Which Vegetables To Plant

When you're trying to decide what to plant in your vegetable garden, it's tempting to make a trip to the garden center and simply grab what looks good and tasty at the moment.

But the result may be too much of edibles you won't want and not enough of the things you really care to put the time and effort into.

So before you hit the nursery, sit down for a moment and ask yourself a few questions.

  • Do my family and I like it enough to get out there and plant, care for and harvest it?
  • Can I grow it more cheaply than what I can buy?
  • Is the quality at the supermarket close to that from the garden? Or would I prefer to purchase it at a farmer's market?
  • Do I have the space for it?
  • Do I have enough sun for it?
  • Is it prone to disease in my garden?
  • Am I in the right region to grow it? Watermelons and sweet potatoes, for example, need a long hot growing season that's tough to come by in the northern third of the U.S.

Others, such as peas, need a sustained, temperate not-too-hot, not-too-cold spring that seldom happens in the Midwest, where springs are highly variable.

It's also important to note that some vegetables do best in the cool weather of early spring or fall, while others need to be planted after all danger of frost is gone because they thrive in hot summer weather.

These so-called cool-season annuals include lettuces, spinaches, kales, peas, onions, beets, radishes, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. All these need to be planted in early spring in cold-winter climates and in winter in warm-season climates. That's because if they are exposed too long to temperatures over 80° to 85° F, they get bitter or stop producing. Plant seedlings of these cool-weather lovers about one month before your region's last frost date. Plant seeds directly in the garden soil about six weeks before your last frost date.

On the other hand, warm-season annuals need adequately warm soil temperatures to thrive. They include tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, melons, squashes, pumpkins, and cucumbers. Start seeds for these warmth-lovers indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your region's last frost date in spring or plant seedlings outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. A handful of other seeds need very warm soil: Plant green beans and corn seeds directly in the soil two weeks after your region's last frost date. (Plant them earlier and they may just rot in the too-cool soil.)

In late summer or early autumn, you can plant seeds or seedlings of cool-season annuals for fall harvest. Be sure, however, to keep them very well watered and consider covering with shade cloth to prevent them from getting too warm.

If all this sounds a little confusing, just remember that a vegetable garden can have three planting times:

  • The first is in early spring, pretty much as soon as the soil thaws in spring.
  • The second is in late spring or early summer, after your region's last average frost date.
  • The third and final, if you choose to do it, is in very early autumn. (Many gardeners skip this planting time since it can be tricky to get just the right amount of cool weather before the snow flies.)

A Vegetable Garden for Beginners

Below is a list of what to plant in a 12-foot by 18-foot vegetable garden to provide just enough for a family of four. Adjust the list according to your personal preferences and regional climate conditions.

  • 1 beefsteak-type tomato
  • 1 cherry tomato plant
  • 4 sauce/paste-type tomato plants
  • 1 eggplant plant
  • 1 zucchini plant
  • 1 hot pepper plant
  • 2 green pepper plants
  • 1 6-foot row mixed lettuces
  • 1 6-foot row spinach
  • 1 6-foot row carrots interplanted with radishes (harvest the fast-growing radishes first, then harvest the carrots several weeks later)
  • 1 melon plant
  • 1 acorn or butternut squash plant
  • 1 6-foot row bush green beans
  • 1 12-foot row sweet or snap peas
  • 1 parsley plant
  • 1 cilantro plant <
  • 1 basil plant