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When it comes to gardening, a yard full of fragrant and vibrant looks great.
How about vegetables, though?
Veg might not sound so romantic initially but think about getting fresh organic produce without needing to pay the exorbitant price tag that goes with it and growing vegetables suddenly gets a lot more appealing.
Maybe you’re just starting out or you’re just not that confident in the garden.
For anyone with black thumbs, today we’ll look at 10 low-maintenance vegetables that are remarkably easy to grow to help you on your way.
Let’s get right down to business…
1) Carrots
This versatile root vegetable takes a little patience to grow but very little by the way of effort.
Whether you want to grow carrots in a pot, a garden box or loose in the soil, you’ll end up with a bright orange plate tasting so much better than anything you can buy.
Plant carrots as soon as you can work the soil. Use sandy loam for best results.
One thing to watch out for…
Take the time estimates on packets with a pinch of salt. This is why we suggested you’d need patience. Carrots will grow rather slower than the hopeful claims on the packet so sit back, wait and get ready for some supercharged organic veg at a fraction the cost of heading to a market.
2) Lettuce
Another versatile powerhouse for your organic vegetable garden, you can use lettuce in everything from sandwiches to salads.
Lettuce works extremely well in a container garden so consider growing some even if you live in an apartment with little but a window box at your disposal.
Since lettuce responds best in cooler weather, aim to plant it during the fall or spring. If you’re looking for a continuous harvest, sow every few weeks and you’ll enjoy an abundant and crisp supply.
3) Cucumbers
Relatively bland, cucumber is a great veg to grow if your kids are resistant to eating their greens. There’s little not to like about a cucumber so consider bringing on some on this coming year.
As long as you use plenty of compost and fertilizer, growing cucumbers is an absolute breeze.
4) Tomatoes
Whether you want to grill them on the BBQ or pop them in a fresh salad, tomatoes are a flexible addition to any vegetable garden.
Since traditional tomato varieties need some training, opt for the bush variety instead. It will not grow quite as tall and needs incredibly little TLC.
Use some grow bags with nice, rich soil and place your tomatoes where they can plenty of sun. This will encourage them to ripen perfectly.
5) Chilies
The chili is an acquired taste but if you like a bit of fire to pep up your recipes, the great is that they are super-simple to grow.
If you live in a cooler climate, choose a milder chili. This will not need as much raw heat in order to properly ripen.
Sow your chili seeds indoors during spring. Pop them on a windowsill benefiting from direct sunlight.
Move them out into the garden around May then water them until harvest time in July.
6) Radishes
Arguably the easiest vegetables to grow, radishes add a delicious piquancy to any salad.
Since root vegetables don’t enjoy being transplanted, sow your radishes directly where you want them to grow.
Not only do they require almost no input, they’ll be ready in a month too so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor without needing to wait around.
7) Beetroot
Another root vegetable that jazzes up any salad with a deep shot of flavor, beetroot is child’s play to grow.
Any time from March to July, sow it straight into the ground. Make sure the soil stays moist watering it perhaps once a fortnight.
Wait until they are sized between golf balls and cricket balls then harvest and enjoy!
8) Snap Peas
You can eat these delicious little peas raw as they are or whip them up into a range of tasty appetizers.
Packed with vitamin C and fiber, they’ll boost your health without ravaging your bank balance or demanding any real effort to grow.
Snap peas prefer to germinate at lower temperatures and they don’t cope quite as well when the mercury rises.
If you plant these peas early, you can get another batch in when the cooler days roll around again.
9) Rhubarb
This low-maintenance and extremely hardy crop is almost foolproof so perfect even for complete beginners.
All you need to do is plant your rhubarb as fall turns into winter and let them grow of their own accord. You can’t get much easier than that!
As with carrots, you’ll need some patience but on an even larger scale…
Sidestep harvesting your rhubarb for the first year. It needs ample time to become fully established but, once it’s settled in, you can enjoy a rich harvest year after year.
Warning: Rhubarb leaves are toxic so make sure you discard them. Toss them on the compost heap if you have one.
10) Onions
No vegetable garden would be complete without some onions, a mainstay of any kitchen and ultra-simple to grow.
All you really need is soil that drains well and ample sunlight.
With a huge range of varieties at your disposal, focus on getting onions that are climate-specific depending on where you live and what the weather’s like.
Once you’ve sowed them, they’ll do a great job of establishing themselves. You can then gleefully cut out the expensive organic supplier while continuing to enjoy prime produce year-round.
A Final Word
With any luck, you’ll have taken one or two pointers from this study of easy to grow vegetables and had some inspiration to bring on some organic produce of your very own.
Send us a message any time at all with your questions or feedback.
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