area is too hot.
As for consumption, they pair up with everything but also work well alone. From adding a green taste to your rice to working as a contour for your meals, green beans are utterly versatile vegetables.
#5. Peas
If you don’t like green beans, then you can always go for peas. They’re almost the same type of plant, but they grow more easily.
Some types of peas like the “Half Pint” tend to grow super-quick and without much output from your side. They require no staking or even unique types of soil to thrive. And most importantly, they can grow in both cold and warm environments.
When it comes to eating peas, they’re as versatile as green beans. But they’re always better with rice and as a contour for your meals.
#6. Cucumbers
Let’s get away from the small vegetables and leafy vegetables, and let’s learn about the largest ones. The first in that category is the cucumber.
The simplicity of growing cucumber is fantastic. However, it isn’t a maintenance-free plant. The process tends to be a bit annoying, requiring indoor growth as seeds in the first few weeks, then it needs to be taken out as seedlings.
Once the plant starts to grow out of the seed, it is advised to allow them enough space to grow freely. As a vine-like plant, the cucumber bush tends to grow wildly all around.
You can grow cucumbers in any environment, but it thrives better in new areas. It still needs constant sun exposure and regular watering (once a day).
Eating cucumbers is a piece of cake, though. They can be eaten fresh, in salads, as aperitives, contour for meals, and even smashed. There’s no limit to how you can eat cucumber.
#7. Zucchini (Summer Squash)
Like cucumbers, zucchini can be eaten in various ways, baked to roasted, in salads, or as a contour. Some people even like to smash them and mix them with pasta. Either way, it is a very versatile veggie.
When it comes to growth, it is still straightforward. It thrives better when they’re planted indoors until they reach the seedling stage.
Zucchini grows healthier in compost and highly fertilized soil. Yet, it is a vine plant requiring tons of space to thrive (and provide the zucchini).
To grow it properly, it is recommended to water it daily and fertilize at least once a month. Luckily, it grows in almost any place that’s fresh to mildly warm.
#8. Pumpkin
If you want to go full size when it comes to vegetables, you will love growing a pumpkin plant.
Perfect for carving and baking, also working as excellent fillings for pies and cakes, pumpkin is a worthwhile plant to grow. And what’s more important, one of the easiest.
Most pumpkin plants will need a lot of space to thrive. They usually don’t thrive on pots (you’ll need a vertical garden at least).
Because the plant tends to grow super-large and heavy compared to other veggies, it requires a lot of fertilizer, highly nutritious soil, and decent sun exposure and water.
Suppose you can ensure the pumpkin’s proper conditions. In that case, it will likely grow big and provide one of the most fun vegetables you can use for consumption or ornamental uses. Let’s not forget its intense orange can make your garden a lot more attractive.
#9. Carrots
When it comes to root vegetables, carrots can’t be taken out of the conversation. They’re also super-easy to grow and require not much output from your side.
Most carrots thrive in cold seasons like spring or fall. They can actually tolerate frost and winter environments with proper soil conditions.
It is vital to know that most carrots require soft soil. Rocky or sandy areas will likely provide deformed or small carrots. That’s why it is always recommended to use proper composted soil with no signs of rigidness.
Either way, the carrot is a pleasure to eat. The sweet flavor is fantastic, and it works anywhere from salads and soups to smoothies, cakes, and much more.
#10. Beetroot
Similar to carrots, the beetroot grows underground. It requires soft soil to thrive, but it works better in warm areas instead.
It thrives when planted at the beginning of the summer. And it grows to be fully-fledged by fall when you can get it out and consume however you prefer.
Beetroot typically needs to be cooked before eating it. Yet, you can enjoy it on salads, alone, or even as a soup.
#11. Radishes
Another typical root vegetable is the radish. It is also super-easy to grow, starting from the fact that it is one of the few that you can grow in small containers without problems.
It is better to seed radish before the summer to spend the whole warm season growing underground. We recommend planting it on moist soil before the warm season arrives.
As for its taste, it is nothing to overlook. The crunchy texture plus the strong flavor is impossible to dismiss. And thanks to the intense purple color, radish becomes a go-to option as a visual addition to any meal.
#12. Potatoes
Another underground vegetable we can’t leave behind is the potato. We can’t say enough good things about, as it not only requires little to no output for thriving, but it also provides the most versatile consumption.
Potatoes grow in spring, and it is ready to be harvested in the summer. Most potatoes prefer slightly cold environments over warm ones. And they thrive on heavily-fertilized areas with nutrient-rich soil.
You can eat potato however you want as well. Whether it is with little roasting, baking, or boiling, potato is always there to give you an ideal amount of carbs to sustain your body.
#13. Onions & Garlic
Giving some flavor to your meals and making them a lot more enjoyable – that’s what both onions and garlic do.
But most importantly, they proliferate in any environment. They’re both maintenance-free crops that grow below ground. As such, you won’t need to take care of them as much as other vegetables. And what’s even better, you can plant them in late summer, and they’ll be ready within a few weeks.
Both onion and garlic grow in any season, though. So you can enjoy them all year round without drawbacks.
Onion is more versatile. It works as a standalone meal, as aperitive, or as an ingredient for salads, soups, and even rice. Garlic is typically used as a seasoning, yet it works the same way (its taste is a lot stronger).
#14. Peppers
Like the taste of bell pepper with your breakfast eggs? Or want to give some spiciness to your lunch meals with some chili peppers? Either way, you can grow them almost anywhere with little effort.
The advantage of peppers is that they grow super-fast (as they’re hollow). You can get full-grown peppers within 6 weeks or less after planting them. And what’s even better, they thrive in heat and new areas, either outdoors or indoors.
As long as they have enough sunlight and are watered properly, you’re likely to enjoy tasty peppers almost all year round. For chili, you can even grow them in small containers, and they will thrive.
For their uses, there’s no limit. Some people like eating peppers fresh, others like to bake them, and few either roast or boil them. Either way, peppers are always there to give you a nutritious and easy meal.
#15. Tomatoes
Last but not least, there are tomatoes. There are hundreds of different tomato species to grow, and all of them are a piece of cake.
Believe it or not, tomato grows in cold, fresh, and even warm environments without problems. It is so easy that tomato is typically called the “kid vegetable,” referring to how fast and efficiently it grows. If you want to teach a child how to grow vegetables, you can start with tomatoes.
Wild, better boy, Romello, cherry, Cherokee, and even the Marzano tomato that looks like a pepper – they’re all easy to grow and nourish. You can get full-fledge tomatoes within a couple of months of planting them.
And what’s even better, you can eat them however you want. The versatility of tomato as a vegetable is unbeatable.
Why Grow Vegetables at Home?
It may seem like a hobby more than anything else. But it doesn’t have to. Growing vegetables at home have many advantages, apart from being an activity to past the time. Here are some of them:
1. Healthier Veggies
Most vegetables come from cultivating farms, exposed to all kinds of herbicides, pesticides, and other chemicals that may affect how the vegetable taste (and nourish your body). Growing them at home may prevent all those chemicals, making them healthier to consume.
2. Fresher Vegetables
Some fruits and vegetables can stay in the supermarket for weeks before someone picks them (you). Supermarkets and other sellers spray all kinds of preservatives and additives to make them last longer. With vegetables at home, you don’t have to use any of those chemicals.
3. Better Habits
Apart from eating healthy vegetables, you will be eating more. Growing them at home will push you to consume more of them over time. And in some cases, cultivating may even help you bring other people into the mix, making vegetable gardening a habit-making activity.
4. Higher Savings
All fruits and veggies in the supermarket are twice as expensive as those in farmers’ markets. And when you compare them to what you’re spending to grow them at home, they become almost a luxury. Once you start growing vegetables at home, you won’t like to shop for veggies anymore.
5. More Satisfaction
Seeing how the vegetables grow in your garden into large and tasty plants is a very satisfactory experience. And that’s without even mentioning the mental benefits gardening offers. You’ll be enjoying a lot of fun in the garden while removing some of the anxiety.
Conclusion
Ready to plant one of the easiest vegetables to grow in your garden? Be sure to use one from the list above, and you’ll avoid any unwanted results.
Growing vegetables is not rocket science. But using one of these species will give you an easier time, especially if you don’t have much time or know little to nothing about growing plants at home.
What’s sure is that you won’t regret growing them. Once you start seeing how a seed becomes a seedling and then a full-grown vegetable ready to reach your plate, then you’ll be completely satisfied.