Best Vegetables To Grow For Beginners

Growing your own vegetables is a very rewarding hobby. There’s nothing better than spending your time loving and nurturing a plant for it to produce you some wonderful vegetables, which you can then enjoy for your dinner.

Perhaps you are new to growing your own vegetables? If that’s the case, it might be best to start with something relatively easy to grow, so I’ve put together a list of the best vegetables to grow for beginners.

Best Vegetables To Grow For Beginners

Courgettes

Courgettes are known for their good harvest. You’ll only need a few plants and you should have plenty of courgettes to keep you going throughout the summer. Did you know, you can even eat courgette flowers? My preferred way is stuffed with cream cheese and fried. Yummy. Sow your courgettes between April and June and your courgettes should start to be ready from July onwards.

Chillies

These are ideal if you only have a small space, as you can grow these in pots. Most varieties will need sowing early, around January or February time, but should produce lots of chillies until Autumn. There are so many varieties to choose from, so even if you aren’t a fan of hot chillies, there are milder ones too. Jalapeno, Habanero and Padron chillies are some of my favourites.

Mooli

Mooli is a radish-like vegetable and a great one that’s a bit different for beginners. It also can be planted from June to August, so it’s a good one for late planting. Mooli generally is ready about 8 weeks after planting. You can pull them up and store them over winter. Mooli is great for pickling, to use in salads or in curries.

Squash

Squashes are one of the best vegetables to grow for beginners. The seeds can be planted outdoors from late May, in the place where the squash is to grow, covered with a cloche and left to germinate. They take a really long time to ripen, but you can test whether they are ready to harvest by giving them a knock. If the sound is hollow, they are ready to harvest.

Beetroot

Beetroot is easy to grow. Sow beetroot every two weeks from mid-April to August and you’ll have plenty to see you through the summer and beyond. You should harvest your beetroot when they are about the size of a golf ball, which will probably take around 7 – 8 weeks from sowing.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are incredibly easy to grow. The key thing is to make sure you water them regularly over the summer as they can dry out quickly. You can sow seeds from February onwards and think about moving plants outside from May time. If you are growing what is known as cordon tomatoes, you’ll need to provide some support for them, as the plants grow quite tall.

Potatoes

Potatoes are a lot easier to grow than you think, so that’s why they are included in this list of best vegetables to grow for beginners. You can grow your potatoes in potato bags and start this process in February/March time. Add your potato tuber to a potato bag, then part fill with compost.

You’ll see green shoots begin to appear above the soil, so at this point, add more compost and cover them up. Do this each time you see the shoots until your bag is full. Make sure you water your compost, so it doesn’t dry out and feed it every other week with a potato fertiliser. Harvesting will take place around 10 – 20 weeks later, depending on when you planted them.

Peas

Peas can be sown from the early part of the year, but for the most reliable crop, you are best to wait until Spring. Peas are rewarding, as early seeds sown outside should spring up in just a couple of weeks. You’ll need to grow them in channels and support them with pea sticks, bamboo canes or a trellis. Peas need a lot of water after they flower to ensure they grow properly.

What else are you considering? Is there something you’ve always wanted to grow?

Competition Time

To get you started with your vegetable growing, I have this fantastic Beets, Roots and Leaves Seed Kit to give away.

To enter to be in with a chance to win this seed kit, take a look below. Use the form below to complete as many entry methods as you like.

The competition will close on the 31st March 2021 Good luck!

All That Grows Beets, Roots & Leaves Seed Kit Competition

T&Cs

To enter you need to complete at least one entry method above. 2. The competition runs until the 31st March 2021. 3. The prize consists of a Beets, Roots & Leaves Seed Kit. 4. The prize is non-refundable, non-transferable and has no cash alternative. 5. The prize draw is open to UK residents aged 18 years and over, except anyone professionally associated with the competition. 6. These Terms and Conditions are correct at time of being published but may be subject to change without notice.

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