Looking for some easy, low maintenance vegetables to grow this summer. Here’s a list of some go-to veggies that everyone should have in their garden.
Carrots:
If you have an area with loose sandy soil, the carrot is the perfect veggie. Plant the carrots in the spring and with a bit of luck you’ll have carrots well into the late summer. Keep the soil free of rocks and stones and make sure the soil is moist for germination.
Green Beans:
Beans do not like frost so make sure there is no chance of frost before planting them. Beans love organic matter. Adding some finished compost into your soil will make your beans flourish. Green beans love full sunlight and keep the beds watered well until all the seedlings emerge.
Cucumbers:
Like beans, cucumbers love full sun. They require fertile soil so adding compost and or manure will make them happy. The soil should be moist and well drained (not soggy). If you water your plants consistently they will grow quickly. Using a trellis to keep the plant off the ground will help protect them from damage.
Spinach:
Plant spinach seeds in soil that has been prepared with aged manure about a week before planting. Spinach also needs a sunny place to grow. Seeding should be done as soon as possible as the spinach needs about 6 weeks of cool weather to grow from seedling to harvest. Consider planting it about 4 – 6 weeks before the last frost in the spring. If you find that growth is slow, add fertilizer and keep your soil moist by using mulch.
Bell Peppers:
Pepper plants are best started indoors. They need to be acclimatized to the outdoors before being planted and make sure the soil is properly fertilized. Peppers need to be in a bright sunny spot as they need about 6 -8 hours of sunlight every day. Bell peppers are very heat sensitive. If it’s too warm they may need watering every day to help them thrive.
Radishes:
Radishes need soil that has been well fertilized with organic material or manure. Plant them about 4 -6 weeks before the last frost to get an earlier harvest. You can also plant seeds late summer to get a late harvest. Radishes need plenty of sun or they will put all their energy into producing bigger leaves. Keep the soil moist, but not soaked. They need to be watered frequently and evenly.
Lettuce:
Lettuce seeds like loose soil that drains well. It should stay moist without being soggy. Add organic matter about a week before you seed. If you are concerned about aphids attacking your lettuce, plant chives or garlic between the lettuces to act as a barrier. Add organic mulch to maintain moisture in the soil and to keep weeds at bay. Mulch will also help keep the soil cooler in hot months. How much to water? It’s easy, if the leaves start to wilt you need to water the plants more.
