What Vegetables To Plant In Your Garden
Now that your space should be all ready to go , what to plant is the next step. The choice of what to plant can be overwhelming. My first few years I was so overwhelmed with planting that nothing did well. The choice of plants depends largely on the tastes of the family and the amount of growing space. If space is limited, you should consider planting crops that will be most productive. Which vegetables you decide on; however, is entirely up to you. It really depends on your personal taste.
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Making your garden layout does not include a set spot however, many vegetables need a certain amount of space to do well. It is useful to have a written plan to make sure you have enough space for all the vegetables you have chosen. A written plan can then be kept from year to year to help with crop rotation. Use this free printable plot planner below.
Here are a few tips that will help you have success with whatever you decide to grow.
Space your crops properly. This requires some reading about the the vegetables you have chosen to grow. For example, squash spreads out and needs a larger width to the row. Corn grows tall and will shadow shorter vegetables. Pay attention to the spacing guidance on the seed packets or the plant tubs if you buy to transplant. If plants are set to close together, sunlight, water, and nutrition issues will occur.
Use good quality seeds. Seeds in packets are less expensive than individual plants for transplanting however, if you buy poor quality seeds and they do not germinate all is lost – time and money. Using last year seed packets is not recommended as they may not germinate so go with the current year’s seeds.
Water correctly. Watering your plants the correct amount (not too much or to little) will give them the best chance to germinate and mature into a good plant with mature vegetables.
Plant and harvest at the right time. Planting at the right time is important. For seeds to germinate the ground temperature needs to be above 60 degrees. Some plants and/or seeds do better with a higher ground temperature so be sure to check the seed packets.
Suggested Plants for a Beginner’s Vegetable Garden
When you are ready to plant find out your garden zone. I live in gardening zone 7 which has a moderately long growing season. The first frost is around mid November and the last one is around mid April. You need to find your garden zone and plant according to your zone. The U.S. Department of Agriculture divides the country into 11 growing zones. The weather patterns determine the zone and what will grow well in a particular zone.
Gardening in zone 7 offers a variety of vegetables that will do well. Below are some of the top vegetables which do well in zone 7.
| Zone | Last Freeze Date | First Freeze Free Date |
| 2 | July 30 | August 15 |
| 3 | July 15 | September 1 |
| 4 | June 15 | September 15 |
| 5 | May 30 | October 1 |
| 6 | May 15 | October 15 |
| 7 | April 15 | October 30 |
| 8 | March 15 | November 15 |
| 9 | February 1 | November 30 |
| 10 | Rare | December 15 |
- Beans
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Onions
- Peppers
- Squash
- Zucchini
- Butternut squash
- Pumpkins
BEANS
Growing beans is quite easy. Beans can be snap beans – long, short, green, yellow, or purple. Shell beans can have another group of colors, shapes, and sizes. Dry beans are another variety. Beans are so common in gardens mainly because they taste good, high in protein, vitamins, and are cholesterol-free. Deciding on the variety you want to grow and whether you want a pole or bush bean needs to be decided while you are in the planning stage. Bush beans ( whether they are snap, shell, or dry) grow on compact bushes rather than vines. Pole beans are vining plants and need support such as climbing twine, poles, wire fencing, or netting. You can also use a trellis. I have grown both bush beans and pole beans.
Bush beans are easier to grow as they are bushy type plants which are close to the ground. They need no support and require little care and can be picked when you are ready to cook. These usually produce an earlier crop. For most bush beans, starting them to early is not good. Cold soil slows down germination which will damage the plants and reduce the harvest. The soil bed must be moist and the soil should be raked smooth as to have good contact with the soil. Plant the seeds with the eye down. Bush beans are planted in hills and should be about an inch deep.
Pole Beans will grow anywhere. These types of beans will require support with some type of staking. Pole beans are grown in hills or rows. It helps to have your staking support done and in the ground before you plant. Once the beans reach an adequate size they will have the support all ready to climb. Pole beans produce more pods per plant and they are easier to pick. The growing information for bush beans applies to pole beans with a few exceptions the main one being the vining nature of the plant. Pole beans continue to grow, flower, and produce the pods over a period of 6-8 weeks, longer that a bush bean.
CUCUMBERS
Cucumbers are a staple in my garden. They like sunlight and warm temperatures. They have a tendency to climb. The trellis-grown cucumber is straighter, more uniform, and less likely to be overlooked under the leaves therefore becoming overripe. This process has happened to me many times. The cucumber blends in with the leaves and I never see the cucumber until I see some yellow and by then the cucumber is too bitter. Trellis-grown cucumbers are also less likely to be eaten by slugs or other pests. (We had a turtle that got in the garden and loved to munch on the cucumbers!) You do not have to grow a cucumber on a trellis, but you will get better fruits and use less garden space. Cucumbers use a lot of soil nutrients so you will get a better yield if you apply and work into the soil about 1 inch of compost to the bed before planting and work it into the soil. Cucumbers do not like to be transplanted so start them outside but only when the soil temps have warmed to about 68-70 degrees. Once they get going they almost grow like weeds. They mature quickly so they will develop fruit in short summers. The fruits grow quickly so daily checking is necessary to pick them at their peak. With cucumbers, bigger is not better!
TOMATOES
Tomatoes are a staple in my garden. I plant several types of tomatoes for fresh eating but also for canning and preserving. In the winter months fresh tomato sauce hits the spot. Tomatoes may seem like a lot of work and the bigger varieties may be however, the small tomato varieties which are meant to grow in smaller spaces are simple. You can plant from a seed however, I usually have a starter plant from our local nursery. When my greenhouse is complete I will start from a seed. It will help to have tomato cages or some type of strong durable stake to support the tomato plant. They can get quite tall and if they develop lots of fruit they are heavy and need support. Tomato prefer lots of light, fertile soil, and organic matter. Too much nitrogen however, will produce pretty green leafs and little fruit. Adding compost in the spring provides most of what is needed.
The soil temperature needs to be at least 60 degrees if you are transplanting a tomato plant. Night air must be considered as well. The night temperature should not go below 45 degrees. (The usual advice is after the last frost date however, that is rather vague.) Once the plants are set in the ground try not to disturb the roots. It is a good idea to set your supports after setting the plants in the ground. Because some tomatoes can grow quite large, they need plenty of water and nutrients. Adding compost or other organic nutrients can suffice if done during the soil preparation phase of planning your garden. Pruning may be necessary and is recommended for some tomato plants.
No pruning is to be done the first few weeks after planting but after that time frame remove all suckers (which are the stems that grow between the main stem and the leaf crotches). Pruning diverts the growth to a single main stem. The best tomatoes are vine ripe but do not leave them on the vine too long.
CARROTS
Carrots are a cool-season vegetable and can tolerate frost to light freezes. They can develop under a variety of temperature conditions, except very warm temperatures. I plant carrots in the fall and spring staying away from the heat of the summer. Carrots are planted directly into the soil and are not recommended to start indoors. Carrots can germinate with soil temperatures at 75 degrees but can also germinate in a colder soil but germination will be slower. Soil temperature below 45 may completely inhibit germination. Carrot seeds are very tiny and really hard to space. The soil needs to be fertile with a good layer of compost worked into the soil. Rake the soil well and smooth it out so the tiny seeds have good contact with the soil. Carrots will need thinning. If they are to close together the carrots growth will be stunted.
ONIONS
Onions are fairly easy to grow and take up a small amount of space. Their growing season is short. They are a cool season crop and can tolerate frost and light freezes. Onions have been part of my cool/fall garden this year. Snow and freezing temperatures do no kill them. They need steady moist soil. A steady temperature helps them mature at a even pace. Fall and spring are good times of the year to grow onions. Onions prefer fertile soil enriched with compost and manures. The soil should be free of rocks and other large stones. The roots of the onion are shallow and need good contact with the soil and moisture. Onions are hardy and are planted 1 inch deep and 3-4 inches apart. Direct seed sowing can be done however, they do take longer to mature. Onion can be purchased from a garden nursery and transplanted. Onions compete poorly with weeds and grasses therefore, timely hoeing is important. Onions are ready to harvest about 150 days after planting seeds, and about 100 days after planting sets. You will also see the stalks fall over when they are ready for harvest
PEPPERS
How hot are your peppers? There are many varieties of peppers. They can be long, short, hot, sweet, all sorts of colors, or big and small. Regardless of the type of pepper you choose to grow, the conditions for which they grow and basically the same. Peppers need a sunny warm spot to grown. Peppers are a popular plant to grow and they are packed with good nutritious vitamins. They are good raw or cooked and some varieties preserve well. Peppers are a good container plant and if your space is limited this is a good plant for you. Peppers seeds need to planted indoors and it is not recommended to start seeds outdoors. Peppers plants can be put into the ground when the soil temperatures are 60 degrees or greater. The outdoor temps should be a minimum of around 50 degrees. Do not rush pepper plants into the ground because they love heat. Once in the ground you can use row covers to warm up the plants. Peppers grow best when they close together. Keep the soil evenly moist and watch them grow.
SUMMER SQUASH
Summer squashes are very easy to grown. Actually they are so easy one has to keep in mind not to plant too much. To me the hardest part is not planting too much. Summer squash comes in a variety of shapes and colors each with a different flavor. Summer squash is a warm season crop and very susceptible to frost and light freezes. The vines develop quickly and harvest begins in about a month. Summer squash thrives in hot weather. Zucchini and yellow squash are considered summer squashes. Direct seeding is done when the soil temperatures is around 70 degrees or warmer. The seeds will not germinate well in soil that is less than 65-70. The best approach to planting seed it so sow 3 seeds to a hill. When each plant has a true leaf, then thin to 1 plant. Most summer squashes grow best during the long warm days of summer. Harvesting good tasting squash has a few secrets. Harvest young, harvest often, harvest small, and harvest daily if needed. Zucchini grow very quickly so harvesting daily is necessary. You should pick them when they are 4-5 inches long.
WINTER SQUASH
Winter Squash which included pumpkin and butternut squash have very similar growing needs as summer squash. The big difference with winter squash is they are viney and will take over your entire garden. They are long vines that keep on growing and growing. It is best to plant winter squash at the edge of the garden and direct the vines outward away from your main garden. It is hard to contain winter squash once they get going. These have easily taken over my garden and I have learned my lesson! Winter squash has bigger leaves, bigger fruits and therefore need more nutrients (especially nitrogen) and water. Like summer squash they grow best in a warm soil and are sensitive to frost. Once the temperatures are warm and stay warm, they just grow and grow. They like it hot. There are a couple of characteristics to knowing when winter squashes are ripe:
- The stems begin to shrivel and dry.
- The skin is hard enough that your thumbnail will not cut into the skin.
Winter squash will keep best if it is cured in the sun for about 2 weeks once harvested. This will harden the skin before storage.
Depending on your space you can grow one or all of the vegetables in our own garden. If space is limited start with a few container plants and see how it goes. The benefits of growing your own food are multifold. Fresh is best
