The weather is warming up across the country. This marks planting season for many farmers and it can for you too! Even if you do not have a green thumb, there are a number of vegetables anyone grow right in their backyard – no matter where you live.
Root Vegetables
Sown into the ground or a container, root vegetables are normally easy to grow, especially carrots and radishes. They do need a little bit of room to grow, however. This means having containers at least the size of a 5-gallon bucket. Dirt and compost will serve as proper soil with fertilizer recommended once a month.
As seedlings begin to sprout, you will need to thin out any clusters. This ensures each plant has enough space to fully develop. Knowing when to harvest root vegetables is the same regardless of the type. When the tops get large, green, and bushy it is a sign to pull a couple out to test the size. If they look fully grown, it’s time to harvest.
Leafy Vegetables
Lettuce, spinach, kale, oh my! It may surprise you, but leafy vegetables are hardy plants that are easy to grow. Most leafy vegetables enjoy cooler temperatures and can even handle a little bit of frost. This means their growing season can be longer than other vegetables and in some areas be grown year-round.
For as large as they grow, growing leafy vegetables does not require much room. Containers are simply fine and can even be tucked under taller plants to save space. And since leafy veggies grow so fast, you do not need to plant a whole lot. Instead, plant as many as you may want to consume every couple weeks and you will be enjoying fresh salads all season long.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a vegetable… and a fruit. Botanically, being a ripened flower ovary with seeds makes tomatoes a fruit. But nutritionally, vegetables are used to indicate plant parts that are not exceedingly high in fructose. Regardless of their classification, homegrown tomatoes are prized in the summertime.
There are a variety of tomatoes to choose from Beefsteaks to cherry and most are simple to grow. Some varieties like the Cherry Cascade can be grown in a hanging basket on your patio. Others can climb wire rods to provide tomatoes for months while others happily grow on top of the soil.
Growing your own vegetables is a fantastic way to boost the flavor of your favorite dishes. Whether you choose to grow one vegetable or an entire salad bowls worth of variety, one thing is for certain – you’ll think twice about going back to grocery store produce!