Tired of paying premium prices for vegetables? Want to get the freshest vegetables available? It’s time to grow your own. Whether you have a small plot or plan on a patio/container garden, here are our picks for the easiest veggies to grow.
Lettuce
Grows quickly, can be planted early in the season, and often produces a harvest soon after planted. Extreme heat can slow, or even kill the plant as the season progresses. Lettuce prefers full sun.
Cherry Tomatoes
Great for containers or gardens,these plants grow well from seedlings and produce many delicious tomatoes throughout the season. Plant in full sun and use stakes to keep stalks from falling over.
Radishes
Sow spring varieties directly in the garden 4—6 weeks before the last expected frost. Best when planted from seeds. Begin pulling spring radishes as soon as they’re large enough to use. Don’t let them get too big or they won’t taste good. They grow quickly and easily in a sunny spot.
Green Beans
Easy and fast-growing green beans are a tasty addition to any garden. They grow well from seeds. Read the directions on the packet and plant accordingly. They need at least six hours of sunlight and prefer to germinate in warm soil. Harvest when 4—6 inches long.
Cucumbers
Best to plant from seedlings and after temperatures have warmed sufficiently. They need a good amount of space (if planting on a patio, plant against a wall and stake or trellis the plants). Cucumbers also need a lot of sunshine and warmth. Harvest when they are a good size (size you’d find in the supermarket). Before harvesting make sure you know if you are growing pickling cucumbers (much smaller) or the regular-sized variety.
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1919, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.
