Starting your first vegetable garden can be a little overwhelming. Vegetables are definitely not the easiest plants to grow, but it's important to remember that gardening is a learning process. There's a lot of trial and error involved, but the most important step to gardening is not giving up!
Although growing vegetables isn't the easiest task, it's such a rewarding hobby and there's such a long list of health benefits linked to growing your own food! It's important to start small so you don't become overwhelmed. Once you start to understand the in's and out's of gardening you can most definitely expand your garden. For now let's start with the easiest vegetables to grow for beginner's: lettuce, radishes and bush beans!
How to grow lettuce
Lettuce is a staple in majority of salads and is also jam-packed with nutrients and vitamins! To grow lettuce, keep these points in mind and you'll have a great harvest in no time:
lettuce is a cool-season crop - meaning it will grow best in spring and fall,
lettuce needs partial sun to grow, make sure it gets at least 3-6 hours of direct sun daily,
since lettuce is a cool-season crop it will tolerate a light frost making it a vegetable with a long harvesting period,
to have a continual harvest, plant a few seeds every few days,
lettuce germinates very quickly and usually within a week,
plant the seeds a 1/2 inch deep in moist, well-drained soil,
lettuce roots are shallow so make sure to be careful when weeding,
the best time to harvest lettuce is in the morning when they're full size just before maturity, or
you can harvest larger leaves throughout their growing period which will promote new growth!
How to grow radishes
Radishes are often over-looked, but they have so many health benefits! Radishes are a great source of vitamin C, can support digestion, lower blood pressure, and is great for your heart!
To grow radishes keep these points in mind:
radishes need full sun to grow - meaning they need 6-10 hours of sun daily,
if they get too much shade they'll produce bigger leaves and smaller fruits,
the soil needs to be loose and free of rocks so the fruit can grow easily,
plant radishes 1/2 inch deep and 1 inch a part,
make sure to thin out your radishes so they have room to grow,
for a continual harvest plant seeds every 7-10 days,
your radishes will be ready to harvest when the fruit is starting to poke through the soil, and
make sure to rotate radishes! Rotating radishes will help avoid diseased plants!
How to grow bush beans
Green beans are full of fiber! They've also been known to lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation. You can grow green beans on a vine or bush. Personally I think growing bush beans is easier because you usually wont have to stake them!
To grow bush beans, keep these points in mind for a great harvest:
bush beans need full sun to grow - meaning they'll need 6-10 hours of sun per day,
they grow compact and will only reach about 2 feet in height,
they'll begin to produce in 50 days,
bush beans need well-drained soil,
remember to water bush beans regularly,
plant 1-2 inches deep in rows 1 foot a part,
their sugar levels are highest in the morning so that is the best time to harvest,
the more frequently you pick the beans, the more they'll grow, and
harvest right before the beans are bulging!
All three of these veggies can be grown in traditional garden beds or in pots and planters! Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any of our latest posts!
Happy planting!
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