Top 3 Easy to Grow Vegetables

These Top 3 easy to grow vegetables are fun to plant in both spring and fall gardens.

Gardening can be overwhelming when you are first starting out. Starting simple and easy is key. It is easy to plant too much, which can be stressful. Here are 3 easy to grow vegetables that are quick and simple to grow for new gardeners and old ones alike.

I’ve chosen these three because they are easy to germinate from seeds, they grow well even in shade and cooler temperatures, they have a quick life cycle, and I haven’t had too much trouble with pests or diseases.

Also, all three can be planted in both spring and fall gardens. Let’s talk about it!

Easy to Grow Vegetable #1 Radish

This is a great veggie to grow because it is so quick! Depending on the variety and weather, you can be eating radishes only three weeks after you plant them! 

Plant seeds in March (if you’re in zone 8b like me, otherwise double check your zone) and again in the fall, about 4-6 weeks before your first frost date. Try to resist the urge to plant a bunch of seeds at once. It’s better to plant a few every 2 weeks, to extend your growing season. This also helps you avoid having to find ways to use a ton of radishes all at once. (Been there!).

The main thing to watch out for with radishes is leaving them in the ground after they’re ripe, which can lead to splitting and insect damage. Also don’t try to grow them at the height of summer. They really prefer shade and cooler temperatures.

Radish greens are actually even more nutritious than the radishes themselves. They are high in calcium and vitamin C, and are also antibacterial and antiviral. They are a fairly bitter green. You can sauté them, turn them into pesto, or put them straight into your salad. Just make sure to harvest them before they get too prickly and furry. No one wants that.

Check out this easy tip for a continuous Radish harvest.

Easy to Grow Vegetable #2 Lettuce

Lettuce is another easy to grow vegetable that will be ready from seed in about a month to six weeks, depending again on the variety and weather. It too, enjoys shade and cooler temperatures. Also, if you have a small space, this is another good one since it doesn’t take up too much room. 

The only two pests I’ve seen with growing lettuce are an occasional aphid (don’t even get me started on these buggers! These little insects—often  green—will usually live on the undersides of your leaves. They love to eat new growth, so you will often find them on the tips. They are born pregnant! So they multiply very quickly. The best cures I’ve found are hand picking and ladybugs, who will devour them. Many gardeners also use organic insecticidal soap). 

Slugs also really enjoy lettuce. There are lots of ways to control slugs organically. Beer traps are pretty popular, and pretty much the only way I will kill them, because I figure at least they are going to die happy. My favorite way to control slugs, though, is to save orange and grapefruit halves. Find out how, right here.

Make sure you keep your lettuce well watered to keep it healthy and strong.

Cut & Come Again Harvest Method

Lettuce is great because you can really prolong the lifespan by making it a cut and come again crop. Meaning when you’re ready to use it, cut the outer leaves, and let the inner leaves continue to grow. I love this because you can kind of nibble away at it over a longer time period instead of using it all at once. Just make sure you harvest the whole thing before it flowers, since the lettuce doesn’t taste as good at that point. 

Just like the radishes, seed succession planting is great for this, so you don’t end up with all your lettuce at once. Plant seeds every two weeks to extend your harvest. It’s really easy to overplant lettuce! The seeds are so tiny that it’s hard to imagine how much lettuce they will make. Use restraint! You can actually have too much of a good thing.

Lettuce may also be grown as a fall crop. Just plant about 8 weeks before your first frost date.

If you’d like to make growing lettuce even easier, you can buy a 6 pack at the nursery instead of starting your own seeds.

Easy to Grow Vegetable #3 Peas

Peas are great because they also germinate fairly easily. This is a fun one to plant with kids, since they get to see the magic of what happens when you throw a pea in the ground and it turns into its own pea plant! Kids (and grown ups, too) love to wander around the garden and munch the fresh pea pods.

Peas can take more sun than the first two plants I mentioned, but if it gets too hot they will bolt, and the peas will no longer be good. So be careful about where you choose to plant them. 

Powdery mildew can be a pest if the leaves stay too damp, so be mindful of that, as well. Watering from the bottom at the soil line, and not watering the foliage is the best way to stop this. Also giving your plants enough air and space will keep things flowing smoothly, and keep the mildew at bay.

Peas may be grown as a fall crop, too. Just make sure to plant them 6-8 weeks before your first frost date.

That’s it! Three easy plants to get you started with gardening. I hope you enjoy these, and I would love to see if you try any.

For other tips on starting a garden check out Gardening in Small Spaces or check out more ideas on my Pinterest Page and Instagram.

Happy Gardening to Ya!

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