Top 5 Vegetables to Grow in the Garden

The top five vegetables to grow in the garden have been chosen by a Certified Master Gardener with years of experience in vegetable gardening. These plants produce an abundant harvest in small spaces so the gardener can save more money.

Number 5 Best Vegetable to Grow: Potatoes

Potatoes can be labor-intensive depending on soil type. Sandy soils can be easily used to grow potatoes, whereas clay soils can be a bit more difficult. With some amendments to any soil, growing potatoes can be an easier plant to grow. Potatoes can even be grown in a bucket with success. Potato starts, called chits, should be bought and planted in early Spring in most climates for optimal success. Potatoes themselves are tubers, meaning they are large underground stems of the potato plant. Potatoes are ready to be dug up when the green plant turns brown and withers.

Number 4 Best Vegetable to Grow: Peas

Pea vines are easy to grow in almost any climate. The key to success is to know when to plant seeds into the ground. In Northern climates, the best time is early Spring. In Southern climates, the best time is Autumn. Pea seeds should be planted close to a trellis so that the vines can climb up the trellis. A garden trellis is easy to make out of wire and fence posts. These materials can often be found for free. Pea vines typically grow to be about 4 feet tall, depending on variety. When choosing a variety, be sure to pick one with disease and powdery mildew resistance, as powdery mildew can become a problem in wet climates. Pea vines first grow beautiful white blossoms then begin to produce pea pods. English garden peas are taken out of the pod and eaten, frozen, or canned. Sugar snap peas can be eaten or frozen in the pod but cannot be canned.

Number 3 Best Vegetable to Grow: Zucchini

Zucchini can be a prolific producer, provided seeds are planted in a sunny location and the plant is given room to grow. Reserve about 18 inches all the way around the seeds so that the fully mature plant does not become crowded. Though zucchini is in the family of cucumbers and other common vining plants, zucchini actually grows more in a bush fashion, so no trellising or staking is needed. Zucchini is best planted in Spring when all danger of frost is past and will continue to produce oblong fruits until August in most climates. Zucchini is quite versatile and can be used in soups, salads, stir fry, bread, or eaten raw by itself. Zucchini can easily be frozen but cannot be canned.

Number 2 Best Vegetable to Grow: Beans

Beans fresh from the garden are quite sweet and can be eaten raw. Green beans are typically grown in one of two ways: either in a bush or pole form, depending upon the type of seeds chosen. Pole beans need trellising or staking for optimum production, whereas bush beans, growing to be about 6 inches tall, need no trellising. Bush beans grow very well in raised beds. Both varieties continue to produce fruit from about late June through September in most regions. Beans are ready to be picked when pods are about four inches long. Provided optimum picking conditions are met, the plants will continue to produce pods. Either variety can be frozen or canned.

Number 1 Best Vegetable to Grow: Tomatoes

The number one best vegetable to grow in the garden is actually a fruit. Tomato plants are available in a number of varieties, from small, sweet cherry tomatoes to meaty Roma tomatoes. The novice gardener would be well-advised to purchase plant starts from a local nursery or Farmer’s Market and plant into the ground after all danger of frost is past. Certain climates, especially warmer ones, are more conducive to growing tomatoes from seed, whereas gardeners in most climates find it easier and more rewarding to purchase plant starts. Tomatoes can be grown in pots, raised or deep beds, or by using more traditional gardening methods. There are two varieties of tomato plants: bush and vining. Be sure to read the label of the plant start to ensure the correct variety is obtained. Vining tomatoes can do well trellised or staked or can be allowed to grow on the ground. Trellising or staking vining tomatoes often results in a more pleasing aesthetic, as well as better disease resistance. All tomatoes can be frozen, and some can be canned, depending on variety. A general rule of thumb is that tomatoes that are not red when ripe are less acidic and cannot be canned.

Growing potatoes, peas, zucchini, beans and tomatoes together can result in a robust, productive vegetable garden. Most can be started from seed, saving the budget-conscience gardener money. The average garden can save the average family about five hundred dollars per year. With many people tightening their belts, gardening can be a fun and relaxing way to save money.

For more information on starting a garden, see “How to Make a Garden Plot” and “Urban Garden Design”.

Resources: Seymour, John, The New Self-Sufficient Gardener, DK Publishing, New York, NY

Ruppenthal, R.J., Fresh Food From Small Spaces, Chelsea Green Publishing Company, White River Junction, Vermont