There's nothing quite like fresh veggies harvested right from your own backyard. Juicy tomatoes, snappy green beans, and hardy potatoes are just a few of the best vegetables to grow in your home garden throughout the year. Even better, you don’t need a huge yard to learn how to start a vegetable garden! Containers on your patio, deck, or balcony make great homes for your plants, too. And if you’re feeling really ambitious, you can even grow seeds indoors a month or two before you plan on planting them in the ground to get a head start.
To get the best harvest possible, you'll want to make sure your garden or pots receive eights hours of direct sunlight, or they won’t produce. Also, remember that some plants like different temperatures! Peas, for instance, like chilly weather and can be planted in early spring. But if you're wondering how to grow tomatoes, these heat lovers can’t be set out until after the last frost. (If you’re not sure when that is, check with your local university coop extension service so you don’t put your young plants out too soon!) And if you're looking into how to grow pumpkins, you should know that they need pollinators to form fruit, so don’t forget to plant some flowers as well. There are plenty of spring flowers and even edible flowers that will look beautiful in your garden!
Now, pull on your gardening gloves and break out your gardening tools and get ready to plant these easy vegetables this year.
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1
Potatoes
Potatoes are such a versatile veggie, both in the kitchen and in the ground. You can harvest new potatoes within six to eight weeks of planting or opt for later harvest varieties that you can enjoy right through early frosts. You can also grow them in a pot right on a sunny balcony or patio.
When to plant: Mid March through early May, depending on your location.
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2
Onions
It's hard to think of a more useful cooking ingredient than an onion, so why not grow them yourself? You can plant them in the spring for a harvest in the mid to late summer, depending on your climate. You can also plant them in the fall instead so they will be dormant all winter and pop up in spring.
When to plant: Late March to early April, when the temperatures won't dip below 28°F.
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3
Okra
Though more popular in southern recipes because most varieties like warm weather, there are versions of okra that grow just as well in chillier northern climates. Okra grows fast and often and the blooming flowers look like pretty hibiscus! You'll love to look at and eat them all summer long.
When to plant: Late April or early May in southern climates for a summer crop or early August for a fall harvest. June is best for northern climates.
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4
Turnips
An underrated cool-weather vegetable, the turnip makes a great alternative to carrots and potatoes in many recipes. Plus, you can eat both the green tops and the root vegetable, making them doubly delicious!
When to plant: A few weeks before the predicted last spring frost date for late spring harvest, late summer for a fall harvest, or early fall for a late fall harvest.
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5
Bok Choy
Increasingly popular in recipes and grocery stores, this Asian cabbage can be propagated from leftover scraps and be ready to harvest within a month. It also grows fast from seeds in full sun in about 45 days.
When to plant: Early spring for a late spring harvest or late summer through early fall for a late fall harvest.
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6
Radishes
These hardy root vegetables are a great last-minute crop—they can be ready for harvest as soon as three weeks after planting! While they're known for their colorful roots, the entire plant is actually edible.
When to plant: Early April through early May for a spring harvest and early August through early September for a fall harvest.
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7
Pumpkins
If you're debating whether to grow pumpkins in your garden, we have just two words for you: pumpkin pie. You'll need a lot of space and a long growing season for this winter squash but we like to say, if you've got it, plant it!
When to plant: Well after danger of frost is past and the soil is between 65° and 95°F.
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8
Cabbage
This hardy, leafy vegetable thrives with 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day so be sure to save a sunny spot in your garden if you plan to grow cabbage. Start sowing your seeds indoors for a summer harvest.
When to plant: About 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost for a summer harvest.
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9
Carrots
Did you know carrots taste even sweeter when they're fresh from the garden? That's just one of the many reasons to start growing this colorful root vegetable at home. Carrots can be a tricky plant, but if you use mulch and remember to keep the soil well-watered during hot spells, you should have lots of luck!
When to plant: About 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost date.
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10
Beets
This colorful root vegetable is super easy to grow from seed. Beets are a great cool-weather crop because they can endure frost and near-freezing temperatures.
When to plant: Start in early spring and make successive plantings every 2 to 3 weeks until mid-summer.
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11
Lettuce
Gourmet greens often get icky fast in the fridge. Instead of picking them up at the store, plant your own and you can harvest some leaves right before dinner. Lettuce likes cool weather and grows well when planted as seeds. It’s also a great choice for planting in pots and window boxes because the roots are shallow. Keep the plant moist as the seeds sprout, then harvest when leaves are a few inches long. If you like variety, choose a mesclun mix which includes several different types of lettuce in one seed packet.
When to plant: Early spring or late summer for a fall harvest.
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12
Tomatoes
You can grow heat-loving tomatoes from seed, or if you prefer, you can choose transplants, which you’ll find at local nurseries or online. Pay attention to what type you’re buying: Indeterminate types keep growing and producing until a frost, so their sprawling vines need to be staked—this means they’re not great in containers because they get top-heavy. Determinate types have fruit that ripens in a short period of time—they'll stay about three to four feet tall. Cherry tomatoes are best for beginners, and many new varieties stay nice and compact so they’re ideal for planting in containers.
When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.
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13
Beans
Beans come in tons of varieties, and they’re prolific (plus, the more you pick, the more they produce!). Sow seeds directly in the ground because transplants don’t usually do well. Look for pole beans, which need plenty of space and a trellis to climb, or bush beans, which grow in a more compact form, so they'll work in containers. Read the seed label to find “days to maturity” so you know when to harvest specific types—you don’t want to wait too long because they’ll get tough.
When to plant: After the last frost.
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14
Peppers
Peppers love the heat, and they grow well in beds, containers, or on sunny patios and decks. Transplants are a better choice unless you have time to start them indoors about six to eight weeks before the last frost. Most peppers need staking, so make sure you have enough space.
When to plant: After the last frost.
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15
Strawberries
Even though strawberries aren't a vegetable, you'll want to plant them in your garden too! Strawberries are a perennial crop, so they’ll come back year after year. Make sure the type you buy is suited to your USDA Hardiness Zone and is considered ever-bearing, meaning it will produce fruit all summer long. Strawberries are a great choice for containers. There also are new compact, thornless varieties of raspberries and blueberries, which are small shrubs that keep a nice, tidy shape yet yield tons of fruit. Berries are easiest to grow when they're from transplants.
When to plant: Early spring.
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16
Herbs
Even if you only have a tiny balcony, you can still grow fresh herbs! It’s so much fun to snip off a few leaves for every meal, and it’s much cheaper than buying those pricey packages at the store. Herbs grow equally well in containers or beds. You can grow most from seed, but if you’re in a hurry, they’re not super-expensive to purchase as transplants. Better yet, some herbs, such as chives, sage, and thyme, are perennial and will return next spring.
When to plant: Mid-spring.
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17
Cucumbers
Most cucumber types are heat-loving vines, so you'll need some space to grow them. You also can provide a cage or trellis for them to climb vertically, which will take up less room in your garden. Look for round, yellow, miniature, or compact varieties. It’s best to plant seeds directly in the ground as transplants can be fussy.
When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.
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18
Swiss Chard
This beautiful green has long, elegant leaves with brightly-colored ribs of red, yellow, orange, or white. Swiss chard is not only delicious—it looks beautiful! It grows well from seed, so you can plant it directly in your garden. In hot climates, if you give it some afternoon shade, it will produce all the way until the first frost. In the rest of the country, you can pick the outer leaves and it will keep producing throughout the season.
When to plant: Mid-spring.
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19
Kale
This super-food is incredibly hardy and doesn’t mind the cold one bit. In fact, many types will survive the winter and green up again in the spring. Kale does best in beds, and seeds or transplants are fine (though seeds are cheaper). If you’re tight on space, however, you can plant it in containers and harvest it as baby kale when it’s young and tender.
When to plant: Mid-spring or late summer for a fall harvest.
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20
Summer Squash
Most squash are super easy to grow—you'll probably end up with tons to share with friends and family! Summer squash comes in a variety of sizes and types, but they mostly grow on vines that need room to spread. They do well when planted from seed or as transplants (though young plants don’t like their roots disturbed when planting, so be careful when setting them out). Bear in mind that these veggies love heat! Pick them before they get gigantic or they’ll become too seedy.
When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.
