What are the best vegetables to grow in your backyard?
When selecting vegetable varieties to grow in your garden, select ones that you or your family enjoy eating. Next consider how much space you have available. Vine crops, like squash and cucumbers, require quite a bit of space. Also, consider whether you're going to plant in the garden or grow vegetables in containers. Vegetables like lettuce, peppers, carrots and radishes are some favorites for containers, but many other vegetable varieties, especially those with compact habits, are also suitable for containers.
Vegetable Plants from Gurney's
If you have space limits- no need to worry! We carry vegetable plant varieties that grow well in containers and grow tubs. You can even begin growing your vegetable seedlings indoors. Those who are just getting started in gardening can check out our planting and care tips page, with helpful garden resources like our guide to harvesting vegetables. When you're ready to buy vegetable plants for your garden, start by checking the first and last frost dates for your grow zone with our zone finder information and recommendations--and look for Gurney's Choice selections.
Questions about Vegetables
When should vegetables be planted?
While the schedule varies with grow zones, this planting calendar gives a general ideal of planting times for garden vegetables and the time to plant vegetable seedlings.
- Early to mid-spring: Start cabbage, broccoli, eggplant, pepper and tomato seeds indoors. Directly sow lettuce, spinach, peas, beets, onions, potatoes and carrots.
- Late spring to early summer: Buy vegetable plants and transplant cabbage, broccoli, sweet potatoes, eggplant, pepper and tomato plants. Directly sow cucumbers, corn, squash and beans.
- Late summer: Directly sow kale, lettuce, spinach, beets and peas for a fall harvest.
What are the easiest vegetables to grow for beginners?
When considering vegetables for sale, here are 10 of the easiest vegetables for beginning gardeners to grow.
- Lettuce: It can be grown in containers and be ready for harvest in 40-50 days.
- Peas: Sow seeds every few weeks in the spring for a harvest in the summer.
- Green beans: Beans grow in many types of soil. Choose from bush and pole beans.
- Cucumbers: Save space by planting cucumbers near a fence that they can climb.
- Zucchini: If given plenty of space and sunshine, a zucchini plant produces plenty of zucchinis for sharing.
- Carrots: These root crops are easy to grow if you have sandy, loose soil.
- Radishes: Radishes are ready for harvest just four weeks after sowing.
- Herbs: Mint, dill, thyme, parsley and basil are easy to grow--and container friendly.
- Peppers: If given plenty of warmth, sunshine and well-drained soil, peppers are easy to grow and can also be grown in containers.
- Potatoes: Potatoes are rewarding to grow--and can even be grown in our 20-gallon Grow Tubs.
How do you know when it is time to harvest your vegetables?
To get the best flavor and texture, harvest your vegetables at the right time. While harvest time will vary with vegetables, here are some guidelines:
- Many vegetables such as zucchini, lettuce, green beans, kale and spinach can be harvested at the baby stage (or before maturity).
- Some vegetables, such as tomatoes, change color and texture when ready for harvest.
- Summer squash and cucumbers are often harvested when they reach a certain size (which is often before they reach full maturity).
- An easy sign that sweet corn is ready for harvest is when the silk turns brown.
- Seed packets indicate the days to maturity, giving you a timeframe for when vegetables will be ready for harvest.
- For the juiciest vegetables and best flavor, harvest vegetables in the morning.
What type of fertilizer should I use for my vegetable garden?
Gardeners can choose between all-natural or synthetic fertilizers as well as quick release and slow release fertilizers. Gurney's Vegetable Food is a slow-release, all-natural plant food that won't burn young plants. It's applied twice a year. When using fertilizer in the vegetable garden, follow label instructions on application rates and use.
