Best Ten Vegetables To Grow
Here are ten of the best vegetables for the home gardener to try growing.
1. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are labour intensive but rewarding. They are also one of the most prolific crop, offering a season of upto three months. There is never a problem in sharing a bumper grop of home grown tomatoes. Tomatoes need careful watering, feeding and pinching out. But, there is great satisfaction from training the tomatoes and providing neat rows of plants. They can be grow in small spaces and so are ideal for the small garden. See tips for growing tomatoes
2. Runner Beans.
Runner Beans are a great crop for a number of reasons. Firstly, they are easy to grow. You can sow direct outside in May / June. They are very fast growing and can soon reach a height of over 6 feet (where they will need pinching out to encourage more vegetables. Also, they are remarkably pest and disease resistant. Apart from slug damage when very young, Runner Beans will thrive without needing to tackle the usual pests like aphids. They also look very attractive with green leaves and red flowers, they can be grown in an ornamental garden with no shame. See: Tips for Growing Runner Beans
3. Spinach.
Conventionally grown spinach has one of the highest levels of pesticide residue in it. Grown at home you can be sure it is organic and free of repeated pesticide spraying. It is tasty and easy to grow. It just doesn’t like the mid summer heat where it will soon bolt.
4. Strawberries.
According to an EU report, strawberries has the highest level of pesticide residue in them. Since they are eaten raw in fruit salads, it is best to grow them organically and be sure you can pop them straight in your mouth. They are also a great resource for the hungry gardener. Once established they can be relatively low maintenance for a number of years. Just make sure birds and slugs don’t beat you to the strawberries.
Growing Strawberries
5. Peas.
The taste of home grown peas is hard to beat. So sweat you can eat them raw. Grow up pea sticks for an attractive and tasty fruit.
See: Tips for growing Garden Peas
6. Sweetcorn
A decorative vegetable which adds height and formality to a vegetable bed. If in a relatively sheltered spot, they are self supporting and will offer lovely tasty heads of corn on the cob. They can be sown as late as May for cropping in early autumn.
7. Cucumbers
A lovely vegetable. Good fun to grow. See: Growing Cucumbers
8. Potato
You can’t beat the humble potato. A good heavy cropper. In small gardens try growing in pots.
9. Lettuce.
Easy to grow for fresh cuttings for the salad bowl throughout the year.
10. Broad Beans.
We have a saying – ‘broad beans make a salad.’ Fresh from the garden they are soft and tasty – quite different to the tough rubbery veg you may get in the shop. Broad Beans are relatively easy to grow. You may get attacked by the black bean fly. But, an organic spray should be enough to get rid of them.
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