Grow Vegetables
Growing a garden is one of the most important skills everyone should have. And when you grow vegetables, you will reap countless benefits.
You’ll dramatically reduce the amount of money you spend at the grocery store. You will have control over how the crops were grown, which means (I hope!) no pesticides. That will keep you and your family healthier. You’ll also get plenty of fresh air and exercise, which is fabulous. And gardening is also great for our mental health. If you’re having a bad day, go out to your garden. You’ll soon be feeling calm and happy again.
I’m very excited to introduce this brand-new section on how to grow vegetables. Here’s what you’ll find below:
- Vegetable gardening basics that you need to know before you get started.
- My new Vegetable Grow Guide is loaded with profiles of a wide variety of crops. Each one is filled with all sorts of tips and techniques to help you be successful growing it. Just scroll down to my Vegetable Grow Guide chart below and you’re well on your way!
- A list of vegetable plant families. Why? Their growing requirements are usually very similar. I’ve also found that insects are often unique to a single plant family. Being aware of this can help you nip those potential problems in the bud, so to speak.
- A seed viability chart showing the average number of years different seeds give you good germination rates.
- Useful seed-starting information for each crop. And don’t you worry! The first seed-starting chart is for zones 5 and 6. But the second chart is for ALL ZONES.
Vegetable Gardening Basics
Are you brand-new to gardening? Or have you encountered some problems in the past? Here are the most important things you need to know about how to grow vegetables:
- Choose the sunniest location you can find. Most crops need a minimum of 6 hours of full sun daily. When choosing a spot, watch how the sun moves through the sky. Are their trees, shrubs or hedges that cast shade onto the area?
- Consider growing veggies in containers. If you don’t have room for an actual vegetable garden, containers are a great option. Put them where the sunshine is and they’ll do great. Just be aware that containers will dry out more quickly so you need to keep an eye on the soil moisture.
- Locate your garden — be it in-ground or in containers — close to a water source. If you have to lug in buckets of water, that’s going to get old real quick. It’s doable, but if you’ve got a hose attached to a spigot, so much the better.
- Monitor your garden on a regular basis. I assure you this won’t be a chore! Check on your plants daily, if possible. Why? You’ll see how they’re doing and be able to resolve issues when they’re just getting started. This will make all the difference in your success. I love going out to our garden every day, sometimes multiple times a day. It’s such a joy seeing plants growing and taking in that fresh air.
- Insect problems? You’ll want to pick up my book, The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook. (note: this is my Amazon affiliate link. I’ll receive a commission but it won’t impact the price.) This one-of-a-kind resource makes it easy to diagnose bugs and find organic solutions. For years, I’ve been trying to find an existing insect book to recommend to folks but could never find one that’s easy to use. I finally decided I would have to write the book and it’s been a bestseller ever since it came out!
- That said, I do have a basic Organic Pest Control guide on this website. It covers why organic gardening is so important and how to identify insects. You’ll also find information on what to do based on the insect you’ve found or by the crop you’re having problems with.
- Dealing with animal pests or encountering plant diseases and other challenges? I’ve also written The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook to cover those issues. (note: this is my Amazon affiliate link. I’ll receive a commission but it won’t impact the price.) Both books are also in my Amazon Store under the “Susan’s Books” category. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. However, that will not impact the price you pay in the least. If you’d like to learn more about both of these books, just go to the Books section on my website.
- Crop rotation?! As you read the specific growing guides in the next section, you’ll hear about crop rotation. You might think that only refers to what farmers need to do, right? Actually it’s a great way to prevent or reduce both insect and disease problems. Want to know more? In my Crop Rotation blog post, you can watch my video that explains how it works.
- What does hardening-off mean? As you read through the crop guide pages below, you’ll occasionally see references to hardening off seedlings. This means helping seedlings get acclimated to the intensity of the sun. This is SO IMPORTANT! I explain exactly what you need to know about it in this garden column.
Vegetable Grow Guide Chart
Want detailed information on how to grow a wide range of vegetable crops? Just click on the crop names that you’re interested in. Each link will take you to a page dedicated to helping you be successful!
| Crop Name | Cool Season or Warm Season? |
| Artichokes | Perennial |
| Asparagus | Perennial |
| Beans (bush and pole) | Warm season |
| Beans, fava | Cool season |
| Beets | Cool season |
| Broccoli | Cool season |
| Brussels sprouts | Cool season |
| Cabbage | Cool season |
| Cantaloupe (see “Melons” below) | Warm season |
| Carrots | Cool season |
| Cauliflower | Cool season |
| Celery | Warm season |
| Corn | Warm season |
| Cucamelons | Warm season |
| Cucumbers | Warm season |
| Eggplants | Warm season |
| Garlic | Cool season |
| Kale | Cool season |
| Kohlrabi | Cool season |
| Leeks | Cool season |
| Lettuce | Cool season |
| Melons | Warm season |
| Onions | Cool season |
| Parsnips | Cool season |
| Peas | Cool season |
| Peppers | Warm season |
| Potatoes | Cool season |
| Pumpkins | Warm season |
| Radishes | Cool season |
| Rutabagas | Cool season |
| Shallots | Cool season |
| Spinach | Cool season |
| Squash, summer | Warm season |
| Squash, winter | Warm season |
| Swiss chard | Cool season |
| Tomatillos | Warm season |
| Tomatoes | Warm season |
| Turnips | Cool season |
| Watermelons | Warm season |
| Zucchini (see Squash, Summer above) | Warm season |
Vegetable Plant Families:
Why is this important information? There are certain plant families that are more susceptible to specific insects. By knowing your plant families, you can anticipate potential problems and be proactive to avoid them! For example, cabbage family crops (i.e., broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale) are susceptible to aphids and cabbage worms. The easiest way to prevent this is to cover your cabbage family crops with floating row cover or agricultural insect netting immediately. Check out the following chart of plant families and the crops that belong to them:
| Plant Family | Members |
| Beet (Amaranthaceae) | beet, spinach, Swiss chard |
| Brassica (Brassicaceae a.k.a. cole or cruciferous) | arugula, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, radish, rutabaga, turnips |
| Carrot (Apiaceae) | carrot, celery, chervil, cilantro, dill, fennel, parsley, parsnip |
| Cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae) | cucumber, melon, pumpkin, squash (summer and winter) |
| Grass (Poaceae) | corn |
| Legumes (Fabaceae) | bean, pea |
| Nightshade (Solanaceae) | eggplant, pepper, potato, tomatillo, tomato |
| Onion (Amaryllidaceae) | chives, garlic, leek, onion, shallot |
| Sunflower (Asteraceae) | artichoke, endive, lettuce, tarragon |
Vegetable Seed Viability:
Here is a list of the number of years vegetable seeds remain viable, provided they have been stored in cool, dark and dry conditions. This is important because older seeds will have lower germination rates. Please also be aware that pelleted seeds only have a shelf life of one year. Seed suppliers offer this type of seed because they’re easier to see and handle. Unfortunately, the coating on stored seeds can break down in a year’s time.
| Vegetable | Shelf Life |
| Onion, parsley, parsnip | 1 year |
| Corn, leek, okra, pepper | 2 years |
| Bean, broccoli, carrot, celery, kohlrabi, pea, spinach, tomatillo | 3 years |
| Beet, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, fava bean, kale, pumpkin, rutabaga, squash, Swiss chard, tomato, turnip, watermelon | 4 years |
| Collards, cucumbers, melons, radishes | 5 years |
| Lettuce | 6 years |
Seed-Starting Information for Zones 5 & 6:
| Crop | Indoors | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|
| Arugula | sow directly Apr. 15 and/or Aug. 15 | |
| Artichoke | Mar. 6 (note: vernalize seeds first in refrigerator starting Feb. 15, then plant seeds indoors) | transplant May 15-21 |
| Basil | Apr. 15 | transplant May 30 OR sow directly outdoors May 30 |
| Bean (pole or bush) | May 7-10 | transplant May 21-30 OR sow directly outdoors May 21-30 |
| Beet | Apr. 7 and/or Aug. 15 | |
| Broccoli | Mar. 1 to Mar. 15 | transplant Apr. 21 to May 1 |
| Carrot | sow directly Apr. 15 | |
| Celery | Mar. 15 | transplant May 15 |
| Cilantro | Apr. 1 OR the first week of August so leaves are plentiful during tomato harvest | |
| Corn | May 1 | transplant May 21-30 OR sow directly outdoors May 21-30 |
| Cucumber | May 1 | transplant May 21-30 (with protection) to June 1 |
| Eggplant | Mar. 1 | transplant May 21-30 (with protection) to June 1 |
| Kale | Mar. 1 or July 1 (winter crop) | transplant Apr. 15 or Aug. 15 (for winter crop) |
| Leek | Feb. 1 to Mar. 1 | transplant May 1 |
| Lettuce | sow directly Apr. 15 | |
| Melon | May 1-15 | transplant May 21-30 (with protection) to June 1 |
| Onions | Seeds: March 1 | Transplant seedlings or direct-plant onion starts: Apr. 15 |
| Parsley | Mar. 1 | transplant Apr. 15-May 1 |
| Parsnip | sow directly Apr. 15 | |
| Pea | Apr. 8 (note: if you intend to transplant individual pea seedlings outdoors, follow this timing. If starting “gutter peas” indoors, start them around mid-March and transplant each gutter of them in mid-April.) | transplant Apr. 15 OR sow directly outdoors Apr. 15 |
| Pepper | Mar. 10 | transplant May 21-30 (with protection) to June 1 |
| Potato (seed potatoes) | approx. Apr. 15 | |
| Potato, sweet | Start your own “slips” in mid- to late March | approx. May 21-30 |
| Pumpkin | May 1-15 | transplant May 21-30 (with protection) to June 1 |
| Radish | Apr. 7-10 | |
| Spinach | sow directly Apr. 15 and/or Aug. 15 | |
| Squash (summer or winter varieties) | May 1-15 | transplant May 21-30 (with protection) to June 1 |
| Swiss chard | sow directly Apr. 15 | |
| Tomatillo | Mar. 15-30 | transplant May 21-30 (with protection) to June 1 |
| Tomato | Apr. 1 | transplant May 21-30 (with protection) |
Seed-Starting Information for ALL ZONES:
| Crop | Indoors | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|
| Arugula | In early spring as soon as the soil can be worked, or in late summer for a fall crop. | |
| Artichoke | Zones 7-11, grow as a perennial. Colder zones: begin vernalization of seed 3 months before last frost date. Refer to blog post on “Seed-starting terminology” for more information. | transplant after danger of frost is past. |
| Basil | Sow indoors about 6 weeks prior to last frost. | Transplant 2 weeks after last spring frost OR sow directly outdoors at that time. |
| Bean (pole or bush) | 2 weeks prior to last spring frost | transplant after danger of frost has passed OR sow directly outdoors at that time. |
| Beet | In early spring through summer | |
| Broccoli | 6 weeks before last spring frost. | transplant after danger of hard frosts has passed |
| Carrot | sow directly in early spring or throughout season | |
| Celery | 10 weeks before last spring frost date | transplant after danger of frost has passed |
| Cilantro | in spring OR the about 50 days before tomatoes ripen if pairing with them for salsa | |
| Corn | 2-3 weeks before danger of frost has passed or direct-sow | transplant after danger of frost has passed sow directly at that time |
| Cucumber | 2 weeks before last spring frost date | transplant (with protection for 2 weeks) after danger of frost has passed |
| Eggplant | 8-10 weeks before average last frost date | transplant after last frost date (with protection for 2-3 weeks) |
| Kale | 4 weeks before transplanting in garden in spring or in mid-summer for a winter crop | transplant in early spring or mid-August (for winter crop) |
| Leek | 8-10 weeks before last spring frost date | transplant about two weeks before last frost date |
| Lettuce | sow directly in early spring | |
| Melon | 2 weeks before last spring frost date | transplant after danger of frost has passed (with protection for 2 weeks) |
| Parsley | 6-8 weeks before transplanting out into garden in spring (or purchase plants at nursery) | transplant in early to mid-spring |
| Parsnip | sow directly in early spring | |
| Pea | indoors in early spring or sow directly (note: if you intend to transplant individual pea seedlings outdoors, sow them indoors about 6 weeks before your last frost date and transplant outdoors about a month before your last frost date. If starting “gutter peas” indoors, start them about 8 weeks before your last frost date and transplant each gutter of them about 4 weeks before the last frost date.) | transplant two weeks after germination indoors OR sow directly outdoors in early to mid-spring |
| Pepper | 9-10 weeks prior to last spring frost date | transplant after danger of frost has passed (with protection for 2 weeks) |
| Pumpkin | 2 weeks before last spring frost date | transplant after danger of frost has passed (with protection for 2 weeks) |
| Radish | sow directly in the garden in early spring | |
| Spinach | sow directly in early spring and/or late summer | |
| Squash (summer or winter varieties) | 2 weeks before last spring frost date | transplant after danger of frost has passed (with protection for 2 weeks) |
| Swiss chard | sow directly in early spring | |
| Tomatillo | 4 weeks before last anticipated spring frost | transplant after danger of frost has passed (with protection for 2 weeks) |
| Tomato | 6 weeks before last anticipated spring frost | transplant after danger of frost has passed (with protection for 2 weeks) |
I hope you will find this new section really helpful! If there’s additional information that you’d like to see, just drop me an email at Susan@SusansintheGarden.com.