I am a vegetable serial killer.
That’s right. I have a brown thumb. My uncle just about summed up my skills when he once commented on my garden – “It’s kind of like survival of the fittest, isn’t it Kimberlee?” Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny Uncle Bob.
So, when I publish a post about the easiest organic vegetables to grow, you know they have to produce like weeds or they wouldn’t survive under my neglect care.
The good news is plants really don’t want to die. Surprising, right? And if you’re brave enough to give gardening a try, you’re going to discover that you ABSOLUTELY CAN plant an amazing and productive garden. You might just have to work a little harder to grow certain veggies or choose to stick to these Top 10 Survivors in my “survival of the fittest” garden.
Easiest Organic Vegetables to Grow
Peas
In my climate, peas are one of the first vegetables I plant in the garden and they are definitely among the easiest organic vegetables to grow. These little guys prefer cool growing conditions and will tolerate light frosts. They will germinate in soil temperatures between 4-24 degrees C. So, can I get a loud Hooray!!! Come on, let’s hear it for peas!!!! If you live in a cold climate, you feel my excitement.
Choose an early season variety and dig these seeds about an inch and a half into the ground. I love that I don’t have to worry about the spring winds whipping them away like the tiny carrot seeds (one reason I don’t plant my carrots early in the season). They stay snug in the soil until it’s time to reveal themselves.
And then they just grow and grow and grow…you’ll need netting or a pea tower for those tall growing varieties.
Tip: You can also plant mid-season and late varieties so you’ll have a continuous supply of peas.
Variety I’m growing this year
Super Sugar Snap Pea
As the name suggests, these guys are sweeter than the regular Sugar Snap and you can eat them pod and all. That is very important to the kids who tend to gobble these up before they even make it to the house.
Radishes
This is another crop that can be seeded directly in the garden as soon as your soil can be worked in spring. In fact, it doesn’t do well in the summer heat so plant them early. Radishes may be seen as simply a spicy salad topper, but they are amazing roasted in the oven and served as a simple side dish.
They also grow so fast, I don’t think there is time for these guys to perish.
Variety I’m growing this year
Cherry Belle Radish
Plant these radishes today and in 3 weeks you could be enjoying your first crop. Easy and fast to grow, you’ll love these bright red, cherry radishes.
Beans
Beans are so easy, beautiful and fun to grow. And there are SO many choices. Not just yellow or green, but purple and even striped. Have you heard of Dragon’s Tongue Bush Bean with its glorious purple streaks? Or how about the majestic, bright purple Royal Burgundy, which can handle cooler soils? Or “Scarlet Runner”, which will make you sigh in delight as it proudly shows off its eye-catching red flowers that attract hummingbirds. It’s gorgeous, my friends. And every garden needs a little gorgeous. So, plant yourself some beans.
Varieties I’m growing this year
Jacob’s Cattle (Baking Bean)
This is a favourite bean in our area and its perfect for all your baked bean recipes.
Provider (Bush Bean)
I really love this bean. It is very easy to grow and can be planted earlier than other beans, which means I get to eat fresh beans faster!
Rocdor (Pole Bean)
What can I say? It’s a tasty bean and I need something yellow to go with the above green beans.
Carminat (Pole Bean)
And, of course, to round things out I need a purple bean. Although they turn green after you cook them, these purple pods will “WOW” you with their Instagram worthy lavender blossoms. If you can’t find an organic version, try the Royal Burgundy.
Tomatoes
Even if I lived in a 100 square foot skyrise apartment building, I would find a way to grow a tomato plant because nothing compares to the taste of homegrown tomatoes. And they are so easy to grow. Well, you might want to stay away from those “upside down” tomato planters. They dry out easily. Best to plant your tomato in a large pot or in a garden. Tomatoes need an even supply of moisture. A thick layer of mulch will help hold in the moisture and prevent weeds from growing.
Just like beans, there are so many colours and sizes it will make your head spin. The most important consideration in our climate, other than taste, of course, is if there is enough time for the fruit to ripen. You’ll also have to choose between indeterminate and determinate varieties. I prefer determinate because a cage is usually enough to support them. The downside is all of your tomatoes will ripen almost at the same time. However, we have such a short growing season in our climate that this doesn’t really matter to me. If you choose an indeterminate, you will get tomatoes over a longer period of time, but prepare to prune and stake!
Varieties I’m growing this year
Mystery Keepers
This is the best storage tomato in my opinion. They ripen from the inside out so they can stay sitting on your counter for months after harvesting them before they turn red.
Sungold
I grow these cherry tomatoes every year because they are extra sweet and taste like tangy candy. I eat them right off the vine and throw them in salads.
Yellow Pear Tomato
These darling heirloom tomatoes produce the cutest, pear-shaped yellow cherry tomatoes that look like little fairy bells. Try them…just because!
Loose Leaf Lettuce
There is no reason you should have to buy salad greens if you don’t want to. I haven’t taken an official poll but these have to be the easiest of all crops to grow. Every two weeks I simply sprinkle a few teaspoons of seeds in my garden and lightly cover with soil. This will guarantee a fresh, continuous supply of leafy greens for all your salad needs.
Warning: Although leaf lettuce is easy to grow, slugs also love it. So, wash your greens carefully! I learned this lesson the hard way. Slug salad, anyone?
Variety I’m growing this year
Mesclun Gourmet Greens Mixture
Get ready for the most beautiful salads ever! This one package of seeds contains seven different tasty salad greens in varying shades of colour and texture – Arugula, Endive, Red Kale, Red and Green Romaine, Salad Bowl and Lolla Rossa Lettuce.
Carrots
Did you know carrots will grow even in sub-par soil? And that’s why I love the carrot.
Now, if you are a gardener, you may be thinking,” you’re wrong!”. Many sources will tell you if your soil is too heavy or rocky, you’ll need to plant your carrots in a raised bed. But if this were true, I would have never been able to grow a single carrot.
Although they do prefer a lighter soil so they can grow to their full and long potential, I have had success growing decent sized carrots even in my clay soil. In fact, I even managed to grow a carrot in my garden path. So, don’t be afraid to plant carrots.
Varieties I’m planting this year
Purple Dragon Carrot
I prefer a plain, old, regular orange carrot, but the kids get a kick out of the purple ones and they say they taste better. These carrots are actually orange inside with a yellow core.
Danvers Half long Carrot
If you have shallow soil like me, you may want to try the Danvers Half-Long carrot. They are about 6 inches long and have that perfect sweet, crunchy carrot taste.
Nantes Scarlet Carrot
This is another excellent carrot variety that has survived in my garden. Dependable, nearly coreless, sweet and stores well – What more could you want in a carrot?
Beets
As a northern gardener, my vegetable plot would not be complete without beets. This is a frost tolerant vegetable that definitely ranks high among the easiest organic vegetables to grow
The only problem is that I often forget to take them out of the ground until they have grown past their optimal size – making these roots a lot tougher than they would be otherwise.
If you can remember to harvest them on time and keep sowing every few weeks throughout the spring and summer, you can enjoy beets into the fall.
Varieties I’m planting this year
Boro
This will be the first year I plant this variety. They are touted as the sweetest beet variety. We will see.
Detroit Dark Red
This is an heirloom variety grown since 1892 that is still popular today. It’s the perfect all-purpose beet!
Herbs
If you enjoy herbs, then pick up as many as you like because there is a very good chance none of them will die. I have yet to kill an herb. Basil, dill, parsley, oregano, fennel, rosemary…they all grow really easily. In fact, if you are nervous about starting a garden, why not start with a simple herb garden? You don’t even need to plant a garden because they do really well (and sometimes better!) in containers
Onions
Onions have survived since the Bronze Age so it’s not surprising that they are easy to grow, right? Although I’ve never planted onions by seed, I do plant onion sets every spring. And by mid-summer I have good sized bulbs. It’s as easy as that!
Garlic
The most difficult part about growing garlic is not growing it. It’s remembering to plant it. Or motivating oneself to plant it at the end of the growing season. In our climate, you have to plant cloves in the fall and then you reap the rewards the following year.
What about zucchini, cucumbers and squash?
Now this is really embarrassing to admit, but zucchini, cucumbers and squash are also supposed to be among the easiest organic vegetables to grow. And yet I have not been able to successfully grow any of these. But that hasn’t stopped me from trying. Here are this year’s victims.
Let’s take a moment and pray for them before they meet their death in my garden…or not! Fingers crossed!
So, do you agree? Are these the easiest organic vegetables to grow or do you have one to add to the list? Let me know in the comments below!
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