Rhubarb season is relatively short, at around 8-10 weeks, and the window for picking is winding down. You need to know when to stop picking rhubarb each year to have strong crops next year. And that cutoff should be to stop in early July.

You can theoretically harvest rhubarb throughout the growing season. This is not advisable, though, as the plants need some time to recover from harvesting and replenish their energy reserves for the following year.

When you grow rhubarb, the end of June or early July is usually the end of the picking season. There may be time for one more harvest if you act quickly, but don’t push your luck and keep picking well into summer.

I used to work in the walled garden at a large, historic public garden. We harvested some rhubarb for the on-site café, but the vast majority of the stalks were sold to the public on a donation stall in the garden. There was a lot of rhubarb in this vegetable garden, and the stalks sold like hot cakes.

Year after year, I had to tell our enthusiastic volunteers when to stop harvesting rhubarb. It made sense to keep picking as long as stalks were available. But the risk of continuing harvesting for too long outweighed the benefits of making some extra cash.

In truth, my head gardener always wanted the picking to stop at the end of June, but we may have pushed it an extra week or 10 days into July.

When to Stop Picking Rhubarb

Knowing how to harvest rhubarb means you have the technique to pick flavorful stems without damaging your plants, but carrying on picking too long will affect the long-term health of your clumps.

While you do need to wait a few years after planting rhubarb to get a crop (you can get a live Rhubarb 'Victoria' plant at Plant Addicts), the temptation may be to pick as many stems for as long as possible in future years. That is a rhubarb growing mistake to avoid, or your plants won’t have the lifespan they may otherwise.

If cared for correctly, rhubarb plants can be productive for decades. And a key part of proper maintenance is understanding when to stop picking rhubarb.

The last harvests should be in early July. The window should last 8-10 weeks in late spring and early summer, when you can pick lots of stalks. However, stopping picking in early July gives plants lots of time to replenish their energy for the future.

Your rhubarb can spend the rest of summer photosynthesizing and building up energy supplies in its roots. This guarantees the plant has the reserves needed to burst into growth again next spring.

If you continued harvesting into summer, the stalks would get thinner as the plant lacked the energy to produce thick, flavorful stems. And you certainly wouldn’t get a good crop of stems to pick next year.

The sight of thin, spindly stalks on your plants is definitely a sign you need to stop picking if you haven’t already. A weakened rhubarb plant won’t have the energy to keep providing you with stems for years to come.

Rhubarb needs lots of nutrients to produce the large stalks and leaves. To ensure your plants have the essential nutrients they need, stop picking in early summer to store energy and fertilize with a phosphorus-rich fertilizer (like this tomato and vegetable fertilizer at Burpee) in fall and a nitrogen-rich fertilizer in spring.

For the best long-term harvests, it is also important to divide rhubarb plants every five years. The clumps get congested over the years, and produce weaker, thinner stems as a result. Lifting and dividing them reinvigorates the clumps and gives you new ones to add to the garden.

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There are so many different ways to grow tomatoes. But, the latest idea I've found is ingenious if your tomatoes are looking tall, thin and floppy: you can grow tomatoes sideways to make them stronger.

It may sound a little strange at first because this method of growing tomatoes requires burying the tomato stem in a trench. Roots then grow from the buried leaf nodes, resulting in a stronger root system. It's the perfect solution to saving leggy or weak tomatoes, so you can still have a good harvest.

But, this method will only work if you use it in the right circumstances and manage it correctly. Here, we talk through how this tomato growing hack works.

Why Grow Tomatoes Sideways?

It's not uncommon for tomato plants to grow a little bit leggy and weak, either due to tomato growing mistakes or unpredictable weather. But, you can still save your harvest by using the method to grow tomatoes sideways.

'Planting tomatoes in a trench is an ideal solution if your plants have gotten a bit leggy, which happens regularly due to high temperatures or a lack of sunlight,' says Drew Swainston, Gardens Content Editor at Homes & Gardens.

'Planting them sideways into a trench takes advantage of a clever trait tomatoes have: growing extra roots along the stem. A stronger overall root system means the plant can take in more water and nutrients, and you’ll get a sturdier and more drought-tolerant plant,' he explains.

But, it isn't as simple as burying your tomato plant. There is some careful preparation and management required to ensure you still harvest tomatoes this summer.

How to Grow Tomatoes Sideways

To grow tomatoes sideways you first need to clean the stem by removing all the leaves, except those at the very top.

You should use clean and sharp pruning tools when doing this to ensure the plant stays healthy. These Fiskars pruning snips from Amazon are a reliable choice.

To actually plant the stem sideways, create a trench in your planting bed. You want it to be just 4-6" deep in nutrient-rich compost, accommodating the length of the stem.

Then, lay the stem down sideways and bury it, gently bending the top of the stem upwards so the leaves stick out above surface level. Make sure the existing root ball is covered.

'Don’t worry about the stem curving or bending; the plant will quickly find its way and start growing upwards towards the sun after planting,' says Drew.

Putting a support in place to help train the exposed part of the stem will encourage it to climb upwards. These bamboo stakes from Amazon work well, or you can use the tomato string method.

Water well to help it settle. In as little as 1-2 weeks, the buried leaf nodes will develop new roots.

'Sideways planting buries a large portion of the stem, and the tomato plant will respond to that by growing lots of roots along the buried section,' Drew explains.

As the bigger root system develops, your tomato plant will become more drought-tolerant, cope better with hot summer days, and will be less likely to become leggy.

Don't forget to continue pruning tomato plants when growing them like this. Removing side shoots (or 'suckers' which appear between the main stem and branches) helps redirect the plant's energy to fruiting, resulting in a bigger harvest.

What to Shop

This is just one way to increase tomato yields if your tomato plant is struggling. Fertilizing your tomatoes with a high-potash feed (like this tomato fertilizer from Amazon) also supports flowering and fruit production.

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July offers gardeners ideal conditions for planting many ornamental and edible plants. The summer days are warm and long, making it a very productive time for sowing, as seeds will germinate and grow quickly. Whether you aspire to grow flowers, vegetables, herbs, or all three, we look at what to plant in July.

The truth is, there is a fantastic range of plants to sow that can provide blooms or crops for a very long period of time. From fast annuals for late summer to perennials for spring blooms. And speedy crops for quick harvests to hardier winter crops for food during the colder months. The one task you’ll need to remember this month is to water any sowings deeply after planting to stop the soil drying out.

To fill your garden with plants, why not take advantage of the great conditions in July? This guide to what to plant in July covers vegetables, flowers, bulbs, and herbs to boost your backyard ideas. You’ll get beautiful displays, bountiful harvests, and a colorful, packed garden to enjoy for many months, or even years.

Plant Fast-Growing Annuals for Summer Color

You may look out across your garden and see flowers in full bloom, but it is not too late to add to this year’s display.

A great selection of fast-growing annual flowers, including zinnias, marigolds, cosmos, viola, and nasturtium, can be sown this month into beds or containers and give you a beautiful display in the weeks and months to come.

These plants can be sown directly into their growing position, or started indoors and transplanted.

If you opt for the latter, biodegradable pots offer an ideal solution, as you’ll avoid disturbing the roots when you transplant the seedlings. You can get biodegradable fiber pots at Burpee.

Plant Perennials For Future Displays

July offers a chance to plan for the future and start growing perennials that can bring color and texture to flower beds for years to come.

Starting perennials from seed is a cost-effective way to bolster and boost your future displays, and you can admire the blooms each year with the satisfaction that you have grown that plant from scratch.

You can sow seeds of delphinium, columbine, coneflower, foxgloves, and lupins in July. These are best sown into trays or pots filled with a quality seed compost, like this organic seed starter at Amazon. The plants can be potted up after they germinate and planted out either in fall or the following spring.

Plant Biennials

July is also the window for planting biennials that will bloom in 12 months. These plants will develop foliage this season, and burst into flower next year – often coming to the fore in the gap between the spring bulbs and the summer perennials.

Biennials are very useful yet often underrated plants, usually overshadowed by their annual or perennial counterparts. But they do offer a valuable role to gardeners looking for color and texture throughout the seasons.

Biennials you can sow this month include sweet williams, foxgloves, honesty, and wallflower.

Plant Fast-Maturing Vegetables

In July, the warm soils and air provide an ideal environment for sowing fast-growing vegetables directly into the ground with a view to enjoying harvests in summer and early fall.

Summer lettuces, turnips, radishes, beets, and fast-maturing varieties of carrots top the list of speedy crops to sow.

Keep the soil consistently moist for great germination and healthy growth, and thin seedlings as they develop to give the veggies room to grow.

Also, regularly weed around plants with a garden hoe to eliminate any unwanted competition for water and nutrients. Depending on the crop, you’ll be able to start harvesting in as little as 30-40 days.

Plant Winter Crops

As well as short-term harvests, you can think longer term by sowing and planting vegetables in July that will reward you with harvests throughout the colder months.

While temperatures may be warm, a good number of hardy vegetables can be planted this month to pick well into fall and winter, and potentially even in spring.

Brassicas like kale, cabbage, and cauliflower, as well as Swiss chard, leeks, and corn salad, will get going in summer, and their growth slows come fall.

But the crops continue to develop and will be ready for picking in late fall or winter, or they can be left to overwinter in the vegetable garden for spring harvests.

Plant Fall-Flowering Bulbs

When you mention bulbs, most people will first think of spring bulbs, then potentially summer bulbs.

Unfortunately, fall-flowering bulbs are often overlooked. Don’t let that be the case, as July is an ideal time to plant them while they are dormant, and they will burst into glorious flower come fall.

Colchicums, also known as autumn crocus, are my favorite, offering delicate pink or purple flowers before any foliage (which appears in spring). Also, cyclamen, oxalis, and nerine can all be planted this month to bring color to the garden later in the year.

The planting rules for fall-flowering bulbs are the same as any others – plant them in well-draining soil and at a depth two to three times their height.

Plant Speedy Herbs

It is not too late to plant herbs for picking this season to use in the kitchen. Whether in a herb garden, herb planter, or on a windowsill, there is still time for homegrown pickings, all thanks to some of the fastest-growing herb plants.

The likes of cilantro, dill, basil, chives, and parsley all germinate speedily and can go from sowing to picking in 60 days or under.

All of those mentioned can be sown directly into the soil this month. Sow the seeds thinly in rows spaced about 12 inches apart, cover them with a thin layer of soil, and keep the soil consistently moist.

Direct sowing is best, as some of those mentioned, particularly dill and cilantro, have taproots and dislike being transplanted.

When discussing what to plant in July, we need to touch on shrubs and trees. While container-grown plants can theoretically be planted in July, it is not a recommended time for planting shrubs or trees.

The hot temperatures and dry conditions not only put the plants at risk of stress but places extra responsibility and workload on the shoulders of gardeners to keep the soil moist in summer. It is better to wait until conditions are cooler to add these larger plants to your garden.

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July is a significant month for growing okra. The heat-loving crop, also known as ladies’ fingers, is highly productive in summer, and a few crucial tasks this month will bring you a bumper harvest of pods to pick.

Regular harvesting is the most important job for July if you are growing okra in your vegetable garden. Along with picking, take time to water, feed, support, and keep plants pest-free to ensure the harvests keep coming. If you garden in the hottest climates, though, there is an extra task you can do that will reward you with extra crops.

Okra does need regular attention this month, and keeping on top of these tasks is important for the best yield throughout the summer and onwards. Here’s what to do with okra in July to pick the finest pods and to have healthy plants that will keep on producing new ones to pick in the future.

1. Harvest Pods Every Few Days

July is a peak time for harvesting okra pods, and you want to get them at their prime. Good timing is imperative, as young pods are tender and a delicacy, while older ones are tough and woody.

Regular harvesting is an important part of what to do with okra in July. It is advisable to pick them little and often every few days rather than opting for more infrequent, larger harvests.

The perfect pods are 2-3 inches long. Picking them often encourages the plant to keep producing new ones, whereas leaving mature pods slows down the development.

Use small pruners (like these Fiskars pruning snips at Walmart) or a sharp knife to harvest okra pods. Don’t pull the pods, as okra plants have very shallow roots, and you risk damaging the entire plant.

It is also advisable to wear gloves and long sleeves (you can get gardening sleeves at Amazon to stay protected) when working with okra plants. The stems, leaves, and pods have fine hairs that can irritate the skin.

2. Keep the Soil Moist

Okra is a fairly drought-tolerant vegetable once established in its planting spot, but this doesn’t mean it doesn’t need to be kept hydrated during July.

When okra is flowering and fruiting, it is a key time to keep the soil consistently moist to guarantee the best harvests. For the best yield, give okra at least one inch of water per week, though this amount can increase in hotter climates.

Keep a close eye on when to water plants, checking at least once a day during the summer months. Check the moisture levels a few inches under the surface, and water plants deeply to soak the root zone.

Always water the soil around the plants, rather than soaking them from above. Watering the foliage increases the risk of fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew. A soaker hose (such as this 25 ft flat soaker hose, available at Amazon) or drip irrigation is an efficient way to direct water into the soil and to the roots of the plants.

3. Feed Okra Plants in Pots

Okra plants benefit from balanced fertilizer at the time of planting. Those growing in the ground don’t tend to need extra feeding during the season, unless they show signs of struggling, such as slow growth or yellowing foliage. In this case, use a balanced liquid fertilizer, like this all-purpose plant food from Amazon.

If you are growing okra in pots in a vegetable container garden, these plants will need regular feeding throughout July and the rest of summer. The best fertilizers for these plants are higher in potassium, such as this Farmer’s Secret fruit and bloom booster fertilizer, also at Amazon. Apply this fertilizer every two or three weeks once the okra starts flowering.

The big fertilizing mistake to avoid is giving okra plants too much nitrogen this month. Using high-nitrogen feeds will result in a mass of foliage and leafy growth, but few flowers or pods.

4. Support Plants if Needed

Okra can reach four to six feet tall, depending on the variety, so they ideally need to be staked, especially in windy gardens. The plants are often self-supporting, thanks to their woody stems, but taller varieties do need staking to keep them secure during the season, especially when they are top-heavy.

The easiest type of plant support for okra is a sturdy bamboo cane (like these eight-foot bamboo plant stakes at Home Depot) or landscape stake.

A single support is required per plant, as they are not the types of plants that will climb a vegetable garden trellis. Alternatively, you can construct a tall tomato cage around plants to contain and stop them from falling over when laden with pods.

Use thin plant ties when attaching the okra stem to the support, such as twine, cloth, or Velcro straps, and don’t tie it too tightly.

5. Check for Pests

July is a time when okra can be under attack from many different summer garden pests, whether the crop is growing indoors or outdoors. Aphids, spider mites, flea beetles, stink bugs, and caterpillars are all known to trouble okra and can feed on leaves, stems, and pods.

Look out for signs of pest issues and take prompt action to stop populations from increasing quickly. It is recommended to pay particular close attention to the underside of foliage.

Smaller pests can be knocked off the plant with a strong blast of water from a garden hose, and insecticidal soap can combat populations (you can get ready-to-use insecticidal soap at Walmart, but use it with care as it can also kill beneficial insects). Larger pests can be manually picked off by hand and placed into a container filled with soapy water.

To reduce pest populations, try companion planting okra with aromatic herbs like chives, dill, and chamomile to repel insects or beneficial flowers such as marigolds or nasturtiums, which both deter pests from okra and attract natural predators.

6. Cut Okra Plants Back

In the hottest US hardiness zones, okra plants tend to slow down and stop producing flowers and pods. This can happen in late July or early August in the warmest southern climates, and growers often prune plants as a result.

It may sound brutal, but cutting okra plants back to around one or two feet from the ground in midsummer encourages the plants to produce a smaller, second crop of pods. If you do this technique, fertilize the plants with a balanced feed after pruning, and keep on top of watering to encourage healthy new growth.

A granular, balanced feed, such as this organic, all-purpose plant food from Burpee, is the best product. It offers plants all the essential nutrients they need to regrow and provide a second round of pods from late summer into fall.

What to Shop

If you enjoy collecting seeds to regrow your own vegetables next year, you can do this with okra. However, wait until later in the season to start. To harvest okra seeds, leave some pods to develop later in the fall. If you leave them in the summer, the plant will stop producing new ones to harvest.

So wait until the picking is winding down for the season; only then leave some pods to grow large, brown, and brittle. You can snip these from the plants and collect the seeds to sow again.

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As the temperatures soar in the summer, cool-season crops are always likely to bolt. It is a frustrating yet natural process, and one that gardeners consistently battle with year after year.

Vegetables, including lettuce, spinach, arugula, radishes, and Asian greens, bolt and start to flower when temperatures pass 70°F. However, there are ways to prevent bolting vegetables, such as proper watering, mulching, providing shade to your crops, and planting them at the right time.

I have seen many crops bolt over my years growing vegetables. While I have lost many potential harvests, I have also picked up a few tips to reduce the chances of bolting vegetables blotting your kitchen garden. Whatever the size of your vegetable garden, these five factors can make a difference each season.

1. Be Consistent With Watering

Regular, consistent watering can reduce stress on your crops and lessen the chances of you looking at rows and rows of bolting vegetables you need to remove from the garden.

True, temperatures will affect when a vegetable bolts. But the likelihood of it happening increases when a crop is under stress from a lack of moisture. Vegetables suffering from drought stress will also start to bolt at lower temperatures.

To avoid this happening, check your plants often (a moisture meter can make it obvious when it is time to water – you can get a soil moisture meter at Amazon) and keep them well hydrated. Infrequent deep watering is more beneficial than little-and-often watering, and offers the best way to keep soil moist in the summer.

So your watering makes the most impact; water the vegetable garden in the morning on hot days. This helps prevent the soil from drying out and gives crops time to take up moisture before the temperatures rise.

2. Mulch to Regulate Temperature and Moisture

Heat and moisture are two factors that cause bolting of vegetables. An efficient way to combat both is by mulching the vegetable garden.

Mulching around crops regulates soil temperature. The thick barrier keeps the rays at bay, so the soil around the roots stays cool rather than getting baking hot. The layer also locks moisture in the ground, meaning less water is lost to evaporation, and your plants can take advantage.

Use organic products for this. The best organic mulch for a vegetable garden includes compost, straw, bark (you can get bags of pine bark mulch at Lowe’s), or shredded leaves. Spread it in a nice, thick 2-3 inch layer around your vegetables.

3. Give Crops Some Shade

High temperatures usually kick-start cool-season vegetables into survival mode, where they bolt in an attempt to flower and produce seed before their time is nigh. Giving crops some shade from the sun reduces the temperature by several degrees and can be the difference between bolting and non-bolting vegetables.

Gardeners can use shade cloth to cover plants. It is ideal to opt for a shade cloth that keeps out 50% of the light, such as this breathable shade cloth at Amazon.

You need to install the cloth over some hoops (like these fiberglass hoops at Walmart) to keep it raised off the crops. As the cloth heats up, if it is touching the vegetables, it can burn them.

An alternative way of providing more natural shade is through companion planting. You can plant cool-season, heat-sensitive crops under the partial shade of taller vegetables, including pole beans, tomatoes, or corn.

4. Pick Bolt-Resistant Varieties

One efficient way to avoid the issue of bolting vegetables is to be savvy when shopping for seeds. There are bolt-resistant varieties of many vegetables to plant, including spinach, lettuces, and Asian greens.

In truth, bolt-resistant varieties aren’t a guarantee. They have been bred using modern techniques to be more resilient to temperatures or inconsistent watering, but they can still bolt under extreme conditions.

Adding some bolt-resistant or heat-tolerant varieties of cool-season crops to your seed sowing schedule can help alleviate potential worries about vegetables bolting.

For example, you can get bolt-resistant Seaside spinach seeds at Burpee and bolt-resistant Jericho lettuce seeds at True Leaf Market to try out if you regularly suffer from these crops bolting each season.

5. Time Your Planting Right

Often, gardeners see their crops bolt because they have been planted a bit outside of the ideal.

We have all sown cool-season crops a bit too late in spring, which leads them to bolt once the summer temperatures arrive. Even fast-growing vegetables can lack the time to go from sowing to cropping if sown in late spring or early summer.

Ensure you give them enough time to mature. Work out the days to maturity – which you can often find on seed packets or online – and sow them at the appropriate time. If you miss the spring sowing, you can often sow again in late summer for harvests in the fall.

To avoid complete losses, radishes, lettuce, spinach, and arugula can be planted successively.

Starting early in spring (once the ground is warm enough, or even sowing seeds indoors) and sowing these every few weeks will give you different ages of crop in the kitchen garden. If they do bolt in the summer, you should have already had some harvests, and you don’t lose an entire crop.

Sometimes, bolting happens, and you have to deal with it. However, it doesn’t always mean you need to throw the crop away.

With some crops, like lettuce and spinach, the larger leaves can turn bitter, yet the smaller ones remain flavorful – it is not a total loss.

When it comes to bolting onions, though, you can lift the bulb and use it straight away in the kitchen. The bulbs may be smaller than ideal, but you can still harvest the onions and eat them.

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My tomato plants have been off to a slow start this year, so I've been looking for organic solutions to encourage faster growth. That's when I stumbled across a hack: making nettle tea fertilizer for tomatoes.

It's an old-school gardening trick to fertilize tomatoes with nettle-infused water, which is packed with nutrients, including nitrogen for vegetative growth. Giving your tomatoes nettle tea fertilizer from spring to early summer encourages strong leaves and stems, setting the plant up for healthy flowering and fruit production later on.

It's really best used before flowers appear, at which point you can switch to a specific tomato fertilizer to support fruiting (like this tomato fertilizer on Amazon). The best part is it's really easy to make your own tomato fertilizer with nettle tea, though it does need to be used correctly to be effective. Here's how it works.

Why Use Nettle Tea for Tomatoes?

It's surprisingly effective to make plant fertilizer using weeds, as they're packed with essential plant nutrients. Nettles in particular are a popular choice for giving plants like tomatoes a boost of nitrogen.

What nitrogen does for plants is aid vegetative, leafy growth. For tomatoes, this means encouraging strong stems and foliage ahead of flowering.

'When tomatoes start to flower, you want the focus to be on fruit production rather than vegetative growth,' explains Drew Swainston, Gardens Content Editor at Homes & Gardens. 'At this point, the best tomato fertilizer is high in potassium, like this tomato feed on Amazon.

'So, you should only use nettle tea fertilizer for tomatoes during early growth, up until flowers appear; otherwise, it could encourage excessive foliage and reduce your yield,' he adds.

Of course, the benefits of nettle tea fertilizer also extend to the fact it's free to make and eco-friendly, with no chemicals required.

But you do have to make it carefully and use it correctly to get the desired results – here's what you need to know.

How to Make Nettle Tea Fertilizer

There are just a handful of steps to make nettle tea fertilizer for tomatoes:

1. Put on thorn-proof gardening gloves (like these floral ones from Walmart) to protect your skin. You can then collect fresh nettles from your garden, picking tender tops. You can use pruning shears as an extra precaution to prevent stinging (like these Fiskars bypass pruning shears from Amazon). You should collect enough to fill a bucket halfway (this can be any size bucket, but a 5-gallon bucket is a good choice – like this one from Lowe's).
2. Rinse the nettles to clean off dirt and insects, and then begin chopping them. You can use a kitchen knife or pruning shears to cut them up into smaller pieces. This helps release the nutrients for the fertilizer.
3. Then, fill your bucket. The leaves should come up halfway and you can fill the rest of it with water, making sure the leaves are submerged.
4. You should then leave it to steep for 2-3 weeks, stirring occasionally. It's best to put a breathable cover on the bucket to stop debris and insects getting in, and to contain the strong smell from fermentation. This mesh garden cover from Amazon works well.
5. The tea is ready to use when it is dark and doesn't bubble after being stirred. You should dilute it one cup nettle tea to 10 parts water before applying to your tomato plants every couple of weeks until they flower. Any stronger or more frequent risks root burn from an overload of nutrients.

What to Shop

This is just one way to increase your tomato yields. You can also use tomato tapping to ensure every flower is pollinated and turns into fruit, and prune tomato plants to remove side shoots draining energy.

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June is a traditional time for gardeners to plant pumpkins and squashes out into the vegetable garden. What is vital to success is that the crops need consistent soil moisture around the roots, and I have two tricks that I have found make a difference when watering these plants.

Neither of these hacks is complicated. One is to plant a pot in the soil next to the plant, so you water into the pot and it delivers moisture to the roots. The other is to mark where you planted the crop, so you know exactly where to water, as it can get confusing when pumpkins produce all their vines and foliage.

When you are growing pumpkins or squashes, it takes mere seconds to dig a pot in the ground and mark the spot with a short bamboo cane. These two simple tricks help with watering pumpkins in hot weather. They make a big difference to how efficiently you water the crop, and give you a plentiful harvest.

Why Pumpkins Need Regular Watering

Pumpkins and squash plants need consistent watering to develop their vines and produce fruit. Many common issues growers experience throughout the season can stem from watering problems – but there are ways to alleviate them.

The plants have two particular traits that contribute to their need for regular moisture throughout the season.

Firstly, plants have shallow roots. Pumpkin roots inhabit only the top 12-18 inches of soil (it can be just 6-12 inches for squash plants), making them more susceptible to drought stress than crops with deep roots that can access moisture deeper in the soil.

The crops need the top zone of the soil to be moist, and those top inches can dry out quickly during hot summer days. Also, the plant’s large foliage actively loses moisture on hot days.

For an abundant harvest of pumpkins to pick, they require an inch of water weekly, though this demand jumps to two inches when the summer heat escalates, or fruits begin to swell. If you have any aspiration to grow a giant pumpkin, feeding it lots of water and nutrients is essential as the fruit develops.

Maintaining consistent soil moisture is vital for the overall health of your crop; a lack of hydration often results in stunted vines, wilting foliage, or yellowing pumpkin leaves - a clear distress signal that your plants are struggling.

That is where any aids for watering pumpkins in hot weather come in handy.

How Does It Help With Watering Pumpkins in Hot Weather?

The ideal way to water pumpkins is to water the soil. Soaking the ground rather than the foliage gets essential moisture to the roots, where it is needed the most.

This can be done with a drip irrigation or a soaker hose, but these mean forking out for a new kit. However, you can put in an efficient watering system using materials most gardeners have lying around in abundance.

Digging a pot into the soil when planting pumpkins is an efficient way to direct the water to the roots. It doesn’t need to be a big pot; I have done it with a four or five-inch-wide plastic container. You can get suitable nursery pots at Amazon if you don't have any spare in your shed.

When you water plants, simply pour water into the pot to fill it up. The water will slowly soak out of the drainage holes into the soil (it might sound obvious, but make sure you use a pot with drainage holes) around the roots and efficiently hydrate the plant.

Delivering the water to the root zone is always better than watering from above. Wetting the foliage can lead to fungal diseases on pumpkins. This includes powdery mildew – a common issue that causes pumpkin leaves to turn white as fungal growth coats the top surface of foliage.

This pumpkin watering technique also works superbly for growing squash plants, which have shallow roots, too. That includes growing butternut squash, delicata squash, acorn squash, and other winter and summer squash.

As the season progresses, watering pumpkins can potentially get confusing, especially if you have a packed patch with lots of plants. A mass of vines and foliage can be disorientating. You know you need to water or fertilize the center of the plant, but how can you find it among all those sprawling vines?

That is where the simple task of marking each plant with a cane comes in super-handy. You can find the center of the plant easily, even when it grows lots of vines and foliage, and you know the perfect place to water and fertilize pumpkins. A simple marker also allows you to use a soil moisture meter in the perfect place to check the water levels in the root zone.

Just use a bamboo pole, wooden markers, metal plant stakes, or more decorative markers, depending on your preferred aesthetic or what you have to hand. Personally, I have only used a basic bamboo pole (you can get a range of bamboo stakes at Lowe's), but these decorative pumpkin stakes at Wayfair look attractive and can add a more personal touch to your plot.

To retain moisture in the soil and regulate soil temperature, mulching around pumpkins and squash plants after you put them into the kitchen garden is beneficial. Use organic types of mulch, such as compost, leaf mold, or bark chippings (such as this bag of pine bark mulch at Lowe's), and spread them in a layer 2-4 inches thick around the plant.

What to Shop

Growing pumpkins can be simple, but there are always challenges along the road. You can spend time watering pumpkins in hot weather, feeding plants, and weeding the crop, but there remains the risk of pests that may trouble the crop.

A great form of natural pest control I recommend is companion planting. You can use the likes of chamomile, marjoram, catnip, and nasturtiums for companion planting with pumpkins. These flowers and herbs repel many typical pumpkin pests, as well as attract beneficial insects to naturally deal with them.

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Potatoes are among the simplest vegetables to grow, but a step often forgotten or neglected is earthing them up. It is as simple as regularly drawing soil, straw, or other materials around the plants to encourage more shoots and tubers to develop. Yes, it is a bit of extra maintenance, but it more than pays off come harvest time.

This simple task goes by several names; depending on where you grow your crops, it may be known as earthing, mounding, or hilling up potatoes. No matter what you call it, it is a really important part of growing potatoes, as it gives you a better yield. If you bypass hilling up potatoes, you end up with fewer potatoes to harvest and are more likely to have inedible green tubers.

Experienced growers are likely to earth up potatoes with regularity. Those new to it may look at others covering healthy potato plants with soil with confusion, or see this traditional step in the process as unnecessary. It is vital, though, and you should earth up potatoes in the ground, as well as those in raised beds, pots, buckets, or grow bags.

Why Growers Earth up Potatoes

Early in the potato growing calendar, the key jobs are chitting tubers and planting them at the right time in spring. After you plant potato tubers in the ground, you usually need to do very little until stems show through the soil – except watering the crop during an unusually dry spell.

Once they do show, hilling up offers several advantages, and you should do it with all types of potatoes.

Primarily, there is more space for side shoots, which means more tubers to harvest. When you earth up potatoes, you give the plant space to grow extra tubers from the buried parts of the stems, increasing your total yield come the end of the season.

As tubers develop, they can get pushed upwards and break through the soil surface. This is not ideal; you want tubers to develop in the dark. If the tubers are exposed to light, they turn green and inedible.

Green potatoes contain poisonous toxins and need to be discarded. By hilling up potatoes regularly, the tubers remain covered as they develop. Covering them prevents greening, so your tubers stay edible, and helps you grow bigger potatoes.

When you earth up potatoes, it also protects young shoots from late frosts and smothers weeds that may pop up around your crop. Potato crops can recover from light frosts, though it sets them back, but deep frosts can signal the end for the plants. If a frost is forecast, hilling up potatoes prevents unnecessary harm.

When to Earth up Potatoes

Don’t start hilling up potatoes too early. Just as placing the tubers too deep is a potato planting mistake, covering them with extra soil too early is too. It can delay the emergence of stems and create an unnecessarily thick layer that young stems may struggle to break through.

The right time is when the plants reach 6 to 8 inches tall. Whenever I see the stems showing that much from the soil in my vegetable garden, I know it is time to head out and earth up potatoes.

You should do the task every few weeks, each time once the plants poke that same amount out of the pile of earth. I usually earth up potatoes three times during the season, but, depending on their growth, some gardeners may do it a fourth.

If you ever see the ground heaving around plants or tubers starting to show through the soil, it is beneficial to mound around the plants to prevent issues.

How to Earth up Potatoes

The easiest way to earth up potatoes is to use the soil around the plants and drag it up around them. Draw the soil up and pile it around the stems, leaving just an inch or two of stems poking out the top of the mound, and gently pack the soil down around the plants.

I would say that the best tool for hilling up potatoes (and my go-to gardening tool for this task) is a garden hoe, more specifically a draw hoe, like this garden hoe at Lowe’s. This type of hoe has a metal head attached at a right angle to the handle, and it is ideal for breaking up and drawing soil around the plants.

Alternatively, I have used a garden spade (like this steel spade at Ace Hardware) before to scoop dirt from between the rows of potatoes and draw it around my potato plants. This tactic works, but you do need to be careful not to remove too much soil too close to the plants.

Or, if you don’t have a hoe or spade to hand, you could use a sturdy metal rake (ideally one like this steel bow rake, also at Ace Hardware) to drag soil into piles.

The Best Materials for Hilling up Potatoes

As mentioned above, using soil is the easiest and most obvious way to earth up potatoes. The resource is close by and easy to draw into place around plants. But there are other alternatives for hilling up potatoes that some gardeners may want to consider:

• Compost is one choice, such as shop-bought compost like this at premium organic compost at Walmart. I have used compost for this task when growing potatoes in containers (I go into detail about hilling up potatoes in pots below). It might end up costly to use compost for long rows of potatoes, so it may only be a realistic option for a few potato plants.
• Grass clippings can be used to earth up potatoes. If you ever wonder what to do with grass clippings after mowing, one potential is to use for hilling up potatoes. Let them dry for a day or two, and then apply them to your potatoes in thin layers, usually just an inch or two thick at a time.
• Straw is another natural material that gardeners can use for earthing up potatoes. It is important to use straw, not hay, as the latter can harbor unwanted grass and weed seeds. You can get a box of USA pine straw at Lowe's. Cover the stems as they appear and wet the straw to keep it in place. One advantage of hilling up potatoes with straw is that it makes harvesting potatoes easier than digging through lots of soil.

FAQs

How Do I Earth up Potatoes in Containers?

If you grow potatoes in a bucket, pot, or grow bag, there is an easy way to earth up potatoes. Start the process off by covering your planted potatoes with a few inches of soil. Once the stems have grown through the soil, cover them with more compost, and repeat this until the container is full. This regular process of hilling potatoes in containers helps you get the best yields.

Hilling up potatoes helps you have strong yields, but so does feeding the crop. For the best results, start fertilizing potatoes ahead of planting. A great way to do this is to add a slow-release all-purpose fertilizer to the site, such as this organic all-purpose granular plant food at Burpee. You can also feed plants once you start earthing up with a tomato feed high in phosphorus and potassium. Do this every two or three weeks until the month before you intend to harvest the crop.

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As a beginner vegetable grower, I'm trying to navigate the right time to plant out certain crops in my garden. It all comes down to whether they're cool or warm-season vegetables, and fundamentally, the temperature of the soil.

The difference between the two is when these kitchen garden goods grow and the optimal conditions required. Cool-season crops, including leafy greens like spinach and lettuce, are best planted before the scorching summer temps. Meanwhile, warm-season crops, like legumes and cucurbits, prefer the soil to be much warmer. Planting vegetables at the wrong time can shock the plants and hinder your harvest.

The trick to being successful is knowing the exact soil temperature to plant vegetables, and a handy soil thermometer (like this one from Amazon) can help you monitor this. Here, Drew Swainston, Gardens Content Editor at Homes & Gardens, reveals all about cool and warm-season crops.

The Optimal Soil Temperature For Cool-Season Crops

If you're hoping to grow lots of salad crops, like lettuce, spinach, and arugula, or root vegetables, like carrots and radishes, then it's important to know the right soil temperature for cool-season crops.

'Soil temperature is a crucial yardstick for planting vegetables. Your plants will establish efficiently if they are planted when the soil is just the right level,' explains Drew. 'If you do it too early, the plants are liable to sit there in cold soil sulking like a surly teenager,' he warns.

'The exact temperatures do vary slightly, depending on the crop, but for cool-season crops, the soil needs to be at least 45-50°F,' Drew notes.

Some crops are able to tolerate lower temperatures, notably lettuce, spinach, and potatoes, but Drew says to think of 45°F as a safe marker.

This tends to be the vegetables to plant in spring and vegetables to plant in fall, when conditions are milder. Of course, exact timing will depend on the climate in your US hardiness zone, so it's important to keep up to date with your local forecast.

You should use a reliable soil thermometer (like this one from Burpee) to check the temperature is consistently between 45-50°F for a week to 10 days, to ensure its a reliable planting window.

You can also get a soil thermometer that also tells you about moisture, pH levels, and sunlight exposure, like this 4-in-1 digital soil meter from Amazon.

The Optimal Soil Temperature For Warm-Season Crops

Popular warm-season crops include some legumes, cucurbits, tomatoes, and peppers, as well as other vegetables to plant in June. These vegetables require much warmer soil conditions for planting out.

'When it comes to warm-season crops, they would be in for a shock if you planted them at similar temperatures to cool-season ones,' Drew warns.

'These plants want warm roots, and their need for snug conditions means the soil should reach consistently 65-70°F before planting them,' he notes.

Of course, you may have started seeds indoors or in a greenhouse earlier in the season to get a head start. But, you should wait to transplant them until its warm enough to encourage strong and vigorous growth.

'Check the soil temperature over a few days, doing so a few inches under the surface. Don’t just do one reading – one day of warm soil is no guarantee that your plants will be happy,' Drew advises.

Once again, you should take a soil thermometer reading over several days to be sure conditions are suited to warm-season crops. This is especially true during the fluctuating, and often misleadingly temperate, conditions of late spring.

You can also get a digital soil thermometer from Walmart, for easy and convenient readings.

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Planting out vegetables when the soil temperatures aren't right is just one vegetable gardening mistake to avoid. You should also take care not to plant crops too close together and avoid planting more than you need to minimize food waste.

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Changeable temperatures in spring can trick your onions, and they may start to produce a flower stalk. But what should you do with bolting onions if you see them in your vegetable garden?

It is not an unusual issue when growing onions, but it can be frustrating to see. When an onion starts to bolt, which is usually the result of a late cold snap in spring, though a lack of water and nutrients can cause it, the best course of action is to lift and use it.

Bolting onions may be annoying, but it is part and parcel of growing the crop, and any other vegetable that tends to bolt. Here we look at what causes it, how to deal with bolting onions, and how to prevent it from happening to future crops.

The Causes of Bolting Onions

Bolting is when plants produce a flower stalk and start to go to seed prematurely. It is a natural mechanism usually triggered by stress that causes the plant to think it must complete its reproductive cycle earlier than it should.

It is a common issue with annual and biennial crops. Onions are biennial plants; they grow in one year and flower in the second. Stress, often caused by temperature shock, can kick-start bolting onions, and it can also be an issue when growing leeks. Annual vegetables, including lettuce, spinach, arugula, and radish, are also highly susceptible to bolting in hot weather.

When it comes to bolting onions, fluctuating temperatures are usually the prime cause. Warmer spring temperatures followed by a cold snap can affect plants, and they start to bolt once temperatures rise again.

Lucia Hechem, a plant expert from the plant care app PlantIn, explains that a cold snap can ‘confuse’ onions, especially if gardeners plant onions in the fall or very early winter.

‘If a hard freeze occurs after the plant has already grown six or more leaves, it tricks the onion into thinking it has survived a winter and is now in its second year, causing it to rush into seed production,’ she explains.

You can grow onions in two ways: either by onion seeds or onion sets. Choosing to plant onion seeds gives you plants less prone to bolting. Onion sets are more susceptible to bolting as they are older – they’ve already got a season under their belt before being planted.

Lucia claims that size can make a difference, too, saying ‘planting onion sets that are too large, larger than a dime, increases the risk’ of onions bolting in fluctuating spring temperatures.

Other stressors that can contribute to bolting onions include insufficient water or nutrients. A soil moisture meter, available at Amazon, is a handy tool to make sure your crop has the moisture in the soil it needs for healthy development.

However, if your onions have been in the ground since the last growing season, they will start bolting as part of their natural cycle. As biennial plants, onions will start flowering in their second spring in the ground.

What to Do With Bolting Onions

Bolting onions start producing a thick stem from the center of the bulb. As the plant focuses its energy on flowering, the bulb stops developing.

The best thing to do any time you see one start to bolt is to harvest the onion immediately. An onion that is bolting is edible, but you can’t store the onions. So lift the onion quickly, and use it right away.

Some gardeners cut off the developing stem, but Lucia warns of this tactic. ‘Simply cutting off the flower stalk while leaving the bulb in the ground can allow water to enter the hollow tube, which often leads to bulb rot,’ she claims.

A good alternative is to let the plant complete its cycle. Onions develop globe-shaped blooms, like ornamental alliums, that are great flowers for bees, pollinators, and other beneficial insects.

By letting the plant flower and go to seed, you can harvest onion seeds to sow again next year. ‘You just need to wait until the tiny seeds inside the blossom turn black and hard, which means they are ready to harvest,’ says Lucia.

Store your onion seeds in breathable envelopes (like these seed envelopes at Amazon) so they remain in the best condition to use.

How to Stop Onions Bolting

Bolting onions can be avoided by taking a few simple precautions. You can choose to grow onions from seed rather than sets, but if you prefer the ease of sets, look for bolt-resistant varieties (such as Texan Legend, Sturon, Red Creole, Stuttgarter, and Patterson) and plant the right types of onions for your location.

Long-day onions need 14-16 hours of daylight to bulb and are suited for cooler, northern climates, while short-day onions need 10-12 hours and suit southern climates, and intermediate-day onions are useful for central regions. Planting an unsuitable type is an onion-growing issue that potentially leaves plants stressed and more susceptible to bolting.

When planting onion sets, use smaller ones in the pack rather than favoring only the larger sets. And plant your onions at the right time to reduce the chance of bolting.

‘Avoid planting too early in the spring; you want to ensure the plants do not reach the vulnerable “six-leaf” stage before the last cold snaps of the season,’ advises Lucia.

When you do face cold snaps in spring, protect plants from frost with fleece or frost cloth (like the frost protection covers at Amazon) to stop plummeting temperatures triggering the bolting response. Finally, keep plants well-watered in warm periods and mulch around the crop to keep the soil temperature stable.

FAQs

Can You Eat Bolted Onions?

Yes, bolted onions are edible, but the central stalk that develops is woody and needs to be removed.

Can You Cure Bolted Onions?

This can cover two topics in one. Firstly, no, bolting cannot be reversed or cured. And, secondly, you should not cure onions in the way you do with normal onions before storing them. Lucia Hechem from PlantIn says: ‘Bolted onions will not store well because they develop a hard, unusable central core; they should be eaten right away rather than being cured for the pantry.’

A lack of moisture and nutrients was cited as a possible cause of onion bolting. These symptoms can be harder to manage when you grow onions in containers. If you do have your crop in pots, regular watering is essential to stop the compost from drying out completely, as is fertilizing the onions both when planting and in late spring or early summer to keep the soil's nutrient levels replenished.

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Hungry vegetables, unsurprisingly, need regular feeding throughout the season. Topping the list of gluttons are tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, squash, and pumpkins. Thankfully, it is quick and easy to get a good feeding regime going at the right time, and you’ll be rewarded with a bounty of harvests.

Once the plants start flowering, it's a signal to start feeding them weekly with a high-potassium fertilizer. This helps the plants to flower and fruit prolifically, rather than focus on developing excess leaves and stems. Well-fed plants will have all the nutrients to set and ripen lots of fruit.

If you are growing any of those crops outlined above, a high-potassium fertilizer, such as a tomato feed, becomes the best fertilizer for a vegetable garden throughout the summer. Personally, I always use a liquid feed and apply it weekly when watering plants. It is a simple regime to implement into your weekly gardening plans, and it is guaranteed to make a big difference to your harvests.

When to Fertilize Vegetables After Planting

Understanding when to fertilize vegetables yields the best results – but the best feeding regimen varies by crop. Fertilizing a vegetable garden is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It is about understanding what each fertilizer does for plants, and when best to apply it.

It helps to add some fertilizer when you plant vegetables, either some compost or a slow-release, balanced product, to get the crop off to a good start when transplanting seedlings.

If you don’t feed at planting time, try to do it 3-4 weeks after. This window works when sowing seeds outdoors, as the crops benefit from nutrients once the seed germinates.

Light-feeding crops, such as roots, salad leaves, and leafy greens, often don’t need much more fertilizing unless they show signs of a lack of essential nutrients (such as slow growth or yellowing foliage).

On the other hand, heavy feeders want regular fertilizing throughout the season, often prompted by flowering.

Some hungry plants need additional fertilizer but don’t flower, such as brassicas and corn. These crops benefit from a single mid-season application of balanced or high-nitrogen feed.

However, hungry vegetables that flower and fruit don’t want lots of nitrogen at this stage of the season. They want a tailored, regular feeding regime, and that is what we focus on below.

Hungry Vegetables to Feed Once They Start Flowering

There is a good list of hugely popular vegetables that benefit from extra feeding once they start flowering. If you adore growing veg, the chances are you will have a good number of these in your kitchen garden.

The bonus of having many of them in a space is that you can put aside a spare bit of time each week to mix a liquid feed and give those vegetables a much-needed boost.

The likes of tomatoes, peppers (both chili and bell peppers), cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, squash (summer and winter squashes), pumpkins, and melons all sit on the list.

Once the plants start flowering, which can be 4-6 weeks after transplanting seedlings (the exact time will depend on location, weather, and variety), that is the sign to start implementing a regular feeding schedule.

Fertilize the plants every week or two as they continue to flower and fruit, until the last of the fruits are ripening.

If your hungry crops are growing in a vegetable container garden, I would definitely recommend feeding them weekly – that is a regimen I follow when growing hungry crops in pots, and it has worked fantastically growing tomatoes in pots.

The Best Feeds to Use

As well as understanding when to fertilize vegetables, using the right feeds is fundamental. Get it right, and the plants will be vigorous and give you a wealth of harvests. Get it wrong, though, and you’ll be left disappointed with the yield.

Once the vegetables outlined above start flowering, the key is to use high potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. Using heavy-nitrogen fertilizers would be a mistake, as it encourages lots of lush leaves and stems rather than flowers and fruit.

The best fertilizers to use are tomato feeds. These products are high in potassium, which promotes flowers and helps to ripen fruits. The products also include all the other essential plant nutrients that help plants stay healthy and productive.

I would advise using a soluble product that you mix and apply when you water plants. These are quick and easy to use, providing a fast dose of nutrients to your vegetables.

I have always tried to pick one day a week to feed these hungry vegetables, so I kept a routine, and it became a part of my summer gardening norms.

Shop Tomato Feeds

When you grow leafy greens, including lettuce, salad, arugula, and more, and brassicas, these vegetables need lots of nitrogen – the nutrient responsible for foliage and green growth. This guide to the best nitrogen fertilizer for vegetables reveals some of the top products to use to get the best harvests from these crops.

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Adding a greenhouse to your garden is invaluable, offering a controlled environment to start seeds early. But knowing when to move plants outside is key to avoiding them bolting, i.e., going to flower prematurely. In May, when temperatures suddenly spike, many salad crops are at risk of bolting if left in the greenhouse.

There are so many vegetables to grow in your greenhouse in spring, which offers protection from lingering cold temps and allows you to get a head start. But, as warm spring temperatures settle in, the greenhouse can become overly hot – too hot for cool-season crops. In response to this heat and drought stress, arugula, spinach, and more put out flower spikes to set seed, no longer using their energy to produce the tasty leaves we desire. Once this happens, they often become less palatable.

By moving these vegetables out of your greenhouse in May, you can keep them productive for a while longer before the summer temperatures arrive. Of course, the exact timing of temperatures spiking will vary between climates, so make sure to have a greenhouse thermometer (like this from Amazon) installed to monitor. Here, pro gardeners explain which crops to relocate now.

1. Lettuce

If you started lettuce in your greenhouse, now is the time to relocate it before the hottest temperatures cause it to bolt.

'Lettuces are notorious for bolting once temperatures rise. Sometimes, you turn your back for five minutes, and a thick central stem appears,' says Drew Swainston, Content Editor at Homes & Gardens.

'Warm weather and dry conditions (like in a greenhouse) are the double threat that causes them to bolt.'

'If you started growing lettuces indoors earlier in the year to extend the season, move their containers to a shadier spot to prolong your harvests. And if you sowed lettuce seeds indoors but have yet to plant them outside, do it ASAP to give yourself any chance of a crop,' Drew continues.

It's best to plant them somewhere protected from the intense afternoon sun, and make sure to keep them well-watered.

It is also possible to purchase bolt-resistant lettuce varieties, including this ‘Heatwave Mix’ from Burpee.

2. Arugula

Arugula is a cool-season crop you can start early in your greenhouse. But, leave it in there as temperatures warm up, and you'll soon see its foliage turn red (a stress response to excessive light and heat) and yellow flower spikes emerge.

This usually happens with consistent temperatures between 68-74°F and longer daylight hours. When it bolts, the flavor becomes very peppery, and the texture becomes tough. Although the blooms are also edible and can be added to salads for a delicate peppery flavor.

Move arugula containers outdoors now to somewhere with partial shade. Young plants started in the greenhouse can also be transplanted now, and you can start sowing seeds outdoors every couple of weeks until fall for a continuous supply through the growing season.

Regularly harvesting arugula from the outer leaves can also extend its season as a cut-and-come-again vegetable. Use these garden scissors from Amazon to make clean cuts when harvesting.

Find arugula seeds at Burpee.

Find arugula seeds on Amazon.

3. Spinach

Growing spinach in a greenhouse in early spring allows for harvesting before the summer. But, this cool-season crop thrives in cooler temperatures (around 50-75°F) and will send up a flower spike very quickly when temperatures suddenly rise.

To stop your spinach bolting, move containers outdoors in May. You can then sow more spinach seeds directly outdoors before the summer heat arrives, and then again in the milder temperatures of late summer-fall.

Harvesting spinach leaves regularly also helps extend its season, as well as keeping it in a shaded spot and keeping it well-watered to reduce heat and drought stress.

Shop spinach seeds at Burpee.

Shop spinach seeds on Amazon.

4. Bok Choy

You can sow bok choy indoors in spring for a head start. But, keeping it in the greenhouse in May will only be counterproductive, as temperatures rising above 70°F will trigger flowering.

'Bok choy is a slug magnet, so I always sow mine into modules first and then plant out,' says gardening expert Stephanie Hafferty.

'Fill module trays (like these from Burpee) with peat-free multi-purpose compost and sow two seeds into each module. Thin out, leaving the strongest seedling in each module. Then plant out when the seedlings are about two inches tall. Keep bok choy well-watered in hot, dry weather,' she advises.

Shop bok choy seeds on Amazon.

5. Cilantro

Cilantro is another crop to move out of your greenhouse in May if you started seeds indoors in containers. It's prone to sending up a flower spike as soon as temperatures rise above 70-75°F and daylight hours are longer.

When it bolts, a white flower stalk appears, and the flavor of the leaves becomes less intense and more bitter.

Moving pots outdoors into a shady area is the best way to prolong its season and harvest, delaying the development of flowering until summer arrives.

Nevertheless, it can be good to leave some cilantro plants to flower, offering a valuable source of nectar for pollinators in your garden. Plus, you can collect seeds from the flowers for planting in the fall.

Shop cilantro seeds at Burpee.

You can get slow-bolt cilantro seeds on Amazon to delay flowering further.

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FAQs

Does Mulching Stop Bolting?

Mulching is key in delaying cool-season crops bolting because it keeps soil temperatures cool and retains moisture. Aim for a two-inch layer of organic mulch around the base of the plants, like this cedar mulch from Lowe's.

Early bolting is just one vegetable gardening mistake to avoid. You should also take care to space vegetables properly and choose the right crops for the growing space you have available.

If you are a novice GYO gardener, check out our guide to the easiest vegetables to grow to get started.

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Asparagus needs to be picked regularly throughout the harvesting season. However, sometimes stems do get overgrown – it happens to the best of us. If you’ve missed a few days of picking or been away, you may see some tall asparagus in your patch. So what should you do?

When you grow asparagus, the sought-after tender spears are best picked at 6-8 inches tall during spring and early summer. Once stems reach 10 inches, they start to become woody and fibrous and are best left to complete their natural life cycle.

If you see tall asparagus stems in your vegetable garden, the experts all agree not to harvest them or cut them back. Simply leave the tall asparagus to continue to grow, as letting them fern out will actually help you get better yields next year.

Can You Eat Tall Asparagus?

The season for harvesting asparagus is admittedly short. It runs for around six to eight weeks from mid-April to late June each year.

As you need to wait at least two years from planting asparagus crowns to picking the first stems, and the window itself is only small, you understandably want to enjoy as many stems as possible each year.

A perfect stem of asparagus should be 6-8 inches tall and larger than a pencil in diameter. During the harvesting season, cropping stems every few days is recommended to get them at their absolute best.

However, when they pass that peak condition and reach 10 inches or more, the quality of the stems diminishes. As Dominique Kline, Farm Director at The Hope Farm in Fairhope, Alabama, says: ‘Once asparagus has grown too tall to harvest, it becomes woody and fibrous.’

She adds to not cut it back, though, and we’ll explain why in more detail later.

So, can you eat tall asparagus? The answer kind of depends on the stem. If the tip of the stem is still closed and hasn’t started to develop sprouts, it can still be edible. However, older, thicker stems will be tough.

You could cut the stems and remove the thickest, lower sections, but the overarching advice from professionals is to leave the tall asparagus.

What to Do With Overgrown Asparagus

If overgrown, tall, woody asparagus is no good for dinner plates, what is the best way to deal with it? The answer is to do nothing and leave the stems alone.

The advice to not cut the stems, as touched upon earlier, is echoed by Kate Russell, an experienced grower and author of Stop Wasting Your Yard!, who says: ‘Once asparagus has grown beyond the harvesting stage, it is best to leave it alone and let it go through its normal life cycle.’

This natural cycle will involve continuing to grow throughout the summer and developing into tall and feathery asparagus ferns.

Dominique Kline reassures that although the ferns may look ‘unkempt’ in a vegetable garden, they are important. She says: ‘The ferns play a critical role in providing the roots with enough energy to survive the winter and produce in the following years.’

Kate Russell adds that allowing asparagus to continue growing in this way supports stronger plants and ‘will result in better crops in the future’.

The message is clear: if you want healthier asparagus, productive crowns, and a better harvest next year, allow plants to fern out and complete their life cycle.

While that includes leaving tall asparagus alone, it also means waiting until the right time of year to cut back asparagus. That is when the fern foliage dies back naturally.

This is a task I have tended to do in winter, while Dominique says she doesn’t cut the ferns back until they are ‘fully dried’ in late winter or early spring.

Another bonus of letting the asparagus plant produce its ferns is that they feed wildlife in your garden. ‘The plants produce small berries that some birds enjoy,’ says Kate.

How to Prevent Tall Asparagus

Tall asparagus can happen all too easily, and it has happened to all gardeners, including me. It occurs because asparagus grows very quickly after the stems first start showing through the soil in spring.

In warm temperatures, these growth spurts accelerate. It means very regular monitoring is needed to get spears at the ideal size. ‘It only takes a few days of missed harvests for spears to overgrow and become too tall,’ admits Dominique.

For the best harvest of this delectable and prolific perennial vegetable, the expert grower recommends ‘daily monitoring’ for spears of a reasonable size, which encourages the plant to continue producing more spears to pick.

Asparagus crowns can remain productive for twenty years in ideal conditions. To keep your crowns in top condition, fertilize asparagus in late winter or early spring, just before new growth emerges, with a balanced, slow-release, all-purpose fertilizer. A product like this organic 5-5-5 fertilizer at Amazon is ideal for the task. It will give the crowns essential nutrients to produce lots of spears and healthy ferns that year.

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A vegetable garden really ramps into action in May. Gardeners can take advantage of the ideal conditions on offer by planting crops that grow and mature quickly for fantastic harvests by early summer.

There is a great range of vegetables that can go from sowing to harvesting in under 60 days. While many gardeners think of lettuces as the primary fast-growing vegetables to sow this month, you can also plant radish, green onions, turnips, beans, beets, and chard for speedy pickings.

Why is May so great for planting vegetables? The frost has ended in most climates, and the soil is warming, which boosts germination and ensures strong growth. I always sow lots of vegetables in May as the conditions are perfect for cool-season crops. It is also a great month to start successive planting for a long harvesting season. Here are my picks for easy, fast-growing vegetables to plant in May. These are suitable for vegetable gardens of all sizes.

1. Radish

Growing radishes is quick and easy. It is a perfect gateway crop for any new grower, as you can experience the full joys of sowing to harvesting in under 30 days.

Summer radishes come in different shapes, such as the ever-popular ‘French Breakfast’ (you can get packets of ‘French Breakfast’ radish seeds at Burpee) with longer roots, compared to the globe-shaped ones of a variety like ‘Cherry Belle’ (get packets of ‘Cherry Belle’ radish seeds at True Leaf Market).

Once the soil temperature reaches 60°F, plant radish seeds directly in their growing position in drills a half-inch deep and keep the crop consistently moist.

I always opt for successive planting of radishes every few weeks for regular small croppings, rather than gluts of roots that get too woody if they are left in the ground too long.

Start harvesting radish at least 25 days after sowing, once their roots reach an inch across.

2. Spinach

This fast-growing cool-season crop runs to seed in hot weather, making it suitable for earlier sowings to provide harvests before the temperatures rise. If you start growing spinach this month, you can start picking highly nutritious baby leaves around 30 days after sowing.

Sow the seeds a half-inch deep in drills or holes, spacing them a couple of inches apart. This can be done in the ground, or you can sow into containers if you want to grow spinach in pots on a deck, patio, or balcony. Once the seedlings appear, thin them to around three inches apart.

A key aspect of growing spinach is getting the watering right. The crop needs consistently moist soil; a lack of water can cause the plant to bolt or turn bitter. A good tactic is to water deeply early in the morning.

Spinach is a perfect cut-and-come-again vegetable. Start harvesting spinach as a baby crop once the leaves are large enough to use. This can be as little as 25-35 days from sowing in ideal conditions. Larger leaves will require a bit more patience, as they take 4-6 weeks to develop.

See the range of spinach seeds at Amazon

See the range of spinach seeds at Botanical Interests

3. Green Onions

Green onions, also often interchangeably called scallions, are a type of onion grown for long, mild-flavored stalks and small bases. Eaten raw or cooked, they can go from sowing to harvesting in little over a month, and a crop sown in May will be ready to pick in early summer.

Sow seeds outdoors directly in a sunny growing position where the crop can get at least six hours of sunlight each day for the strongest and quickest-maturing vegetables. For a healthy crop, it is beneficial to add compost to the site ahead of sowing.

A product such as this organic compost at Amazon helps with structure, moisture retention, and nutrients.

Thinly sow the seeds in half-inch deep drills (space additional rows 6-8 inches apart) and keep them moist for germination in around 7-14 days. Thin the seedlings to around two inches apart and continue to keep the soil consistently moist as they develop.

Green onions can be harvested as soon as 50-60 days from planting. Lift the largest first once they reach eight inches tall to allow the others to continue growing.

Over the years, I have had success with the variety 'White Ishikura'. It is a Japanese-type bunching onion that can be grown throughout the year. You can get 'White Ishikura' seeds at True Leaf Market.

4. Turnip

Turnips are great for speedy, mildly spicy roots to be eaten raw or cooked, plus the turnip greens are also edible. You can grow turnips that are flat or round in shape, with white or purple skins, and white or yellow flesh.

Sowing early varieties of turnips in May, such as ‘Purple Top Milan’ (you can get ‘Purple Top White’ turnip seeds at Burpee) will provide a harvest in early to mid-summer. The early varieties take around six weeks from sowing to harvest and are ready for picking when they are young, tender, and 2-3 inches in diameter.

Sow turnip seeds directly into their growing position. They are not suitable for starting indoors and transplanting, as the crop doesn’t like root disturbance. Plant the seeds in a half-inch deep drill in a sunny spot in the vegetable garden, and keep the soil consistently moist.

5. Bush Beans

Beans come in two forms, bush and pole. The main advantages of growing bush beans are that they are compact and don’t need a trellis or structure, and they produce quick harvests.

Whether you grow snap or shelling beans (both types come in bush and pole varieties), you can plant beans directly in the ground once the soil reaches 70°F. Sow seeds an inch deep and six inches apart directly into the soil in a sunny spot in the garden.

If conditions are not quite ready, you can sow seeds indoors and transplant seedlings outdoors a few weeks later. The quickest crops will come from direct sowing, but those started indoors won’t take too much longer.

You can start harvesting bush beans around 50-60 days after sowing, in optimum conditions. Pick the beans when they are tender and 4-6 inches long. Regular harvests keep the plants producing more beans, and pods left too long on the plant go tough and less palatable.

See the range of bush bean seeds for planting at Amazon

See the range of bush bean seeds for planting at Walmart

See the range of bush bean seeds for planting at True Leaf Market

See the range of bush bean seeds for planting at Burpee

6. Beets

Beets are among the easiest vegetables to grow, and there is a good range of varieties to try growing at home.

You can think outside the box when it comes to growing beets, and experiment with growing white, yellow, or multi-colored beets (like these ‘Chioggia’ beet seeds at Burpee with white and red ringed flesh), or varieties with longer roots than the typical cylindrical ones (such as these ‘Cylindra’ beet seeds at Burpee).

No matter what varieties you choose, you can plant beets in May. For the earliest harvests, you can enjoy baby beets around 50 days after sowing, or wait 60-70 days for mature roots to enjoy. It is up to you how and when to harvest beets, depending on your plan for them. If you pick baby beets, you can leave others in place to grow on in the space left.

To sow beets this month, space seeds two inches apart in drills made a half-inch deep in the soil. Each beet seed in the pack is actually a cluster of three or four seeds, so don’t sow too thickly or you’ll be inundated with seedlings. As seedlings appear, thin them to three inches apart.

Beets are another perfect vegetable for succession planting, and one I routinely sow in small batches three weeks apart.

7. Swiss Chard

Swiss chard offers a great combo of ornamental grace and prolific harvests. The tall, colorful stems make a vivid impact in any kitchen garden, and the plants can be harvested over long periods when treated as a cut-and-come-again crop.

For maximum impact, I like to plant a multi-colored variety like ‘Bright Lights’ for stems in bright shades of white, yellow, pink, red, and orange. You can get ‘Bright Lights’ Swiss chard seeds at Burpee to sow this month.

Once the soil temperature has reached at least 50°F in spring, you can sow chard seeds outdoors. Plant Swiss chard seeds in one-inch drills, spacing every four inches apart. Keep the soil evenly moist for good germination, then thin the seedlings to 18 inches apart.

Start harvesting Swiss chard for baby leaves 30-40 days from sowing. Once the leaves reach four inches long, start picking a few at a time and never take more than a third at once. Mature leaves will be ready to harvest after 50-60 days.

There is just time to mention one more of those vegetables to plant in May that you can harvest as baby leaves in under 60 days. And that is kale.

When you grow kale, the highly nutritious baby leaves can be picked off when they are three or four inches long. The best way to harvest kale is to take the outer leaves and keep the inner ones to continue growing.

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If you want the best crop of super-nutritious, tasty leaves or leafy vegetables, providing crops with lots of nitrogen is a must. Nitrogen promotes lush, green growth and can be given to plants in many different forms. But what makes a good nitrogen fertilizer for vegetables?

A nitrogen fertilizer for vegetables can be organic or synthetic, providing a long-term source of nutrients or a quicker dose. Whether you opt for natural compost, blood meal, or fish meal, or go for synthetic fast-acting ammonium sulfate or water-soluble fertilizers, the best fertilizers for a vegetable garden are best applied at the right time, and only in the recommended amounts.

I have tended to go the organic route when growing vegetables. I spent many years working in an organic-certified vegetable garden, and have followed that philosophy onto other gardens and my plots at home. But I can admit how synthetic products offer a simple way for home growers to provide vital nitrogen to their crops. Here I look at why nitrogen is vital for many crops, which need it most, and a selection of the different nitrogen fertilizer for vegetables you can use on your vegetable garden at home.

The Importance of Nitrogen Fertilizer for Vegetables

Nitrogen is one of the main essential plant nutrients. It is well-known among gardeners as one of the big three NPK nutrients, along with phosphorus and potassium.

In terms of what nitrogen does for plants, it is the nutrient primarily responsible for leafy growth. It also helps plants to photosynthesize efficiently and promotes a healthy green color.

All vegetables need nitrogen, but some need more than others. Leafy vegetables benefit most from nitrogen fertilizer, including lettuce, salad greens, spinach, arugula, and more. A consistent level of nitrogen throughout the season helps promote healthy foliage to harvest and enjoy.

Brassicas such as kale, collard greens, broccoli, and cabbage also require ample nitrogen for strong vegetative growth. The nutrient promotes the development of strong leaves and heads that you pick come harvest time.

Vegetables that are grown for their fruits or roots do not need high-nitrogen fertilizers. As such products encourage the development of leaves and stems, they are not ideal for crops that aren’t grown for those purposes.

It means you won’t get the strong root growth you want for carrots, parsnips, or radishes, and you’ll get fewer flowers or fruits when growing tomatoes, cucumbers, or beans.

The Best Nitrogen Fertilizer for Vegetables

The best nitrogen fertilizer for vegetables will have the first of the plant fertilizer numbers (the NPK ratio) higher than the others on the packaging (e.g. 21-0-0 for a high-nitrogen sulfate of ammonia).

This shows that the product contains more nitrogen than phosphorus or potassium, and will give your vegetables a dose of nutrients for lots of leafy growth.

When considering nitrogen fertilizer for vegetable plants, there are choices between organic and inorganic (synthetic) feeds.

Organic fertilizers will provide a slow and steady release of nitrogen to your vegetables, while synthetic fertilizers give a quicker boost of nitrogen to the soil. However, with the latter, the nutrients don’t last long and can leach from the soil into local groundwater, harming biodiversity.

Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer for Vegetables

In my opinion, the best nitrogen fertilizer for vegetables is always organic products.

Compost and well-rotted manure offer great all-round values of NPK and are a great option for boosting soil nutrients before planting any vegetables

Blood meal is high in nitrogen and releases it to vegetables over 1-2 months. Made from dried animal blood, it is a beneficial organic product for leafy greens and is best applied every 6-8 weeks during the growing season. You can get organic blood meal at Burpee.

Another great organic nitrogen fertilizer for vegetables is fish meal. It has high levels of nitrogen and releases it to vegetables for up to three months. You can get all-natural fish meal fertilizer at Amazon.

Also, feather meal is made from poultry feathers and is a good slow-release source of nitrogen. You can also get feather meal at Amazon.

Synthetic Nitrogen Fertilizer for Vegetables

Synthetic high-nitrogen fertilizer for vegetable plants includes urea and ammonium sulfate. These can be used for rapid nutrients throughout the season, but will need reapplication for continued effects.

Urea (like this urea fertilizer at Amazon) has an NPK ratio of around 46-0-0 for rapid growth, while ammonium sulfate is lower at about 21-0-0, like this ammonium sulfate at Amazon.

If you want a simple-to-use nitrogen fertilizer for vegetable plants, you can also get water-soluble feed, such as this nitrogen fertilizer at Amazon, which has an NPK of 15-0-0 and can be used when you water plants every few weeks during the summer.

Shop Nitrogen Fertilizer for Vegetables

FAQs

Can You Make a Homemade Nitrogen Fertilizer for Vegetables?

Yes, there is scope to make a nitrogen fertilizer for vegetables at home from ingredients that are often thrown away.

One potential feed can be made using coffee grounds, which are surprisingly high in nitrogen. To use coffee grounds as a fertilizer, either add used grounds directly to the soil or steep them in water for a day to make a nitrogen-rich liquid feed.

Alternatively, fresh grass clippings are high in nitrogen. After mowing the lawn, you can either add fresh clippings thinly to the soil, and they’ll release nitrogen as they break down. Or place them in water for 7-10 days to make a high-nitrogen liquid fertilizer.

For a sustainable approach to growing vegetables, you can keep the whole process in-house by using vegetable peels as fertilizer after harvesting and eating your homegrown crops.

You can use peelings to make compost, bury them in the soil to break down and release nutrients, or create a liquid tea to feed the soil.

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Over the last year I've been experimenting with growing more vegetables and the main limitation I've faced is being short on space. But, I've now tried and tested a wide range of space-saving ways to grow vegetables and have found several reliable techniques that actually work.

The truth is you don't need a sweeping kitchen garden to have an abundant harvest of GYO crops. While there are plenty of vegetables to grow in pots, space-saving methods are so much more than having a few containers. Think walls covered in cascading tomato vines, buckets of potatoes lining your balcony, and low-effort high-reward salad crops providing a supply for months on end.

So, if you've already written off the idea of growing veg in your small outdoor space, let me convince you otherwise. Here are five ideas that I have personally tried – trust me, they're all really easy to do.

1. Use String to Train Tomatoes

While you might assume you have to stick to determinate, bushy tomato varieties for space-saving, it is possible to grow indeterminate varieties of tomatoes in pots.

To create a vertical garden, I tried the tomato string method last year and it worked excellently.

With a hoop stake (like these from Amazon) or even using the roof of a greenhouse, you can tie a piece of garden twine (from Walmart) to the top and the other end buried in your tomato plant's pot. You then wrap the stem around the twine as it grows.

Not only does it help train your tomato plant, it keeps it neat, improves airflow, and reduces issues like tomato leaf curl.

'When choosing tomatoes, look for indeterminate varieties that can be grown closer together, trained to grow up instead of out, and pruned to a single vine,' suggests Anna Sakawsky of The House and Homestead.

'Likewise, choose pole beans instead of bush beans as pole beans can be grown up a trellis and will produce much more food in a smaller footprint,' she adds.

This method can also work well for growing peas, or use trellis ideas to make use of wall space – this lattice trellis from Wayfair exudes a cottage garden-feel.

2. Choose Compact Varieties for Pots

Perhaps the most reliable of space-saving ways to grow vegetables is simply opting for compact varieties.

Nearly all types of vegetables have compact varieties you can grow in pots, or even use for growing vegetables using the square foot gardening method.

For example, you can purchase Hamberg Lettuce Seeds from Burpee which are fit for pots. Likewise, you can find Blue Bantam Dwarf Pea Seeds at Burpee.

You can even grow cucumbers vertically to keep things compact.

'When space is at a minimum, choosing what you eat the most and passing on things you don't can save a lot of space,' adds Lindsey Chastain, homesteader and founder at The Waddle and Cluck.

Things like this tiered terracotta strawberry tower from Amazon can double your space by layering plants, all while enhancing the look of your container garden.

3. Grow Potatoes in a Bucket

There's a never-ending list of ways to grow potatoes. While it is a popular idea to grow them in trenches in a plot of a kitchen garden or a large raised bed, you can also opt for growing potatoes in a bucket.

This is my preferred method for many reasons. Not only is it space-saving, but it also stops unexpected potatoes cropping up after you think you've cleared the harvest, and it keeps them safe from pests.

Plus, growing potatoes in a bucket is usually fairly quick (typically harvesting within 10-12 weeks) because there's plenty of drainage (I drilled some drainage holes in the bottom of my bucket), you can move the bucket to optimize sunlight exposure, and the bucket retains more warmth.

'I like to use tyres,' says gardening expert Matt Tutt.

'The idea is that you put some cardboard down and lay a tyre over this, and fill with soil. Place your potatoes here and cover with a bit more soil.

'As they grow, you should add more soil, and another tyre on top. Eventually your tomatoes will grow in this tyre-tower,' he explains.

You can also grow potatoes in a bag using specific potato grow bags (from Amazon). It works pretty much the same as a bucket, providing a lightweight solution for balcony gardeners with even more drainage than a bucket.

4. Practice Companion Planting

You can maximize your growing space by practicing companion planting.

'Companion planting and intercropping can also save space. Instead of letting the soil beneath your tomato plants go to waste, plant carrots, basil, or nasturtiums underneath,' says Anna.

'Or, sow some early spring radishes between rows of carrots or beets. The radishes will mature early and will be ready for harvest just as the root crops are starting to grow in,' she explains.

'Two plants can often share and benefit from being in the same spot. There are also plants you can put in a pot that just had a harvest,' Lindsey adds.

'You should also look at varieties that can be grown in different seasons. Carrots can be grown in the spring or fall as an example. Rotating crops to different seasons can maximize the space you have,' she adds.

5. Grow High Value Crops

'Some vegetables and herbs have better return on investment when it comes to real estate in a small space garden,' says gardening expert Rachael Carter.

'For homeowners that are growing in containers, a single bed, or otherwise limited on space choosing veggies and herbs that are harvestable throughout many seasons rather than just one can make a huge difference in garden to table success,' she explains.

'The three I recommend to beginners are kale, parsley, and green onions. A few of each of these in a small space could easily replace the grocery store for many families (depending on how much you use!),' Rachel adds.

There are also many cut-and-come-again vegetables and herbs you can plant once and have a repeat harvest from spring to fall.

Arugula seeds from Burpee and rosemary seeds from Burpee are good choices.

Likewise, you can grow herbs indoors on a windowsill that are cut-and-come-again for use in the kitchen throughout the year.

What to Shop

FAQs

What Crops Can I Grow in My Hanging Baskets?

Some of the best crops to grow in hanging baskets include strawberries, which create a beautiful cascading display. You can also grow lots of vegetables in hanging baskets, for example lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, and even peppers.

If you're new to GYO, then our guide to the easiest vegetables to grow might inspire you. There are also plenty of vegetables you can grow indoors, so you really don't need loads of outdoor space to enjoy homegrown harvests.

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There are many different potting mixes on the market. Whether you scour the shelves of garden centers or shop online, there are a variety of types. It is an important decision when growing vegetables in pots, as picking the right one is vital for healthy plants and great harvests.

In a nutshell, the best potting soil for vegetables in pots will be light, fertile, retain moisture, and be well-draining. Typical products formulated for vegetables are a blend of compost or organic matter, peat moss, coconut coir, and perlite or vermiculite. But there is scope to make your own, too.

I have grown all manner of vegetables in containers over the years, from a courtyard garden at home to growing tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, and peppers in pots in greenhouses in the kitchen gardens I worked in. To showcase what makes the best soil to grow vegetables in pots, I deep-dive into the key traits of a quality potting mix for edibles and why they are important for big yields.

What Makes Ideal Soil to Grow Vegetables in Pots

The best soil to grow vegetables in pots isn’t actually soil as you know it. Rather, it is a potting mix specially formulated for growing plants in containers.

That is because soil, as in garden soil, is not suitable for pots. Instead, for the best vegetables, use a bag of pre-blended potting soil for container gardening or make a DIY potting mix.

The best potting soil for vegetables in pots will offer certain key characteristics that make a difference between healthy and unhealthy plants. A suitable product needs to offer good drainage, aeration, and moisture retention.

For the best vegetables, the plant’s roots want moisture and oxygen, but don’t want to sit in overly sodden soil where they can rot. Good crops also want lots of essential nutrients, and many potting soils contain organic matter and slow-release fertilizers to feed plants for several months.

To make things easier, many products will be labelled as ‘potting mix’ or even ‘vegetable potting mix’. These specially-formulated mixes will be ideal soil to grow vegetables in pots, offering an ideal combination of fertility, moisture retention, and drainage.

You can get soil-based and soilless potting mixes. Soil-based mixes contain loam or topsoil, but they are heavier, have poorer drainage, and an added risk of soil pathogens.

Soilless mixes are a mix of peat moss or coconut coir with perlite or vermiculite to aid water retention and drainage.

Coco coir is increasingly being used as a sustainable alternative to peat moss, due to global concerns about how stripping areas of natural peat affects habitats, biodiversity, and climate change.

Made from processed coconut husks, coir holds a lot of moisture but offers little in the form of nutrients. Check if the coir-based mixes contain fertilizer, or you may need to add some when potting up vegetables.

I would advise not scrimping on soil for vegetables in pots. You may find cheap bags of potting mix, but far too often you get what you pay for. I have bought the bottom-end bags to save some money, but the mix inside has been dense or full of large lumps and sticks.

For the best vegetables, you want top-quality light, fluffy potting soil.

Shop the Best Soil to Grow Vegetables in Pots

What to Avoid

Using the wrong type of potting mix is a classic container gardening mistake. One of the worst faux pas to avoid is using garden soil in pots.

Soil from your garden is too heavy for pots. The dense nature of common garden soil means it sits far too wet for container plants, and the lack of drainage is a prime contributor to root rot. Using garden soil also comes with risks of harmful bacteria or fungi.

It is also not advisable to reuse old potting soil for growing your vegetables in containers. Old potting soil can be depleted of vital nutrients that your crops need for healthy growth, and it can contain pathogens, fungi, or pests that can overwinter in the soil.

Make a DIY Soil to Grow Vegetables in Pots

A light, well-draining, nutrient-rich soil to grow vegetables in pots can be made at home by mixing common gardening ingredients.

The simplest DIY mix is equal parts homemade compost, coco coir (you can use peat moss, but I’d opt for coir), and vermiculite or perlite for drainage. In this easy mix, compost provides nutrients, coir (get organic coir at Burpee) retains moisture, and vermiculite (get vermiculite at Amazon) benefits both drainage and airflow.

It is advisable to sieve your compost to remove any lumps and ensure you get the light, fluffy texture that is perfect for filling containers.

You can add a handful of slow-release fertilizer (such as Osmocote, available at Amazon) to the mix to provide nutrients over several months, but don’t add too much as the compost will already be providing some nutrients as it breaks down, and over-fertilizing can burn roots.

Picking the right mix is also essential for a container herb garden, especially as drainage is so crucial when it comes to many popular herb plants, such as rosemary, lavender, and thyme.

Our guide to the best potting soil for herbs features hand-picked recommendations, and a recipe to make your potting mix for any herb planter.

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April is usually a developmental month in the onion-growing season, but it is also not too late for any gardeners who have yet to plant their crop. I’ve grown onions for years, and here I reveal some key tasks gardeners should do this month that will help bring you a fantastic harvest come summer and early fall.

Firstly, there is still time to plant onions in April if you haven’t yet, but you should act quickly as the clock is ticking. However, if you started growing onions in the fall or early spring, your plants should be happily developing shoots. It makes April a month to weed, feed, water as required, and protect your crop from pests.

I usually plant my onions in the spring. I have both sown seeds indoors in winter and planted sets outdoors in early spring over the years. I have found that giving onions attention early in the season gives the crop a much-needed boost, rewarding you with good-sized bulbs come harvest time. Here are my tips for what to do with onions in April:

1. You Can Still Plant

The window is still open to plant onions, but it is closing. Mid-April is the latest you want to be planting onions to have any hope of a decent summer harvest. Sets are the quickest and easiest way to plant onions this month, though you can still sow seeds.

If I were starting my onions this month, I would opt for onion sets rather than seeds. Sets are really simple to plant, just push them into the soil 4-6 inches apart so the tip is just showing above the surface. It often helps to cover sets with fleece or netting after planting to stop birds from pulling them out of the ground.

You can get a collection of red, white, and yellow onion sets at Burpee to plant

You can continue to plant onion seeds outdoors up to mid-Spring, planting thinly in rows a half-inch deep and thinning the seedlings to four inches apart as they develop. However, crops from seeds won’t enjoy as long a season, so the bulbs are likely to be smaller.

See the range of onion seeds at Amazon

See the range of onion seeds at Walmart

See the range of onion seeds at Botanical Interests

2. Weed Your Crop

Onions are hungry crops, and sensitive ones too. They don’t like lots of competition from weeds for water and nutrients. Too many weeds can result in smaller bulbs when it comes time to harvest your onion crop.

Spring is a time when weed seeds germinate easily and quickly in moist soils and warming days. Getting on top of weeds early is advisable, so they do not reseed and spread even more seeds to deal with.

This month, commit some time to getting rid of weeds from your onion bed. A bit of dedication now can reduce the weed pressure for the rest of the season.

Remove deep-rooted weeds by hand – ensuring to remove the roots completely for troublesome perennial weeds - and regularly use a garden hoe to slice smaller, annual weeds on warm days.

A weeding tool like this from Amazon will help you lever even troublesome weeds out of the soil with ease

3. Water During Dry Spells

Onions like consistently moist soil throughout the season. In spring, the famous April showers will often provide the inch of water that onions need per week. However, in drier Aprils, you may need to irrigate your onion beds to prevent the soil from drying out completely.

It is a careful balancing act to get right. The soil needs to be moist, but not saturated. Overwatering is a common onion-growing problem that can leave the crop susceptible to fungal or bacterial diseases, or even cause the plants to rot in the ground in extreme circumstances.

Aim for regular, infrequent deep watering when required this month. This approach to watering plants is better than little and often.

Drip irrigation systems or soaker hoses can deliver water directly to the root zone, rather than soak the foliage, which can leave the crop susceptible to fungal diseases, like powdery mildew.

You can get a 25 ft soaker hose at Walmart to slowly release water directly to the plant's roots.

4. Feed Crops With Nitrogen

How you fertilize onions in April depends on the stage of the season your crop is at.

If you are only at the planting stage, focus on enriching the planting site with organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure. Adding organic compost, like this compost at Lowe’s, to the ground will help the crop get off to a great start.

However, if your crop is a bit further along, it may be time to give plants their first dose of a nitrogen-rich feed.

An application of nitrogen around three weeks after planting the crop helps to fuel the growth of foliage. This, in turn, helps you grow bigger onions by aiding the development of bulbs later in the season. You can continue to feed every 2-3 weeks until bulbing begins.

Side-dress the crop by making a furrow a few inches from the vegetables, into which you sprinkle the fertilizer and water it in well. Blood meal offers a good organic option for feeding onions, and you can get bags of blood meal at Burpee.

Only apply the feed at the recommended rate, and don’t give the crop excess nitrogen once bulbing starts, as it’ll encourage the development of foliage rather than the bulb.

5. Prevent Pest Damage

The likes of allium leaf miner and onion maggot (onion fly) can be troublesome pests of onion crops. Along with thrips, aphids, and cutworms, pests can attack both the foliage and the bulbs.

This month, keep a close eye out for the signs of pests, including distorted foliage, small holes in the leaves, or seedlings cut down at the soil level. The smaller pests, such as thrips or aphids, can be dealt with by spraying insecticidal soap. You can get ready to use insecticidal soap at Walmart.

However, a greater overall level of protection can be offered by covering the crop with insect-proof mesh in spring to keep unwanted pests away from the plants. You can get ultra-fine netting at Amazon to protect your crop from pests.

Also, consider onion companion planting to reduce pest problems when planting the vegetable garden this month. Using aromatic herbs for companion planting can attract beneficial insects and natural predators of many typical onion pests.

It is also worth keeping an eye out for slugs and snails. One year, I had my onion crop decimated by slugs in spring, which chewed the green tops. I had never known slugs chomping on onions before; it was an eye-opener.

To stop your crop from being affected, there are slug control methods to put in place, including physical barriers, rough surfaces around the plants, or beer traps that will tempt slugs from the crop.

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If you spot an onion in your cupboard sprouting this spring, did you realize you can plant it in the garden and grow a new bulb? It offers a great sustainable decision to regrow the sprouting section, rather than throw it in the trash.

This guide on how to plant a sprouting onion takes you through the whole process, from removing the sprouts to planting, caring, and ultimately harvesting the new bulb.

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It is not uncommon for onions to develop green sprouts during storage. You can safely eat them or regrow the onion – the choice is yours. If you want to try the latter, we reveal how easy it is to plant a sprouting onion.

I do enjoy regrowing vegetables from scraps or cuttings, as it is a very sustainable and rewarding way to get a second crop from sections that many people just throw away. You can regrow lettuce, leeks, celery, onions, and more from scraps, and it is not a difficult task.

Planting a sprouting onion is another way of reusing something unwanted. Sprouted onions have a more bitter taste, so many people may just pull that section out and bin it. It is a much better option to use it and grow another onion, and here are five simple steps to do it.

How to Plant a Sprouting Onion in 5 Steps

You don’t need much equipment to grow onions from a sprouting onion. It differs from growing onions from scraps, where you sprout the cut root end of an onion, as you use the central core of a bulb rather than the base.

Let's look closely at how to plant a sprouting onion and regrow it.

1. Remove the Sprouting Section

A sprouting onion has green shoots emerging from the top of the bulb. The first step is to remove the sprouting sections. It’s possible to get multiple green shoots from one bulb that you can grow into new onions.

Remove the skin and peel away the layers to find the sprouts at the center – the rest of the onion flesh can be used for cooking.

Gently separate the sprouts at the center into sections, each with a bit of the root base attached.

2. Place It in Water

The sprouts need roots to grow. To encourage the development of healthy roots and give the sprout the best possible chance when planted, place them into a container filled with some water.

Each sprout needs its own container, and the base wants to be submerged in water. You can use toothpicks to suspend the sprout.

Place the container in a bright spot that gets indirect light, and change the water regularly to prevent disease or rot.

Once the sprouts have developed roots a few inches long, which should take around a week, it is time to plant the onions.

3. Plant the Sprouts

The sprouted onion can be grown in the ground or in a vegetable container garden if you want to grow onions in containers.

Transplant the onion seedlings and their healthy roots into holes 1-2 inches deep. The sprouted end must point upwards, and the green shoots need to be above the soil surface. When planting multiple sprouts, space them 4-6 inches apart into your vegetable garden beds.

Pick a sunny planting spot where the onions can get 6-8 hours of sunlight a day. Vegetable beds or raised beds should be supplemented with organic matter, like homemade compost or a shop-bought bag of compost (you can get a bag of compost at Walmart), to provide lots of nutrients for strong growth.

If you opt for containers, plant the sprouts in a large container at least 10 inches deep with drainage holes filled with a quality soil for container gardening, such as this Miracle-Gro potting mix at Amazon.

4. Water Regularly

Water the sprouts after planting, then keep the soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged, over the coming weeks and months.

Onions do like moisture throughout the growing season to develop the bulb. However, overwatering is a common onion growing problem that can cause disease issues or even lead the bulb to rot in the worst-case scenario.

A soil moisture meter, like this one at Amazon, can be a sound investment to help you make sensible decisions about when to water plants.

You can fertilize onions with a high-nitrogen feed 3-4 weeks after planting, but don’t feed once the bulbs have started to develop. You can get organic blood meal at Burpee, which is high in nitrogen and helps develop strong vegetable growth, and can help to grow bigger onions.

5. Harvest Your Onions

When you plant a sprouting onion, you do have a choice. You can either harvest the green shoots as they appear and use them like green onions, or leave them to develop into a bulb to lift.

It takes 80-100 days to go from planting to the bulbs being ready to lift. You can tell when to harvest onions as the foliage turns yellow and falls. When this happens, gently lift the onions from the soil and lay them out in a warm, sunny place to cure for a few days.

If you want to store onions for a long time, they should be laid indoors until the skins become paper-dry.

What to Shop for Growing Onions:

If you want to discover more sustainable gardening ideas, we've got you covered. See our guides to growing lettuce from scraps and regrowing leeks using the base that is normally just thrown in the trash.

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There truly is nothing that tastes as good as homegrown veggies, which is why I've been experimenting with growing different crops over the last year. The biggest struggle I'm facing is being limited with space, but I just stumbled across a clever solution: using compost bags as grow bags.

It's exactly what you imagine, planting directly into compost bags just as you would in a grow bag. Of course, it isn't as simple as cutting a hole in a bag of compost (like this organic compost from Amazon) and chucking some seeds in. You need to add drainage holes, set it up correctly, and choose the right plants for successful growing.

It's a great solution for smaller gardens, renters, and even those growing on a balcony who can't use heavy planters and raised beds. Plus, it creates an eclectic look once shoots start to emerge out of the bags. Here's how to make this idea work in your garden.

How to Use Compost Bags as Grow Bags

If you're just starting a vegetable garden and only have a small growing space to work with, then it's worth considering using compost bags as grow bags.

It essentially involves taking a bag of nutrient-rich, organic compost (like this from Lowe's) and using it as a grow bag (like these fabric grow bags from Amazon). But, the bonus is you don't have to add compost because it's already in there.

There are just a few steps to follow:

1. Decide which side is best to plant in based on the depth requirements of your plants. For example, tomato plants tend to have shallower roots, so you can get away with the bag being horizontal. Carrots, on the other hand, need more vertical space and would benefit best from the compost bag sitting the right way up.
2. Use scissors or garden snips (like these from Amazon) to create several drainage holes on the bottom side of the bag that will sit on the ground. This is essential to prevent excess moisture becoming trapped in the bag, especially because compost bags are not typically porous.
3. Next, cut open the top side of the bag. You can either remove the top entirely to create an open planter, or cut holes with equal spacing. Again, keep in mind how much space is required for the types of vegetables you're planting. Top tip: it's a good idea to also crumble up the compost with your hands, as some of it may have compacted in storage and transit.
4. You can then plant your crops. It's best to opt for plug plants (Burpee has lots of veg plug plants, like these tomato plants) and starter plants with this method, as the high nutrient levels can burn seeds and reduce germination success.
5. Then, grow your crops as you would if they were planted in a grow bag or planter. Keep in mind your compost bag is likely to hold onto moisture much more than traditional containers, so you won't need to water so much. For extra drainage elevate the bag, for example on bricks or pot feet (like these from Amazon).

Benefits of Compost Bag Growing

There are so many reasons why some gardeners use compost bags as grow bags.

The most obvious benefit is the fact it's space-saving, lightweight, and convenient. It doesn't require additional pots or grow bags, already has enough compost to fill the bag, and it can easily fit into any spot of the yard. Plus, you can be assured the compost is packed with essential plant nutrients.

There are also some eco-friendly gardening benefits here. More often than not compost bags are made of plastic. By planting directly in them, you're giving the plastic a second use, rather than it going directly in the trash.

The fact it is a plastic vessel also provides some growing benefits. It will retain moisture and trap warmth, ideal for seed germination.

Of course, this does require some careful monitoring when it comes to watering. That's why I recommend using a soil moisture meter (from Amazon) to check how wet the compost is before picking up your watering can.

An added bonus is the look it creates. If you have multiple compost grow bags lined up, it can provide a real eclectic and quirky feel to your kitchen garden.

Downsides to Compost Grow Bags

As with any garden hack, there are a couple of things to watch out for when trying to use compost bags as grow bags.

Firstly, you can only grow certain vegetables in it. Those that require more space (like artichokes and rhubarb) may not work well, but you can use compost bag growing for any vegetables you can grow in pots.

It's also more successful for plants that can be transplanted, rather than directly sowing seeds into it (due to the high nutrient levels that may burn them).

Nevertheless, it does work as a vessel to transplant the seeds you sowed indoors into. You can use this seed starter tray with a humidity dome from Amazon to get a head start on your seeds.

As mentioned, you also have to be careful with moisture and warmth when growing in a compost bag.

If it becomes too warm, seeds may not germinate and seedlings may experience root heat stress. Ensuring the bag isn't sitting in a sun trap will help with this.

Use this compost thermometer from Amazon to monitor temperature levels.

You should also be aware that compost bags can become flimsy. Unlike structured grow bags and pots, they may not be able to hold their shape.

However, you can manage this by offering more support, for example by placing it up against a wall or putting other pots and compost bags nearby.

What to Shop

FAQs

Can I Reuse Compost?

It is possible to reuse compost and reuse potting soil, but only if the plants previously growing in it didn't experience any disease or pest problems. You should also take crop rotation into account, and not use the same compost for the same crops the following year. It risks 'replant disease' due to a build-up of pathogens that attack young roots and stunt growth.

There are quite a few crops that work well in grow bags, for example you can grow potatoes in a bag and even a bucket.

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Our climate is changeable; you can have multiple seasons in a day. When growing vegetables, April is a perfect time to sow tough, adaptable crops that can withstand the rigors of early spring and beyond. Here we look at five of those that can tolerate temperature swings, inconsistent moisture levels, and unpredictable weather better than most.

Picking which vegetables to plant in April can be tricky, as there is such a wide range. Early spring is a pivotal time for sowing many crops, but choosing easy, resilient vegetables is a wise choice for anyone new to growing their own. Such crops are known to be low maintenance, tolerant to cold, and to recover quickly from stress.

I have grown lots of vegetables in trickier climates. In vegetable gardens that were wet and cold in winter, and then hot and dry in summer, it certainly kept me on my toes as a gardener. If I were to recommend five vegetables to plant in April that are beginner-friendly and can handle the unpredictable elements, it would be these.

1. Beets

Beets are cool-season crops to sow in early spring, as they will germinate in cooler soils and can handle temperature fluctuations. Once the soil reaches 40°F, you can start planting beet seeds, though they germinate best at temperatures of 55-75°F.

With a soil thermometer, like this 4-in-1 soil meter at Amazon, you can tell exactly when the temperature in the ground reaches a suitable level to start growing beets. Plant beets directly into their growing position in early spring, spacing seeds an inch apart in rows two inches deep. Then thin the seedlings to 3-4 inches apart when they germinate.

Beet seedlings are cold-hardy and can withstand light frosts if the temperatures dip after a false spring, but they will benefit from the protection of frost cloth (you can buy frost cloth at Walmart to protect plants) against late deep frosts. They do like moisture, especially during the first six months of growing, and won’t be bothered by seasonal downpours in spring.

One of the advantages of beets is that even if the roots struggle, you still get a crop of edible leaves. Beet leaves are underappreciated, but are nutrient-rich and full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You can steam, sauté, or braise them to add to salads, soups, or stir-fries.

See the range of beet seeds at Amazon

See the range of beet seeds at Walmart

See the range of beet seeds at Burpee

See the range of beet seeds at True Leaf Market

2. Potatoes

Hopefully, gardeners have been chitting potatoes for the past month in preparation for planting. If you want to grow potatoes but haven’t chitted them, don’t worry, as you can still plant the seed potatoes, but it might just take a few extra weeks until you can harvest them.

April is a key time for planting potatoes; earlies want to go into the ground at the start of the month, and maincrop potato varieties can be planted from the middle of April onwards.

Plant seed potatoes into 4-6 inch drills or individual holes, with the tubers at least two inches below the soil surface and at least 12 inches apart for earlies and 15 inches for maincrop.

Potatoes are resilient crops that can tolerate cooler, wet springs. As long as your soil is well-draining, potatoes will happily grow. The damage comes from them sitting in cold, waterlogged soil for too long, which can cause rot.

Even if late frosts set back the early shoots (which does happen to us all), it doesn’t signal the end of your crop. You can mound soil over them, and the plant will continue to grow. The crop can cope with temperature swings and heavy rain throughout the season; you can rely on potatoes for a good harvest.

See the range of seed potatoes at Amazon

See the range of seed potatoes at Burpee

See the range of seed potatoes at True Leaf Market

3. Kale

Kale is definitely one of the most resilient vegetables to plant in April. In my experience, the plants can handle warm, cold, and strong winds without too much fuss. It loves cool temperatures and can handle weather swings; indeed, kale is only sensitive to temperatures above 75°F.

Provided they are watered during long dry periods (though kale is quite drought-tolerant once established) and tied to a stake to prevent them from toppling in gusts, kale will stand up to the elements and continue to give you harvests of tasty, nutritious leaves.

Early spring is a good window to plant kale seeds indoors for harvests throughout the summer and into fall. A second sowing in midsummer can provide all your kale harvests throughout winter and into next spring.

I have found that lacinato kale (also known as dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale, or cavolo nero) and dwarf blue curled are attractive, productive, and resilient varieties to grow.

The best way to plant kale seeds in April is to sow them into modules or individual pots indoors. You can sow seeds outdoors in early spring, too, ensuring they are a half an inch deep and 12 inches apart.

Get Dwarf Blue Curled Yates Kale Seeds at Burpee

Get Lacinato Kale Seeds and Plants at Burpee

4. Peas

Peas are resilient, cool-season vegetables you can plant indoors or outdoors in April. The best way to grow peas is to continue successively planting from early spring until early summer for a long harvest.

Provided the soil temperature reaches 45°F, you can start growing peas directly into their growing position in the vegetable garden. Alternatively, starting them in deep pots in a greenhouse or on a warm windowsill can remove the risk of mice nibbling on the peas before they germinate.

Young pea plants are tougher than you might expect. They can stand up to unpredictable spring weather and even tolerate light frosts, bouncing back quickly once the temperatures rise again.

They aren’t fussed about spring downpours, provided they are in well-draining soil. Peas sitting in saturated, cold soil are at risk of rotting, though. Adding organic matter, like homemade compost or leaf mold, before planting can improve the drainage. You can purchase bags, like this organic compost at Lowe's to improve drainage in vegetable beds. Alternatively, if you have a very heavy soil type, you can grow peas in a container.

Snap peas take 50-70 days from planting to harvesting, and it is closer to 70-90 days for shelling peas. Early sowings ensure the plants crop well before temperatures peak in summer. In warmer US hardiness zones, peas get stressed when temperatures rise past 80°F-85°F.

See the range of pea seeds at Amazon

See the range of pea seeds at Walmart

See the range of pea seeds at Burpee

See the range of pea seeds at Botanical Interests

5. Leeks

Leeks have a long growing season, but these alliums can withstand all manner of weather thrown at them between sowing and harvesting. Different varieties of leeks handle warm summer temperatures with ease, and many are very hardy indeed and can overwinter outdoors in the veg garden successfully.

To start growing leeks, sow seeds into pots of well-draining potting mix indoors or directly into the ground outdoors. To do the former, plant the seeds a half-inch deep into the soil and place the container where it can get temperatures of 50-60°F. Leeks started indoors want transplanting outside when they are around six inches long.

For sowing outdoors, check the soil is at least 50°F before sowing - you may need to check the soil temperature with a thermometer to ensure it is warm enough for direct sowing. Make a trench an inch deep and thinly sow the leek seeds along it. Keep the ground moist to encourage strong germination.

These low-maintenance crops take 4-6 months to go from sowing to cropping. Start harvesting leeks when the stalk is 1-2 inches wide, and the vegetable reaches 18-36 inches tall. Mid and late-season leeks, which are the hardiest of them all, can withstand cold temperatures down to 15°F during winter and be left outdoors to lift throughout the colder months.

I have always enjoyed success growing Giant Musselburgh leeks, which have always withstood warm summers and cold winters. It is a winter-hardy leek to crop from late October onwards. You can get Giant Musselburgh leek seeds at True Leaf Market.

An early-season leek to try is Large American Flag leeks. This variety has a blue-green shade of foliage and can stand out in the garden throughout winter to harvest as required. You can get Large American Flag leek seeds at True Leaf Market, too.

What to Shop for Starting Vegetable Seeds

There are a lot more vegetables to plant in April than we cover here. For some more inspiration, this guide to vegetables to plant in April features many more crops to discover. It includes planting tips for broccoli, celeriac, cucumber, zucchini, and pumpkin.

Such crops may be a bit more high-maintenance than the resilient crops featured here, but April is a perfect time to sow these seeds for great homegrown harvests.

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April is a time when growing potatoes really kicks off. In many climates, it is a month when early and maincrop potatoes are planted, and a bit of pre-planting attention can make a big difference to your crop.

Gardeners should check their chits, prepare the soil, and add compost or fertilizer to the planting site when planting the potatoes. Preparing and amending the soil creates the ideal environment for growing potatoes, and your plants will prosper. It means you can plant your crop this month in confidence.

I have enjoyed bumper harvests, as well as my share of disappointing ones, over my many years of growing potatoes. More often than not, my poor crops were a result of not doing enough to boost the soil before planting. Growing potatoes can be simple and prosperous, and here is what to do with potatoes in April to get the best crop possible.

1. Check Your Chits

Chitting potatoes is a tried-and-tested way to kickstart the season and get a bigger harvest. By arranging the potatoes in seed trays or egg boxes and placing them in a bright, warm place, they’ll develop sprouts and get off to a great start.

If you’ve been chitting potatoes for a few weeks already, they should be ready for planting. But it is a good time to examine the shoots. If a tuber has lots of them, rubbing some off to leave two or three is a good way to grow bigger potatoes. Whereas, leave all the shoots, and you’ll get more, but smaller, potatoes.

In April, there may still be an opportunity to chit your potatoes, but it is not always necessary. It is too late for first earlies, but if you act quickly at the start of the month, you may be able to chit second earlies for two weeks before planting. You will still have time to chit maincrop potato varieties (like these Red Pontiac Potato Tubers at Burpee), which isn’t always necessary but can help to boost the yield.

If you don’t chit potatoes, don’t be too worried. The crop just takes a few weeks longer to mature, and the harvest is pushed back a bit. But you can still get a top potato harvest without chitting.

2. Check and Prepare the Planting Site

Before planting, it is advisable to dedicate a bit of time to preparing the growing site before putting the tubers into the ground. Putting in that effort now can make a big difference to the size and quality of your harvest.

This includes getting rid of weeds, especially perennial weeds that need to be removed completely to avoid them from resprouting in spring. A long-handled tool like this stand-up weed puller on Amazon can help you remove even perennial weeds without lots of bending or kneeling.

Removing weeds early prevents them from stealing water and nutrients from your potato plants, and getting on top of them early stops them from seeding and spreading, becoming a bigger problem later in the season.

Another undervalued step of preparing the planting site is removing any large stones from the ground. As these can hamper the development of potato tubers, it is beneficial to remove them.

Early spring is also an opportunity to test the soil pH ahead of planting. Potatoes prefer a slightly acidic soil type with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Doing a test can reveal what your soil is, and you can get a soil test kit at Amazon that offers laboratory analysis to reveal the pH and nutrient levels in your soil.

Gardeners can add sulfur (you can get sulfur granules at Amazon) to lower the pH and make the soil more acidic, which helps as potato scab (a common potato growing problem) thrives in alkaline soils with a pH of 7.0 or higher.

3. Amend the Soil to Boost Nutrients

Potatoes will grow in a variety of conditions. For the best plants, though, it pays to add nutrients to the soil for this hungry crop.

Adding homemade compost to the planting sites is always beneficial, as it enhances the structure, retains moisture, and boosts soil nutrients over time. If you don’t have access to homegrown compost, a bag of organic compost like this one at Lowe’s is suitable for the task.

In addition to compost, or as an alternative to organic matter, gardeners can add slow-release all-purpose fertilizer to the soil at planting time to fertilize potatoes. A product like this organic all-purpose plant food at Burpee will provide essential plant nutrients to get potatoes off to a great start for their first 4-6 weeks.

Avoid using any high-nitrogen fertilizers. It encourages lots of foliage growth rather than tuber development, and an excess of nitrogen in the soil leaves the crop more susceptible to potato blight.

If you are growing potatoes in a container or growing potatoes in a bag, use a well-draining potting mix, like this organic potting mix at Amazon, that also contains fertilizer to feed plants for the first month or two in the container.

4. Plant Tubers at the Right Time, and the Right Way

April is a prime time to plant potatoes in the vegetable garden, whether in the ground, raised beds, pots, buckets, or grow bags.

Different types of potatoes are planted at different stages in April. First earlies are traditionally planted in late March, but you’ll still get a good crop planting at the start of April.

Second earlies are planted in early to mid-April, and maincrop varieties go into the ground from the middle of April onwards. All of these planting dates can vary depending on your US hardiness zone, climate, and weather.

If the soil temperature is above 50°F, and the ground isn’t waterlogged, you can start planting potatoes. If your soil is saturated or cold, if you are still getting frosts, hold off planting potatoes until the conditions improve. Potato tubers could rot in freezing, sodden soil.

Planting too shallow or too close are classic potato planting mistakes to avoid making, and both can affect your yield. To plant potatoes, dig a trench six inches deep and place each tuber 12 inches apart for earlies or 15 inches apart for maincrop. Alternatively, you can make individual holes to plant the potatoes into.

5. Water as Necessary

Potatoes like consistently moist soil, but take care not to overwater after planting the tubers in the ground. Warm, moist ground will encourage healthy development. So water immediately after planting the tubers, and then keep a close eye on the weather and moisture levels.

Natural rainfall will often be sufficient in April; those famed April showers will supply enough moisture in many climates. If you have a dry period, water the soil to keep it moist, but not waterlogged. Overwatering plants risks tubers rotting in the ground, especially if temperatures drop in spring.

Potatoes need an inch or two of water a week, whether from rainfall or additional watering.

Check local forecasts and use a soil moisture meter (get a soil moisture meter at Amazon) to measure the levels beneath the surface. If the top few inches of soil are dry, the crop needs watering.

Potatoes growing in containers will require more frequent watering than those in the ground, especially during warmer periods in April.

Shop Seed Potatoes

For a healthy crop, it helps to think about companion planting. This practise of planting beneficial vegetables, flowers, or herbs near your potatoes ensures plants don’t compete, there are sufficient nutrients in the soil, and helps combat pest problems. Our guide to potato companion plants reveals what and what not to plant with your crop for the best results.

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I don't have the biggest garden in the world, so I'm always looking for ways to maximize my space. That's why I've been researching how to plan a season of harvests in one square yard, i.e. planting successive crops in a 3x3ft space for a continuous supply of homegrown veg from spring to fall.

This idea uses the same principles of square foot gardening, with a bed split into a grid of nine square feet. Each square acts as a planting pocket for several crops that can be planted one after the other, providing abundant harvests through the entire growing season. It's a productive solution for a small vegetable garden, but it does require some careful planning and logistics to make it work.

To be successful with this method, you need to know what to plant when, how to space different crops, and when to harvest and make room for more vegetables. While this may sound daunting to begin with, there are actually just five easy steps to follow. Here, with the help of gardening pros, I carefully talk through each one.

How to Plan a Season of Harvests in One Square Yard

This GYO idea is all about maximizing limited space.

When choosing which crops to grow in your square yard, you need to think about your US hardiness zone, soil type, and the crops you'll actually get use out of so they don't take up space unnecessarily or go to waste.

With these things in mind, the experts recommend following the following five steps to plan a season of harvests in one square yard.

1. Prepare Your Planting Space

The first thing you have to do is make sure you have a suitable square yard to work with.

Ideally, this is somewhere with plenty of sun, and well-draining, fertile soil. You may even choose to apply a fertilizer to your vegetable garden beforehand to boost the soil quality.

This bone meal feed from Walmart is a good slow-release choice for vegetable growing.

'I recommend testing your soil,' says Staci Hill from Gooseberry Bridge Farm and co-author of The Preserver’s Garden.

'This will give you a solid plan on how to appropriately improve your garden soil for optimum growing,' she explains.

You can get lab soil tests on Amazon to give you rundown of the nutrients and pH level of your soil before planting.

While you can map out a patch of your yard for your one square yard garden, you may also find a 3x3ft raised garden bed (like this pretty green one from Amazon) is easier to work with.

2. Map Out a Grid

The most organized way to do this growing method is by dividing the yard into a grid of nine square feet, as you would in square foot gardening.

'Line the base of your bed with weed barrier cloth (like this from Amazon) and fill it with premium quality soil,' says Annette Hird, expert gardener at Easy Urban Gardens.

'You then divide this garden bed into nine equal squares. You can use whatever you like to section off the squares like thin planks of wood (from Lowe's), pegs and a string line, or even old tiles that you insert into the soil so that they form a low fence around each square,' she describes.

Each square will act as a planting pocket with its own schedule of successive crops to grow.

3. Create a Planting Schedule

This step in how to plan a season of harvests in one square yard requires the most thinking – what exactly are you going to grow?

'You can build a succession plan for all seasons based on what you love and what grows best in your climate,' Staci advises.

Succession planting, i.e. planting crops one after the other for continuous harvest, will ensure you have homegrown goods from spring to fall.

Arguably, the way to make the most of a square yard garden is by choosing fast-growing vegetables that germinate and grow quickly from seed.

Likewise, those that are space-efficient and have a compact growing habit will allow for more crops per square at a time.

Our guide to the best vegetables to grow using the square foot gardening method has plenty of ideas to consider.

You should plan your crops for each of the nine squares in three categories: early, mid, and late season harvests. Also thinking about companion planting will enhance success with each one.

An example plan for one square would be radishes for harvest in spring, followed by summer lettuce for a late spring-summer harvest, and then spinach for a late summer-fall harvest.

Essentially, each square should have a sequence of vegetables.

It really does depend on your growing zone to know when to plant vegetables, but you can note down a calendar for each of the nine squares in your grid and order your seeds – this 55-pack of vegetable seeds on Amazon has non-GMO heirloom varieties.

4. Plant Your First Crops

With you calendar figured out and your layout designed, it's time to start planting seeds.

Keep in mind some vegetables may need to be grown in a greenhouse initially and transplanted, while others can be grown directly in the ground – check out our grow guides for more information, like how to grow tomatoes and how to grow zucchini.

Don't forget to keep on top of maintaining the patch while doing this, for example by monitoring for pests that could threaten to wipe out your entire harvest.

'Many bad bugs can be combated by beneficial insects,' says Staci. You can even purchase the likes of ladybugs from Amazon to take care of aphids, for example.

Other natural pest control methods to protect your square yard veg patch include growing pest-repellent plants nearby, like with these marigold seeds from Walmart.

5. Harvest and Replant

As your first crops are ready to harvest, your next lot of plants should replace their spots.

It can be a good idea to check in on soil health in between, aerating it, laying down fresh compost if necessary, and checking for any pests and diseases.

Keep in mind the growing needs of the crops you're growing at each stage to ensure you have a successful crop, for example you may need to fertilize your tomatoes.

'To make maintenance easy, installing a watering system is also a good idea,' Annette adds.

You can get drip irrigation kits from Amazon to make it more convenient to keep your crops hydrated, especially during the summer months.

You then repeat this cycle through to fall, following your planting calendar for each square.

FAQs

What's Crop Rotation?

Crop rotation refers to not planting crops of the same family in the same spot to avoid a build-up of diseases and pests that may wipe out your harvest. This is known as 'replant disease,' and should also be avoided even when planning succession planting in successive square foot gardening.

If you only have a small growing space available, there are lots of space-saving solutions to try. For example, there are lots of ways to create a vertical garden in your yard, on a balcony, and even indoors.

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You’d assume that having a balcony would put you at a disadvantage when growing tomatoes. However, you can enjoy great homegrown tomato harvests by making carefully curated decisions about how you grow your plants.

A balcony can offer a sunny, sheltered spot to grow many crops, albeit on a smaller scale than in a larger vegetable garden. But size isn’t everything, and if you make sensible choices on varieties, containers, and aftercare, you can enjoy great success growing tomatoes on a balcony.

I have been fortunate in my professional career to have greenhouses and polytunnels to grow tomatoes. On the other hand, I also spent many years enjoying growing tomatoes in pots on a patio and in a courtyard at home. I learned a lot about small-space gardening during that time, and I've consulted with experts to put together these tips on how to grow tomatoes on a balcony.

1. Small Varieties Are Best

There are lots of different tomato varieties to pick from. However, despite the hundreds of varieties and cultivars to choose between, a smart decision when growing tomatoes on a balcony is to pick compact, or bush varieties.

To make life easier, a giveaway is that they often have words like ‘bush’, ‘tiny’, or ‘patio’ in their name.

Jeremy Hill from Gooseberry Bridge Farm is a fan of patio tomatoes, and says: ‘There's a patio yellow and a patio red cherry tomato that we really like. They produce a lot of fruit without a whole lot of leggy leaves and vines, so that's something to consider for small balconies.’

You can get ‘Patio Choice’ tomato seeds at True Leaf Market and ‘Sweetheart of the Patio’ tomato seeds at Burpee, both of which are ideal for growing as balcony tomatoes.

Elsewhere, there is a great variety of tomatoes to plant in containers for big harvests in small spaces. Whether you want balcony tomatoes to climb up supports, cascade over the edges of pots, or even thrive in a window box, there are suitable compact varieties available.

For example, ‘Bush Early Girl’, ‘Veranda Red’, and ‘Tumbling Tom’ can all also make great balcony tomatoes.

See the range of tomato seeds at Amazon

See the range of tomato seeds at Walmart

See the range of tomato seeds at Botanical Interests

2. Look for Lighter Containers

When you grow tomatoes on a balcony, you are working with restricted space. Ideally, you want to keep the required pots as small as possible. Yes, tomatoes do have vigorous roots, but opting for smaller varieties means they can survive without large containers.

Smaller pots remove the need for extra weight on your balcony or for carrying extra bags of compost to fill them. In smaller spaces, you can grow tomatoes in pots that hold at least five gallons of soil, but the larger the variety, the larger any container needs to be.

You can use containers of any material, such as terracotta, ceramic, wooden, metal, plastic, or grow bags. It is worth remembering that it will be windier on a balcony, though, and terracotta pots and grow bags will dry out quicker than other materials.

Weigh up the pros and cons of each material. For example, you can get more root space for less cost with grow bags (such as this pack of 10 10-gallon grow bags at Amazon), and they are also lighter, but you may need to water them more.

3. Give Plants Sufficient Sunlight

Tomatoes are sun-loving plants, and they need the same amount of sunlight on a balcony as they would need out in the vegetable garden. For any success with balcony tomatoes, you need to give them at least what they need to thrive.

Jeremy Hill claims that means 'at least’ six hours of sunlight, if not more. He says: ‘In reality, tomatoes like more than eight hours of sunlight, so the biggest question of whether or not you can grow tomatoes on your balcony is answered by how much sunlight they can get.

‘If they don't get at least six, preferably eight hours of sunlight, then they're probably not going to do well on a balcony.’

While tomatoes like warmth, balconies can get too hot for them. A balcony can intensify heat, as buildings generate ambient warmth, concrete floors absorb and retain heat, and glass doors can reflect sunlight. It all leads to increased temperatures that can potentially cook tomato plants.

‘In hotter climates, full sun becomes less of a gift and more of a dare. In the desert, we learned quickly that tomatoes prefer filtered light, afternoon shade, and not being cooked alive. Tomatoes want warmth, not a trial by fire until cooking time,’ says Siobhan Shaw from Growing to Give.

You can cover plants with shade cloth, available at Amazon, to protect them from the sunlight and give them respite on hotter balconies.

4. Regular Watering Is Crucial

Growing tomatoes on a balcony will require lots of watering. The plants want consistent moisture, and you don’t want the soil to dry out, as inconsistent watering risks blossom end rot. Tomato plants need regular watering in sunny and windy sites, which you are likely to find on a balcony.

Using potting mixes formulated for container gardening is a must, such as this organic potting mix from Burpee, because such products are designed to retain moisture.

Going forward, you should regularly check the moisture levels a few inches under the soil surface with your fingers when watering plants in containers. Balcony tomatoes may need watering twice a day in the height of summer, when a soil moisture meter (available at Amazon) may be your best friend to keep the levels even.

Siobhan Shaw admits that balcony tomatoes are ‘known for drying out quickly’ but offers one potential solution to help ease watering woes.

‘Systems like root tubes showed me that container tomatoes don’t have to live in a constant state of thirst,’ she says. ‘Once roots are insulated and fed properly, watering becomes manageable, and stress drops dramatically.’

You can get watering stakes at Amazon that deliver water and air directly to the plant’s roots to keep them healthy and hydrated.

It is advisable to place a large saucer underneath your container. Not only will this protect your patio from damage, but the excess water caught in the saucer can be absorbed by the soil over a hot day.

You also need to fertilize tomatoes regularly. Feed your balcony tomatoes with a liquid tomato fertilizer, like this Miracle-Gro water-soluble tomato food at Amazon, at least once a week once they start flowering.

5. You Must Deal With Pests

An advantage of growing tomatoes on a balcony is that the plants are out of the reach of soil-dwelling pests like slugs and snails. Unfortunately, that does not mean there aren’t flying tomato pests that can find your plants and will need dealing with.

‘If pests are being drawn to your balcony, they may make their way inside your home since it’s right there,' warns David Joles from PURCOR Pest Solutions. ‘Some of the most common insects drawn to tomatoes are aphids, tomato hornworms, stink bugs, whiteflies, and spider mites.’

To get rid of aphids on tomato plants, as well as other small pests like whiteflies and spider mites, you can easily spray them with a jet of water to knock them off the plant, or spray them with insecticidal soap. For larger pests, like the tomato hornworm, you may need to hand-pick them, but insecticidal soap (you can get bottles of ready-to-use insecticidal soap at Walmart) can be effective against young caterpillars.

To keep plants protected from many pests, you can try companion planting your tomatoes. Adding marigolds, geraniums, or nasturtiums deters many pests and attracts beneficial insects that feed on the unwanted visitors.

Birds may be attracted to balcony tomatoes. Hang something shiny or add reflective pinwheels, like these at Amazon, to containers to deter birds from the plants.

Wind was mentioned earlier as an issue for balcony tomatoes. As balconies, particularly on high-rise buildings, are often much windier than the ground level, you do need to take precautions. This includes tying plants and stems to a trellis, structure, or the balcony railing with soft ties (such as these soft ties at Amazon) to prevent them from snapping, especially when laden with fruit.

However, one advantage of wind is that it helps with pollination; you won’t have to tap tomatoes to spread pollen and boost your yield.

Late winter can be an ideal time to prepare a vegetable garden for spring. Doing these five tasks in February, provided the conditions are right, is guaranteed to help get your beds primed and ready for spring.

I have grown vegetables for over a decade, including for Michelin-star restaurants. From raised beds to two-acre walled gardens, I have prepared many different types of vegetable beds and know how nurturing them in late winter sets you on the right foot for the rest of the season.

Here, I look at how to prepare a vegetable garden for spring. To take care of soil health, fertility, and structure, and combat pests and diseases, I spoke to expert vegetable growers to put together this list of the five essential tasks that’ll help you have thriving plants and whopping harvests.

1. Add Organic Matter

To prepare a vegetable garden for spring, add organic matter, as it improves soil structure, fertility, and moisture retention. Whether you add it as a mulching layer or incorporate it when turning over the soil, it helps prepare beds for planting.

‘The soil in February in many areas is starting to wake up - it’s a great time to add compost or mulch to your beds to build fertility while you still have time for these amendments to do their job,’ says Staci Hill, one of the founders of Gooseberry Bright Farm.

‘Adding compost, mulched leaves, manure, minerals, etc., will help build and protect your soil, along with getting it ready for spring planting.’

The types of mulch mentioned above are the best organic mulches for a vegetable garden. Spreading a 2-4 inch layer will help to smother weeds, protect bare soil, and boost soil nutrients as it breaks down.

Staci adds that putting fresh compost onto cleared vegetable beds will warm the soil earlier in the spring, which can bring forward early spring planting.

2. Remove Any Remaining Debris

Any vegetable garden preparation for spring needs to include removing the last of any debris or residue remaining from last year’s season.

Old plants, leaves, and debris can all be hiding places for pests and diseases over winter. If left, they can simply wait until the temperatures rise again in spring to trouble new plants.

Clear away any weeds, dead plants, and debris where pests, bacteria, or fungi may be lingering. If the material is disease-free, use it to make compost.

Natalie Bogwalker and Chloe Lieberman, the co-authors of The New Natural Food Garden, add that common pests enjoy warm, moist conditions, and it can be a good time to remove these hiding spots to deter them.

‘In early spring, look for protected places where pests might be hiding, like underneath watering cans, boards, or buckets,’ they recommend. ‘Remove these items from the garden to reduce habitat for pests, especially slugs.’

To combat diseases, Staci Hill adds: ‘February is also a great time to sanitize your gardening tools so you don’t overwinter any diseases that way.’

You can clean garden tools with warm water and some detergent, and santize them with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water or a common household disinfectant (you can get household disinfectant at Walmart). This, along with sharpening tools, means your garden tools are prepared for spring.

3. Remove All Weeds

I have mentioned clearing debris, but you also want to get rid of weeds. To fully prepare a vegetable garden for spring, you should remove all existing weeds. This isn’t the most glamorous task, but getting on top of weeds earlier in the year can reduce weed pressure later in the season.

‘Weed pressure is low in February; it is easier to pull out those pesky perennial weeds in late winter so they can’t take hold for another season,’ says Staci Hill. You can weed annuals quickly, but be careful to remove all the roots of perennial weeds, or they’ll resprout. A long-handled weed puller like this on Amazon can make removing weeds easier.

‘If weeds are bad, consider adding a layer of cardboard under your new compost or mulch,' adds Staci. 'The cardboard will smother the weeds and break down before you need to plant.’

To use cardboard as a mulch to smother weeds, remove any staples or tape from the packaging and lay it over the ground, overlapping two layers for the best effect. Wetting the cardboard helps keep it in place, while you can also weigh it down with stones or bricks.

Adding a layer of compost over the cardboard helps speed up the decomposition process, and is crucial if you want to make no-dig beds in your vegetable garden.

4. Test Your Soil

Soil health is fundamental to growing quality vegetables. Fertile soil is a pillar for strong crop growth, so it is important to test your soil every few years to get an overall idea of its current nutrient levels. And late winter can be an ideal time to test your soil.

‘Soil fertility is what fuels plant growth (along with sunlight and water, of course), so add in any goodies that you can get your hands on to give your plants a boost,’ says Natalie Bogwalker and Chloe Lieberman.

‘We suggest getting a soil test every 3-5 years to learn what minerals are there, or not. You can also use your senses to smell and observe the soil and get a sense of how fertile it is.’

You can get a home test kit to check your soil. For example, this soil test kit at Amazon gives professional laboratory analysis to tell you the soil pH and the levels of 13 essential plant nutrients.

‘If you need to add minerals, it’s best to mix them in by digging or tilling,' adds Natalie and Chloe. ‘To add organic matter (the rich, dark, sweet-smelling part), you can either layer compost or manure on top of your beds, or lightly mix them in; they don’t need to be mixed as thoroughly as minerals.’

One key fertilizing mistake with manure is to avoid using fresh manure, as this can burn plant roots. Fresh manure must be added several months before you plant; otherwise, source aged manure or get bags of pellets, such as these chicken manure pellets at Walmart.

5. Keep off Soggy Beds

As you prepare a vegetable garden for spring, avoid doing anything that could damage your soil ahead of the new season. The reality is that a small misstep now can potentially cause long-term issues for your beds. It is better to bide your time than dig or work any soil when it is frozen or waterlogged over the winter.

‘Walking on frozen or drenched beds can compact the soil and undo months of natural soil-building,’ warns Kate Turner, a gardening guru from Miracle-Gro. ‘This is because they’re particularly fragile right now due to the winter cold.’

Natalie Bogwalker and Chloe Lieberman warn of the long-term effects of working in soggy soil in winter. They say: ‘It can lead to compaction that degrades soil quality and makes it harder to work for the whole rest of the season.’

It is best to avoid walking or kneeling on vegetable garden beds wherever possible over winter. You can prepare vegetable beds for spring from the edges and paths.

Or, as Natalie and Chloe suggest, use a wide wooden board to rest on to reach the middle of wide beds. ‘It will distribute your weight across a wider area, reducing compaction,’ they add.

Another important way to prepare a vegetable garden for spring is to plan your crop rotation for the upcoming season. Moving crops around the vegetable garden prevents diseases from building up and prevents the soil from getting depleted of nutrients.

When planning a kitchen garden, it is important to understand which family each crop is in and to avoid growing vegetables in the same family in the same spot year after year.

It is dreamy to have spacious beds, but the reality is that urban homes don’t usually come with a kitchen garden. This doesn’t mean you can’t grow vegetables, as you can get harvests from containers, grow bags, and even hanging baskets. Most gardeners may see hanging baskets as reserved for flowers, but let's change that mindset and look at the best vegetables for hanging baskets.

Hanging baskets are a small-space gardener’s friend. Growing vertically not only saves valuable floor space but also raises crops away from ground-dwelling pests. It just takes a few smart decisions to pick the best plants for hanging baskets, such as opting for compact or trailing plants to dazzle as they cascade over the edges.

I was blessed at work to grow crops in vegetable gardens, but I spent many years with a small courtyard at home. I had to get savvy with raised beds and pots, and I also experimented with hanging baskets. I want to help you get great results, so here are my seven best vegetables for hanging baskets, including growing tips and my picks for the top varieties for a patio, deck, or balcony.

1. Cucumbers

Like some other vegetables on this list, you may assume that cucumbers are too large to fit in a hanging basket. Alas, that is not the case. There are compact varieties of cucumber that are perfectly suited to hanging baskets, whose vines can trail over the edges and be a beautiful addition to any small space.

To grow cucumbers in this way, pick a compact plant that produces smaller cucumbers. There are some great varieties to choose from, such as ‘Salad Bush’, ‘Spacemaster’, or ‘Boston Pickling’ that can thrive in a large, sunny hanging basket and give you lots of cucumbers to pick.

Get ‘Salad Bush’ cucumber seeds at Burpee

Get ‘Spacemaster’ cucumber seeds at Amazon

You can either buy young plants to place into your hanging basket (usually only one or two cucumber plants per basket is recommended) or plant cucumber seeds directly into the basket in spring.

Whenever you grow cucumbers in pots or hanging baskets, they need regular watering, especially on hot days, and feeding to keep the plants hydrated and nourished.

Use your fingers when watering plants in containers to assess the moisture levels a few inches under the surface. Or get a soil moisture meter, like this one at Amazon.

2. Lettuce

Lettuce ranks among the best vegetables for hanging baskets for several key reasons: its choice, its harvests, and its lack of pest problems. All in all, it makes growing lettuce in a hanging basket a smart choice in urban spaces.

The best option for hanging baskets is always loose-leaf and cut-and-come-again lettuce varieties. By enjoying regular pickings of the largest, outer leaves, you can get multiple harvests from a small space.

As there is a mix of spring, summer, and fall lettuces to choose from, you can mix it up seasonally, such as transitioning summer hanging baskets for fall. Plus, if you plant lettuce in a hanging basket, you are raising it away from slugs, who perennially love to nibble lettuce, and it is an annual battle with growers to keep leaves intact.

Going for a mix of lettuces in a hanging basket is a good way to enjoy a variety of leaf textures, colors, and flavors.

A blend like this loose-leaf mix from Burpee works well, which features Black-Seeded Simpson, Lollo Rossa, Red Salad Bowl, Royal Oak Leaf, and Salad Bowl seeds all in one pack.

The most important job will be watering. You will need to regularly water lettuces in hanging baskets to prevent them from bolting in warm weather.

3. Peas

An advantage of growing peas in a hanging basket is that they can trail over the edges. This is far simpler than building a vegetable garden trellis or support structure when you grow them in the ground.

The stems can cascade thanks to gravity, not only looking stunning but giving you lots of peas to pick at a nice height for harvesting.

Pick a compact variety, such as ‘Blue Bantam’ or ‘Tom Thumb’, the latter of which grows to around 10 inches in height but produces a bounty of sweet, tender pods with 6-8 peas in under eight weeks from sowing.

You can get packets of ‘Tom Thumb’ seeds at Amazon to sow indoors in early spring or outdoors after the last frosts. Or opt for ‘Blue Bantam’ pea seeds at Burpee for compact plants with early blue-green pods.

Peas don’t like root disturbance when transplanting. If you sow seeds indoors, pop the seeds into recycled toilet rolls or biodegradable pots, like these at Amazon, filled with seed compost.

Come planting time, simply pot the plant and the pot into the soil; you won’t disturb the roots, and you remove the risk of transplant shock.

4. Chili Peppers

If you want to grow something a little spicier in a small space, there are great opportunities to grow chili peppers in hanging baskets. Many compact or trailing types of chili peppers will not only look beautiful but also produce plenty of peppers throughout the summer.

There are lots of chili varieties you can grow in a container or hanging basket. These include Hungarian Hot Wax (Get Hungarian Hot Wax pepper seeds at Burpee), which I have found great success with growing in compact spaces, or the stunning Numex Twilight (Get Numex Twilight pepper seeds at True Leaf Market) that produces fruits that develop from purple to yellow to orange to red as they ripen.

The hanging basket must drain well, and you need to fertilize chilli plants every week or two once they start flowering.

This ensures they have all the essential nutrients they need to continue producing fruits for picking. You can use a liquid tomato feed or a specially formulated chili fertilizer like this one at Amazon.

5. Spinach

Spinach is an easy superfood to grow at home for leaves full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You can get great spinach harvests by growing the cool-weather plants in an edible hanging basket, whether on its own or mixed with other lettuces or leafy greens.

Spinach prefers cooler weather and is liable to bolt in hot weather. The fast-growing vegetable can be planted in hanging baskets in spring, for a summer harvest, or late summer for a fall harvest. The options are to sow seeds indoors and transplant seedlings, or sow directly into the hanging baskets once the temperatures warm in spring.

Hang the basket in a part-shade spot to prevent it from bolting, or partner it with taller crops to enjoy some shade in the warmer parts of the day. Watering plants is important when you grow spinach in pots or hanging baskets; regular deep watering is required to keep the soil consistently moist.

‘Space’ makes a great spinach for hanging baskets as it grows more compact, upright leaves than other varieties. And it also has tolerance to bolting. You can get packets of ‘Space’ spinach seeds at Botanical Interests to plant in your hanging basket.

6. Swiss Chard

If you are after vegetables for hanging baskets that are as ornamental as they are delicious, you must consider growing Swiss chard. The colorful stems are a mind-blowing addition to any basket, and you can enjoy that rainbow of blooms at eye height.

Some chard varieties are taller than others. My advice is to go for ones that offer a double-whammy of compact stems and vivid stems. ‘Bright Lights’ is always a winner, growing to 12-16 inches and producing mixed stems in colorful shades of yellow, pink, purple, red, and white.

You can get a packet of ‘Bright Light’ Swiss chard seeds at Burpee to brighten up any hanging basket.

Plant Swiss chard seeds indoors in late winter or early spring, and you will have plants to go into your hanging baskets after the last frosts. If you plant earlier in the year, you can start harvesting Swiss chard from early summer onwards.

Harvest it as a cut-and-come-again vegetable, and you’ll be picking stems for many months.

7. Cherry Tomatoes

I know, tomatoes are a fruit, botanically speaking. But they are commonly treated as vegetables, and eaten as vegetables, so they can be included here. In that regard, cherry tomatoes must be considered one of the best vegetables for hanging baskets.

Cherry tomato plants are small, productive, and you can get trailing types that look stunning cascading over the edges of hanging baskets. Plus, as the plants are raised high off the ground, they are at the perfect height for harvesting tomatoes.

A compact plant like this ‘Veranda Red’ from Burpee works well in a hanging basket, or a trailing tomato variety like ‘Tumbling Tom’ (you can get ‘Tumbling Tom’ tomato seeds at Amazon) makes a perfect trailing plant for a hanging basket.

To grow tomatoes in hanging baskets successfully, place them in a warm, sunny spot and keep plants well-watered. Also, fertilize tomatoes weekly with a liquid feed, such as this water-soluble tomato food at Walmart.

As well as there being choices of vegetables for hanging baskets, you can also grow fruit in one. Undoubtedly, the best pick for this is growing strawberries. You can get great harvests by growing trailing types of strawberries in hanging baskets.

It means crops in small spaces, and blemish-free strawberries as they are lifted away from pests that are known to nibble on the fruits.

Starting vegetables in a cold frame or under a cloche is a proven way to enjoy earlier homegrown harvests. There are great candidates for this, including peas, beans, lettuce, carrots, spinach, and more. So, as a gardener who has grown many crops under cover, here are my picks of seven ideal vegetables to plant in February for delicious spring harvests.

The crops here are all easy to grow, reliable, and quick to mature. It means you can enjoy spring harvests without huge effort. I always advocate for getting ahead and enjoying earlier harvests, which is why planting in February, when the opportunity arises, checks all the right boxes for me.

This is where cold frames and cloches come to the fore. They offer an ideal way to warm the soil in late winter, which opens opportunities to sow seeds outdoors earlier. They provide an ideal protected environment for early crops that thrive in cooler temperatures, and free up space by giving an alternative place to start plants rather than doing it all in a greenhouse.

1. Lettuce

Lettuce is available in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and tastes. For the earliest lettuce harvests, it is best to sow butterhead or loose-leaf types of lettuce in late winter under cold frames (such as this wooden portable cold frame from Wayfair) or cloches.

To grow lettuce in this early way, prepare the soil before sowing by weeding thoroughly and placing the cold frame or cloche in place two weeks before to warm the soil ready for the seeds. Thinly sow the seeds around a half-inch deep into drills or individual holes and keep the soil moist.

You should thin the seedlings in early or mid-spring to give the plants sufficient space to develop, and remove the cloche or lift the cold frame lid on warm days to provide air circulation. As the weather warms, you can remove the cover, though you may need to take precautions against slugs and snails.

Harvest the cut-and-come-again lettuce by removing the outer leaves first and allowing the inner ones to continue to develop.

'Salad bowl' is a perfect loose-leaf lettuce variety to plant in February, and you can get packs of 'Salad Bowl' lettuce seeds at Burpee.

2. Arugula

This spicy salad leaf grows quickly and thrives in cooler conditions. If you want a reliable vitamin-rich crop that adds peppery notes to winter and spring salads, then arugula is a top contender. Going from sowing to picking in little over four weeks, you can enjoy fresh harvests as early as March.

Growing arugula under the protection of a cold frame or a cloche (or something like this portable mini greenhouse from Amazon as a cloche alternative) lessens the risk of slugs and snails nibbling on seedlings as they develop. Plus, as arugula doesn’t respond well to being transplanted, directly sowing seeds outdoors guarantees the best results. So sow the seeds into shallow drills and cover lightly.

Keep the plant moist and remove the cover on warm days to allow air to circulate and keep the leaves healthy. Harvest arugula as a cut-and-come-again vegetable once the leaves are large enough to use. Simply snip off the largest, outer leaves with clean scissors or pruning snips.

You can get packs of arugula seeds at Botanical Interests that can produce tender leaves to pick in 20-28 days.

3. Carrots

Homegrown carrots simply taste much sweeter than store-bought ones. If, like me, you use a lot of carrots throughout the year, then don’t just grow them in summer; start early and enjoy a longer season.

The earliest crop of carrots can be enjoyed by sowing them in February under a cloche or in a cold frame. Warm the soil for a few weeks before sowing the seeds, and then remove any stones to ensure straight roots and rake the ground level.

The best types of carrots for early sowings are fast-maturing varieties, like 'Nantes' (you can get Nantes carrot seeds at Burpee) or 'Amsterdam', or circular carrots, such as 'Paris Market' (you can get Paris Market carrot seeds at Amazon). For any of these, sow the seeds in rows four inches apart, and leave an inch between each seed.

You can add compost to the soil before sowing, but not manure or any high-nitrogen fertilizer. This will encourage lots of green growth, rather than the roots, which is what you need when growing carrots.

If you do want to fertilize carrots, use a low-nitrogen, higher-phosphorus and potassium fertilizer (such as this 5-10-10 vegetable fertilizer at Amazon) or bone meal, applied just before sowing or as the seeds germinate.

4. Radish

A super-early harvest of radishes can be the reward for being bold and sowing early. The first sowings of radishes can be made in late winter under the protection of a cloche or cold frame, and this can be the first of many successive plantings of radishes for a long, productive season.

Plant radish seeds directly into the soil, spacing them about an inch apart and half an inch deep. You may need to thin seedlings as they develop to the right spacing for the best roots.

Radishes are among the fastest-growing vegetables; they germinate in under a week and can go from sowing to harvesting quickly. While early sowings do take a bit longer than those done later in the season, you should still expect to be harvesting in around six weeks from a February sowing.

You can get 'French Breakfast' radish seeds at True Leaf Market, which are renowned for their speedy growth and tender roots

5. Fava beans

You can start growing fava beans in a cold frame in February. As fava beans germinate at lower temperatures than many other crops, you can plant them into deep pots in a cold frame to start them off, and then plant them outside after around six weeks.

I have sown indoors in February and found it a more reliable way to plant fava beans than doing it in the fall. You’ll certainly get earlier pickings than waiting till the ground is suitable for spring planting. The harvest time for fava beans can potentially be advanced by four to six weeks through the use of covers.

The cold frame route is a good option as seeds can rot outdoors in cold, damp soil, and also gives the beans protection from mice, which are renowned for nibbling on them as they search for food in winter.

'Aquadulce' is the variety I have always sown in late winter. It is very reliable, heavy-cropping, and can survive cold. You can get packs of 'Aquadulce' fava bean seeds at Amazon.

6. Peas

Peas are a very versatile crop to grow, and the earliest sowings can be made in February. This gets them off to an early start and provides you with harvests by May or early June.

Just as with fava beans, the seeds can rot in cold, wet soil, and mice are fans, so the protection offered by cold frames and garden cloches can be crucial to successful germination and raising healthy seedlings.

Sow early pea varieties two inches deep into pots, recycled toilet rolls, or deep modules. To avoid root disturbance when transplanting seedlings, biodegradable pots like these at Amazon are great for peas, as you plant the pot with the seedling.

Another common way gardeners grow peas is to sow them along a length of guttering filled with seed compost, then slide the seedlings and soil from the tube into a trench.

A great compact variety of shelling pea to grow is 'Little Marvel', and you can get seeds at Botanical Interests for plants that grow just 18-24 inches tall.

7. Salad Onions

Spring onions, green onions, and scallions are thrown together under the tag ‘salad onions’ here, as they are immature onions harvested at different stages, harvested with or without a small bulb forming. No matter what you call them, these onions will reliably germinate under a cold frame or cloche.

The seeds want to be sown in narrow drills 4-12 inches apart, and the seeds need to be spaced two inches apart for good-sized onions to use for salads, seasoning, or in cooking. If you sowed thickly, thin these seedlings to a good spacing as they develop.

Keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged, as this risks the spring onions rotting. If you sow in February, you can start harvesting in April. Once the stems reach 8-12 inches apart, start harvesting them as required.

'White Lisbon' is a variety of bunching onion that has always worked for me. You can get packs of 'White Lisbon' bunching onion seeds at Burpee to sow.

February can be a busy time as you try to get the garden ready for the new season. To help you get organized, this guide to February gardening jobs features lots of useful tasks to do this month. Plus, if you want to do a bit more sowing, see this guide to flowers to sow in February so your beds and containers will be full of blooms come summer.

Shop Vegetables to Plant in February:

A backyard smoothie garden features vegetables, fruits, and herbs you can blend into a fresh homegrown smoothie packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. And you can do this in a large or small space. To help you on your way, I have picked seven perfect ingredients to grow your own smoothie.

The upsides of growing your own smoothie ingredients are that you enjoy the freshest harvests and a more sustainable gardening lifestyle. Your smoothie will taste much better and have less sugar, chemicals, preservatives, and food miles than store-bought products.

There are easy superfoods you can grow in the ground, raised beds, containers, or hanging baskets for fresh, organic produce to harvest for your healthy smoothies. Here I outline some of my favorites, along with some growing tips I’ve picked up over my years growing in various vegetable gardens, from small urban backyards to large walled kitchen gardens.

1. Kale

Kale is a trendy superfood to grow, and it can bring lots of vitamins, nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants to your smoothie. It is a wholly nutritious vegetable to grow with many health benefits.

However, when you harvest kale for smoothies, just remember to remove the tough stems, or your drink may end up a bit chewier than ideal.

Learning how to grow kale is simple. It can thrive in a vegetable garden, raised beds, or you can grow kale in pots to enjoy on a deck or balcony.

For the best harvests, keep plants covered to stop birds and insects from nibbling the leaves, and pick them as a cut-and-come-again vegetable by taking a few of the oldest, outer leaves at a time.

There are lots of different types of kale to grow, but the best for containers is dwarf blue curled, which grows to only a couple of feet tall and is hardy enough to overwinter in most climates. You can get dwarf blue curled kale seeds at Botanical Interests to sow in early spring.

2. Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is a vibrant vegetable with a rainbow of red, yellow, orange, or pink stems, depending on the variety.

However, it is the leaves you predominantly use in smoothies. The fibrous stems need chopping small and blitzing, plus too much can bring bitterness to the drink.

Chard overall has a mild taste and is packed with nutrients, vitamins, and iron. The best tactic is to combine your freshly-harvested Swiss chard with different fruits to balance out the flavors.

Thankfully, it is an easy vegetable to grow, and you can grow Swiss chard in the ground or in containers.

For success, you should plant Swiss chard seeds in spring, and you will enjoy harvests from summer onwards. A couple of key steps are to plant somewhere sunny with well-draining soil, and keep chard well watered during dry spells.

For a bright display of stems, sow these Swiss Chard ‘Bright Lights’ seeds from Burpee for a selection of colorful crops to enjoy.

3. Spinach

Spinach is a highly versatile crop for a grow-your-own smoothie garden. It is simple to grow in beds or containers, and it is another that you can harvest over a long period by picking the larger, outer leaves and letting the inner ones continue to grow.

Spinach is an excellent smoothie ingredient, not only because its mild flavor complements stronger fruits, but also because of its significant nutritional benefits. It is highly valued for being loaded with essential nutrients like vitamins, iron, magnesium, and antioxidants.

Start growing spinach in spring and, as it is a fast-growing vegetable, you can harvest baby spinach leaves within just a few weeks. As the crop is liable to bolt in hot weather, sow or plant spinach first in spring, then again in late summer or early fall for year-round harvests.

If you want to grow spinach in pots, fill a large container with a quality soil for container gardening (such as this Miracle-Gro potting mix at Amazon) and keep the plant consistently moist during hot weather to prevent bolting.

You can get bolt-resistant varieties to plant, such as these Space Spinach Seeds at Burpee, that can go from sowing to picking in as little as 40 days.

4. Beets

Beets have more health benefits than you know, including their anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Or how they help to lower blood pressure and improve gut health. As well as being rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, they bring sweet, earthy flavors to any smoothie – and can transform the color.

If that sounds good to you, the other dose of good news is that growing beets is really simple. There are different types of beets you can grow, including yellow and white ones, but only the red varieties have betacyanin, which is thought to suppress some forms of cancer.

You can plant beets directly into the soil after the frosts, and a great tactic is to sow successionally (every few weeks) all the way through till late summer for a long, steady harvest of beets.

Start harvesting beets once they are at least the size of a golf ball. They can be added to smoothies either raw or cooked, depending on your preference.

Detroit dark red beets are a classic variety that can be picked small and tender, and the greens are also very nutritious. You can get Detroit dark red beet seeds at Botanical Interests to sow for your homegrown smoothies.

5. Cucumber

Cucumbers can evoke images of spa retreats (picture cucumber slices on people’s eyes) and definitely have their benefits when you want to grow your own smoothie.

They bring a refreshing, sweet note, and their high water content helps with hydration. Cucumbers also offer lots of vitamins and minerals, while being low in calories.

To grow cucumbers, you often need more space than other vegetables on this list. Most cucumbers grow vertically and require a trellis or structure to train them to, but there are compact plants that produce mini cucumbers to pick if you want to grow cucumbers in pots on a deck or balcony.

You can plant cucumber seeds in spring to start plants off indoors in a greenhouse or on a warm windowsill to extend the season. Alternatively, wait until after the last frosts to sow seeds outdoors.

The best cucumbers for smoothies are English cucumbers, as they have thin skin that you don’t need to peel. So growing a variety such as Telegraph Improved, which you get seeds of at Botanical Interests, removes that extra bit of work.

6. Blueberries

Blueberries are a superfood that is rich in vitamins and antioxidants. They make a healthy, versatile ingredient for any homegrown smoothie. Blueberries are not only tasty, but can aid heart health, brain function, and regular digestion, among a long list of other benefits.

The best time to plant blueberries is in spring or fall, and well-maintained bushes can last you for many years. A key to success with growing blueberries is planting them in their preferred acidic soil, which is why many gardeners grow blueberries in pots to create ideal growing conditions for the crop.

Harvest blueberries in midsummer to early fall. You can use them straight away or freeze blueberries for future use. A benefit of adding frozen homegrown blueberries to a smoothie is that, in addition to adding tangy flavor, they thicken the texture. It reduces the need to use ice.

See the range of blueberry plants at Burpee

7. Strawberries

Strawberries are a classic smoothie ingredient, but you can’t do better than growing your own strawberries to pick at home. In a nutshell, strawberries are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and they add a sweet, tangy flavor to any homemade smoothie.

Just like blueberries, frozen strawberries are perfect for smoothies because they provide a creamy, chilled texture without needing much ice.

Strawberry plants are readily available either bare-root or container-grown, and they can be planted in the ground, raised beds, containers, or hanging baskets. The beauty of growing strawberries in pots is that you can enjoy scrumptious homegrown pickings on a deck or patio.

It can take just a few months from planting strawberries to picking fresh strawberries to add to your smoothie.

See a range of strawberry plants at Burpee

If you want to grow your own smoothie, herbs should also be a mainstay. The likes of mint, basil, lemon balm, and rosemary all make great candidates, and you don’t need lots of space to grow herbs at home.

To help you make the most of a small space, these guides to growing herbs in pots and growing herbs indoors are full of useful information to help you get great pickings at home for homegrown smoothies.

I love regrowing vegetables; there is immense satisfaction from getting another crop from homegrown produce. It has led me to regrow lettuce, leeks, and onions from scraps over the year, but my newest find is a bit different. It is growing sweet potato slips in water.

Slips are the shoots of a mature sweet potato, and you grow new plants from these. While potatoes are grown from seed potatoes, sweet potatoes are grown from slips. You can buy slips in the spring, or grow your own by suspending a sweet potato in water. It requires patience, but the reward is that you can get lots of slips for a little effort.

You can go from having a sweet potato to many new plants in as few as seven steps, and it is free, plus you only need a few common household items to grow a sweet potato in water. Let’s see how simple it is to grow sweet potatoes in this way.

How to Grow a Sweet Potato in Water

Growing a sweet potato in water is simple, and it differs from growing other vegetables from scraps in the same way.

With many others, such as growing lettuce from scraps or regrowing leeks, you get a quick second crop of leaves or stems.

But with sweet potatoes, you grow slips, aka seedlings. It is a longer-term process, but you can get a dozen or more slips from one tuber using this technique. This means many new plants for free and a bumper harvest of sweet potatoes.

If you want to save time, which is often understandable, you can choose from a range of sweet potatoes to grow at Burpee Gardening and plant them directly into your garden in spring.

How to Grow Sweet Potato Slips in Water: 7 Steps

It can take 10-12 weeks in total from putting the sweet potato in water to the resulting slips being ready to plant into the vegetable garden.

When you buy slips, you cannot plant sweet potatoes until the risk of frost has passed, so plan your timing carefully when growing your own.

To get the process started at the right time, count back 10-12 weeks from the usual last frost date for your US hardiness zone.

1. Prepare the sweet potato - You can sprout sweet potato slips from last year’s homegrown sweet potatoes, or from organic sweet potatoes purchased from a store or farmers' market. There are risks to using any non-organic shop-bought sweet potatoes, as some grocery store vegetables are treated with chemicals to inhibit sprouting. The prep is as easy as rinsing your chosen sweet potato ahead of use to remove any old soil that may contain bacteria.
2. Know your ends - This may sound basic, but trust me, it is crucial. You want to identify the two different ends of the potato. The pointy end of the sweet potato is the bottom, where roots will grow, and the rounder end is the top, where the slips sprout from. It is important to know the difference between the two ahead of the next step.
3. Suspend the sweet potato in water - Take a clear container, such as a glass jar or plastic see-through pot with no holes in the bottom (such as these reusable plastic tumblers at Amazon), and fill it partway with water. Insert three or four toothpicks around the middle of the sweet potato. Then rest the toothpicks on the top of the jar. The bottom (the pointy end) of the tuber is submerged in the water, and the top (the rounder end) remains dry and sticking out of the top of the container.
4. Keep the container somewhere warm - The container should be put in a warm spot where it can get light and temperatures of 65-80°F. This can be on a sunny windowsill or in a warm greenhouse, porch, or sunroom.
5. Change the water - To keep the sweet potato healthy, changing the water every three days prevents any harmful bacteria from building up. Regularly check to ensure the base of the sweet potato remains submerged. Top up the water as required.
6. Watch roots and shoots develop - The first roots should start showing in just a few days, followed a week or two later by green shoots emerging from the top of the sweet potato. It can take 4-6 weeks for the slips to get a few inches long, at which point they are ready to be removed from the sweet potato.
7. Remove the slips - Once the slips reach 4-6 inches long, they can be twisted off the potato or cut off with a sharp knife. These slips are then put in another separate jar of water, though you can have multiple slips in one container to save lots of pots taking up an entire windowsill. Again, refresh the water regularly and watch these slips develop their own roots over the next few weeks.

When your sweet potato slips have roots that are 1-2 inches long, they can be planted out into your vegetable garden or into pots for a vegetable container garden.

Plant them four inches deep and at least one foot apart in a sunny spot in the garden. Or you can grow sweet potatoes in a container using a large pot, bucket, or grow bag, filled with a quality potting soil, such as this Miracle-Gro potting mix available at Amazon.

When you know how to grow a sweet potato in water, you can propagate slips every year. It is the simplest way to propagate sweet potatoes, as the alternative is to grow them from stem cuttings. That is certainly not the traditional way to grow plants, but it is doable.

Indeed, there are more vegetables you can grow from cuttings than most gardeners realize. The common way is to buy seeds or transplants, while plant cuttings are more traditionally done with shrubs, trees, or perennials.

If you are intrigued by propagating veg in unorthodox ways, this guide to vegetables to grow from cuttings reveals 10 crops you can experiment with, including sweet potatoes, and a few tips to help you on your way.

If you like to add some spice to your life, then 2026 may be the year for you, as the National Garden Bureau (NGB) has officially named it the Year of the Hot Pepper. From the super-hot to unique shapes, and those with superb flavor but without the fiery heat, there is a lot to discover about chili peppers, and 2026 is a perfect time to expand your horizons.

Peppers have been grown for thousands of years and play a pivotal role in many international cuisines. They are potentially as popular as ever nowadays, fuelled by a widening interest in global cooking, along with trendy ‘super-hot’ eating challenges sweeping social media.

It means there is a growing interest in growing chili peppers, and home gardeners are looking to widen the types of peppers they can grow at home. With over 50,000 varieties worldwide and hundreds available for home cultivation, there is a pepper for any growing space and any taste preferences.

Why Is 2026 the Year of the Hot Pepper?

Peppers (Capsicum spp.) have a rich history and cultural impact. They are an important part of cuisines across the continents, and there are many widely-recognized types of peppers, including bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and cayenne peppers.

In the modern world, green-fingered households are wide-ranging in their ambitions, from seeking some of the hottest peppers you can get for home cultivation to trying out milder varieties that offer citrusy or smoky flavors without the burning. A lot more eyes are on pepper now, and there is much to discover.

‘Peppers truly spice up our lives,’ says Diane Blazek, Executive Director at the NGB. ‘With the diversity of colors, shapes, and heat levels available today, there is a perfect pepper for every palate and every garden, from a tiny balcony container to a sprawling backyard plot.’

The NGB, a non-profit organization founded in 1920 to educate and inspire home gardeners, has identified three diverse types of chili peppers for growers to explore, and highlighted some high-performing varieties for each type.

The first is the ‘Super Hot’ types, those that bring extreme heat. They include habanero peppers, ghost peppers, scotch bonnet peppers, and varieties like Buffy F1, which the NGB praises for being an ‘ornamental powerhouse’ that hits 500,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHUs).

Though this is well below the Carolina Reaper, which is the hottest pepper you can grow at home (with the Guinness World Record-holding Pepper X not available commercially) at around 1.6 million SHUs.

There are also ‘Exotic’ peppers that come in different shapes and offer unique floral flavors, like Mad Hatter F1, a ‘disc-shaped pepper with a sweet, citrusy finish and just a touch of heat’ according to the experts at the NGB.

Finally, there are ‘Hardy’ types that can thrive in cooler temperatures and be perfect for home gardeners in milder US hardiness zones, such as Manzano types of peppers.

Peppers can be grown indoors or outdoors, depending on your climate and set-up, and having those hardier varieties opens up the possibilities to many more growers.

It just needs more gardeners to be aware that these types of peppers exist, and appreciate that homegrown peppers aren’t just limited to those with warmer climates or large greenhouses.

Expert Tips for Success During the Year of the Hot Pepper

Growing peppers does need patience, but the effort put in comes highly rewarded with potentially bumper harvests of peppers on the cards.

The long season they require means picking the right varieties for your climate is crucially important, as some can take 100+ days to ripen, including varieties of C. chinense, including habaneros and other ‘super-hot’ types, and C. baccatum.

Understand your first and last frost dates, as these cold-sensitive crops can only go outside after the last frost. If your climate is not suitable for growing outdoors, you can grow them in a greenhouse in colder climates to extend the season.

The lengthy growing season also affects when you sow seeds indoors, which is 6-8 weeks before the last frost in your climate.

Gail Pabst from the NGB recommends sowing pepper seeds 1/4 inch deep into compost and has the following advice for success: ‘Use a heat mat and strong light to ensure that seedlings germinate uniformly and do not stretch. This is a must.’

If you do not have the right setup to grow plants from seed, you can buy pepper plants from a nursery or garden center.

‘Purchasing seedlings from your local garden center is a perfect alternative. Just make sure the seedling is well rooted and doesn’t have any open flowers or fruit,’ recommends Gail. ‘Seedlings with fruit already on them have likely either been in the same container for too long or were stressed into flowering.’

Plant peppers in full sun and space plants 12-18 inches apart. The plants will require regular watering, feeding, and supporting with a trellis, cage (like a tomato cage, available at Amazon), or stake. You should pick peppers once the color fully changes. You can pick younger peppers for a milder taste, but you get hotter peppers if the color is left to mature fully on the plant.

One important safety aspect to remember when growing peppers is always wearing gloves when harvesting and processing the fruits. Hot peppers contain capsaicin, which can irritate the eyes and skin.

You don’t need a big space to grow chili peppers. It is possible to have healthy plants and great harvests by growing peppers in containers in a small garden or on a deck, patio, or balcony.

I have had great success growing hot peppers in pots over the years, and put together this article on the best chili varieties for containers to highlight six fantastic peppers that work well in pots. I hope it provides some inspiration to help you enjoy growing peppers in smaller spaces.

What you can sow or plant in January depends on your climate and US hardiness zone. However, wherever you live, there are vegetables you can plant this month. It will be a case of the types and growing methods differing from region to region.

Gardeners in warmer climates may enjoy the luxury of direct sowing the first of their yearly vegetables directly into the soil this month. While, at the other end of the scale, those in cold climates may look at frozen ground and be tinged with jealousy. They can start crops indoors, but may still need a heated propagator and grow lights to have healthy vegetables.

I have grown a wide array of vegetables year-round. I have never been fortunate enough to plant vegetables outdoors in January, but I have had the luxury of greenhouses and heated propagation benches to help extend the growing season. Here I want to highlight seven vegetables to plant in January, which will include crops suitable for gardeners in any climate, along with some planting tips.

Vegetables to Plant in January – How to Help Sowing Indoors

If you have a vegetable garden in cold or milder climates, from US hardiness zones 3-8, you will likely be restricted to sowing seeds indoors. I was a professional kitchen gardener in zone 8, and started all my crops off undercover in January. It wasn’t until early spring that I started sowing seeds outdoors.

A heat mat or heated propagator will help you start vegetable seeds indoors in January. It can provide valuable heat to germinate seeds, and they come in various sizes. Even if you only have a bright windowsill for sowing this month, you can get windowsill heat mats like these on Amazon.

1. Leeks

While not the conventional time to start growing leeks, if you want larger leeks and earlier harvests, then you can do an early sowing of seeds indoors in January. This is best recommended for those in colder climates, and you can expect to harvest leeks come late summer or early fall from a winter sowing.

To start leeks this month, sow them thinly in pots or modules filled with seed compost, such as Burpee's seed starting soil. I have had success sowing them into two or five-liter pots and then separating and transplanting them outside come spring. Leek seeds need temperatures of at least 45°F to germinate, which you can provide in a greenhouse or on a windowsill.

When the leeks are 6-8 inches tall and pencil-thick, transplant the seedlings into their final growing position after the last frost.

See the range of leek seeds at Amazon
See the range of leek seeds at Walmart
See the range of leek seeds at Burpee
See the range of leek seeds at True Leaf Market

2. Peas

You can either start growing garden peas in late January, or grow pea shoots as microgreens on a bright windowsill. To grow garden peas, you can start seeds indoors or try to warm up the soil early and plant the peas under a cold frame or frost cloth – it will depend on how cold your soil is in January.

Peas need a soil temperature of 55-60°F for germination, which you can check with a soil thermometer, like this one at Amazon. If it is too cold outside, sow peas into deep modules (like these deep nursery pots on Amazon) or root trainers filled with seed compost. Plant them an inch deep and place them on a heat mat, or on a warm, bright windowsill for good germination.

Whether you plant peas indoors or outdoors in late January, a good tip is to sow rounded pea seeds, rather than wrinkled seeds, earlier in the year, as the rounded ones won’t hold onto water, so are at less risk of rotting at colder temperatures.

For pea shoots, sow the seeds thickly over a tray filled with compost and cover with more soil. Put them on a warm windowsill, ideally south-facing, and you can harvest the microgreens within a couple of weeks.

See the range of pea seeds at Amazon
See the range of pea seeds at Walmart
See the range of pea seeds at Burpee
See the range of pea seeds at True Leaf Market

3. Carrots

January is early for planting carrots, but it is possible. In warmer climates, the soil can be warm enough to sow seeds directly into the vegetable garden. However, there is also the possibility of growing some carrot varieties indoors in cooler zones.

As carrots don’t transplant, you want to plan where you are growing carrots and the types accordingly. For example, to cultivate them indoors, you may need to grow carrots in containers and pick fast-growing varieties or shorter-rooted types.

The ideal soil temperature for carrots is 50-70°F. If your soil is warm enough for outdoor sowings, prepare the ground and rake it level. Thinly sow the seeds into drills only a quarter-inch deep and then gently water the row to avoid disturbing the freshly-sown seeds.

Covering the rows with a cold frame or horticultural fleece (such as this floating row cover at Amazon) can provide an extra bit of warmth to help with germination.

See the range of carrot seeds at Amazon
See the range of carrot seeds at Walmart
See the range of carrot seeds at Burpee
See the range of carrot seeds at True Leaf Market

4. Beets

Beets are a cool-season crop that prefers milder soil temperatures, thriving between 50°F and 75°F.

For growers in warmer climates, they are ideal for the winter months, as growing beets can be tough in hot summer temperatures. While you can plant beets in a greenhouse or polytunnel during winter in colder climates for an earlier harvest, you would struggle to grow beets outdoors in cold conditions.

Beets are commonly sown directly into the ground, though you can grow them in module trays and transplant seedlings once they are large enough to handle. But if the soil temperature is warm enough, you are better off direct sowing.

Do so carefully, though, as beet seeds are multigerm clusters containing several seeds. Sowing too thickly is a beet growing mistake that leaves you stuck with the arduous task of a lot of thinning if they all germinate. Instead, try to place each seed around four inches apart, and an inch deep in the soil.

See the range of beet seeds at Amazon
See the range of beet seeds at Walmart
See the range of beet seeds at Burpee
See the range of beet seeds at True Leaf Market

5. Lettuce

Yes, you can start growing lettuce in January. It may seem an early start for planting lettuce to many gardeners, but where and how you can sow will depend on your climate.

Growers in warmer climates can sow outdoors, albeit with some protection on cold nights, while those in milder climates can start lettuce seeds outside courtesy of some protection from tunnels, cloches, cold frames, or frost cloth.

As long as the soil temperature is above 40°F, you can sow directly. Winter lettuces can tolerate temperatures of 32°F, but growth slows once the temperature dips below 40°F. A row cover or a low hoop tunnel (like this hoop tunnel kit at Walmart) can keep temperatures at an adequate level for lettuce to grow.

In the coldest zones, you can start seeds in a greenhouse, but you will need the assistance of grow lights and additional heat sources when growing indoors.

The best varieties to start in January are the more cold-tolerant lettuces, such as ‘Winter Density’ or ‘Arctic King’. Alternatively, you can opt for some alternative hardy leaves, including corn salad, winter purslane, or mizuna, which all make fantastic cut-and-come-again leaves to grow over the cooler months.

Get Winter Density lettuce seeds at True Leaf Market

Get organic corn salad seeds at Burpee

6. Spinach

Spinach germinates reliably well at cooler temperatures and is a super-hardy crop, hence its inclusion here as one of the top vegetables to plant in January. Spinach seeds can germinate at temperatures down to 32°F, and plants can tolerate temperatures as low as 0°F.

This makes growing spinach suitable for most climates during winter, as a cold frame or row cover can protect plants even in the coldest gardens. For the best success, however, opt for the hardiest varieties in January, such as ‘Winter Giant’, ‘Bloomsdale’ and ‘Perpetual’.

To sow spinach outdoors in zones 7-10, sow the seeds directly into one-inch drills and thin seedlings to at least three inches apart as they appear. For growers in zones 7 and 8, it is advisable to cover plants with frost cloth, low tunnels, or a cold frame for guaranteed success.

In colder zones, it is best to start seeds indoors in large modules to limit root disturbance when transplanting out seedlings. Too much disturbance can be responsible for spinach bolting, so using a product like this XL seed starting tray from Burpee can help reduce stress when transplanting.

Get Bloomsdale spinach seeds at Burpee

Get Winter Giant spinach seeds at True Leaf Market

7. Garlic

It is not too late to plant garlic. If you missed the fall window to start growing garlic, you can still get bulbs into the ground in January and enjoy a decent crop for all your culinary needs.

As garlic needs a period of cold weather to form good bulbs, this can be achieved by planting in January, as long as the ground isn’t frozen. You may get smaller bulbs from spring planting, but you can get a good harvest of garlic in mid-to-late summer from planting at the start of the year.

The best types of garlic for new year planting are softneck varieties, compared to hardneck garlic, which typically need a full winter in the soil to reliably produce good yields. If the soil is workable, simply separate the cloves into bulbs and plant them pointy end up an inch deep in the soil.

However, if you have heavy or waterlogged soil, it is best to plant the garlic in pots. Leave these containers in an open cold frame or protected spot in the yard, and transfer the plants into the ground once the soil becomes workable in late winter or early spring.

See the range of garlic bulbs to plant at Amazon
See the range of garlic bulbs to plant at Walmart
See the range of garlic bulbs to plant at Burpee
See the range of garlic bulbs to plant at True Leaf Market

January starts off a new gardening year, and it can be a busy time. There is a wide variety of January gardening jobs to choose from to keep you occupied and give you a bit of a gardening fix this month.

It ranges from physical outdoor tasks like pruning deciduous trees and shrubs, and planting bare-root trees, shrubs, and perennials, to indoor tasks for bitter days, when you can clean tools and equipment and get ahead with planning for the upcoming season.

Shop Kit for Winter Propagation:

Eggplants are warm-weather vegetables routinely grown as annual plants by gardeners around the globe. It is a one-season-and-done approach that reliably yields, but there is another way, and the reward can be earlier harvests.

You can overwinter eggplant plants indoors to keep them as perennial plants. This approach is best suited to warmer climates and can also save gardeners time and money. The truth is that the vigor of the plants will drop year-on-year, but you can overwinter eggplant plants for a good few years before they become inefficient.

It may sound like a radical way to grow eggplant, but it can make a fun experiment and does yield real rewards. Whether you decide to give overwintering eggplant a go will come down to your climate and the growing space you have, but here are some growing tips to help you on your way. It is definitely worth trying in the future.

Overwintering Eggplant – Is It Really Worth It?

I have grown eggplant for many years in vegetable gardens, but only ever treated them as annual crops. I was a professional gardener in US hardiness zone 8, which was too cold to overwinter eggplant outdoors, while I also didn’t have the space indoors to ensure plants survived winter.

To overwinter eggplant and keep them alive for several years, they must be kept protected from frost. This can be done outdoors in frost-free climates of US hardiness zones 10-12, but gardeners in cooler climates will need to overwinter the vegetables indoors.

You’ll be able to pick eggplant earlier in the year, as mature plants will produce fruit far in advance of those sown from seed in spring. Plus, you can save money by not buying new plants, and save time by not growing plants from seed. If that sounds good to you, let’s look at how to overwinter eggplant plants both indoors and outdoors.

See the range of eggplant seeds at Amazon

See the range of eggplant seeds at Walmart

See the range of eggplant seeds at Burpee

See the range of eggplant seeds at True Leaf Market

How to Overwinter Eggplant Indoors in 5 Simple Steps:

If you strive to take advantage of the benefits that come from overwintering eggplant plants, the following steps are crucial when looking after plants indoors over the colder months:

• Move plants before frost - Eggplants are very sensitive to cold and can be harmed when temperatures drop below 50°F. The tender plants are killed by frost. Keep an eye on your temperatures and weather forecasts, and move plants indoors when night-time temperatures look set to drop below that 50°F mark.
• Prune plants back hard - The eggplant should be trimmed back before being brought indoors. Don’t be scared by pruning eggplant drastically to overwinter them; this is the right approach. Michael Clarke, an experienced horticulturist and founder of Yardwork, recommends removing all fruit and flowers before trimming. He adds: ‘Prune stems back to the main framework, keeping the plant 8-12 inches tall and remove all thin/weak branches and any damaged growth. Strip off most of the leaves, leaving 2-4 small ones to help the plant stay alive through the winter.’
• Pot up healthy plants - I have often grown eggplant in containers. However, if you have cultivated the plant in the ground over summer, you will need to lift and pot it up to look after indoors over winter. Carefully dig up the eggplant and put it in a container filled with a quality potting soil for container gardening (such as this organic potting mix available at Burpee). Any pot must have drainage holes to prevent the roots from sitting in overly sodden soil over winter, which risks root rot. Before overwintering eggplant indoors, check the state of your plants and only pick healthy ones with no sign of pest or disease issues.
• Pick a warm, bright spot - The best way to overwinter eggplant plants is in a bright and warm environment. It does mean giving plants space, light, and warmth, which Michael Clarke admits ‘can be hard to maintain throughout the winter’ unless you have a dedicated space or a greenhouse. ‘Eggplants need a spot that stays between 60-70°F and doesn't get cold drafts with bright, indirect light near an east or south-facing window,’ he says. ‘Common places to place them include bright basements, sunrooms, heated greenhouses, and enclosed porches that never freeze.’ For healthy eggplant, you may need to use grow lights on plants to encourage strong growth in early spring, when the natural light levels are lower.
• Be gentle with watering - Only water plants sparingly over winter to prevent the soil from drying out. Keep a close eye on the moisture levels and ensure the soil remains scarcely moist during the overwintering period. A soil moisture meter (such as this soil moisture meter on Amazon) may help you make sensible decisions about when to water plants, as overwatering is a common reason for plants dying during the off-season. There is no need to fertilize eggplants until they start actively growing again in spring.

How to Overwinter Eggplant Outdoors in Warmer Climates

Gardeners in warmer climates can overwinter eggplant outdoors, but admittedly, it is only really suitable for zones 10+ and those with tropical or Mediterranean climates. It can be a simple process, but plants may still benefit from some added protection throughout the winter months.

‘Cut back the plant the same way you would to prepare for indoor overwintering and mulch heavily around the base with straw, compost, or leaves,’ recommends Michael.

He adds: ‘Cover plants with a frost cloth or row cover on cold nights and keep the soil barely moist, watering sparingly.’

You can buy frost cloth on Amazon to protect plants from frost over winter. Alternatively, for a more budget-friendly DIY approach, there are cheap ways to protect plants from frost, such as using old blankets, bedsheets, or cardboard boxes.

When you successfully overwinter eggplant, and the plants start growing again in spring, you need to provide them with sufficient heat and light for healthy development.

A lack of light will be an eggplant growing mistake and will result in leggy growth. To combat this, grow lights may be needed for 12-14 hours daily in northern zones where natural levels are limited during winter, as you also increase watering and start feeding plants to guarantee those earlier yields than you’d otherwise get from sowing seeds indoors in spring.

Shop The Kit for Overwintering Eggplant

When you mention December harvests, most people will think straight away of those classic festive vegetables like Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips, and cabbage. It may be surprising what a selection of vegetables can be picked in mid-winter, so here I look at some of those lesser-known vegetables to harvest in December.

Having year-round harvests from a vegetable garden requires some planning, but there is a long list of cold-hardy crops that can be freshly picked for winter dinner plates. Get it right, and you can enjoy nutritious winter greens, hearty roots, unique brassicas, and peppery leaves.

I grew a wide selection of winter vegetables during my time growing and harvesting edibles for chefs at different restaurants. We picked fresh vegetables multiple times a week in December, ranging from winter staples to some less common crops. Here, I want to shine a light on some of those less-recognised winter crops in this list of vegetables to harvest in December.

7 Vegetables to Harvest in December

Growing and harvesting vegetables into December requires careful selection of types and varieties to ensure a diverse range of overwintering vegetables that can withstand the cold.

You can assist them by using row covers, cloches, or cold frames to protect plants from frost and extend the harvest season well into winter. I’ll mention which of the highlighted vegetables need extra winter protection, along with some harvesting tips.

1. Collard greens

Collard greens thrive in cold weather and are one of the hardiest brassicas you can plant in your vegetable garden. The earthy leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals, and perfect for southern dishes, warming soups, and hearty stews.

I grew collard greens in the productive vegetable garden at Soho Farmhouse in the Cotswolds, and the crop was freshly picked for chefs at the on-site restaurants throughout December and January. There is a good reason they were desired in these months, as frosts convert starches in the plant to sugars, so the collard greens taste sweeter.

Collard greens can withstand temperatures as low as 15°F. In US hardiness zones 7 and below, covering plants with frost cloth (such as this row cover at Amazon) or building a hoop tunnel helps protect winter leafy greens from frost and allows harvests through extreme temperatures.

Harvest collard greens as a cut-and-come-again crop. Snip individual leaves once they are large enough to use, starting with the lowest, older leaves, and never take more than a third at any one time.

2. Broccoli Rabe

Broccoli rabe is a crop known by many names, and you will hear it called (or spelt) broccoli raab, rapini, or spring broccoli. It is a leafy green that resembles broccoli, but is related to turnips. However, don’t underestimate it, as it is a fast-growing vegetable that can give you harvests of bitter and nutty heads and stems throughout the winter in milder climates.

It is another winter crop I grew and harvested for the chefs at Soho Farmhouse, which is located in US hardiness zone 8. That is worth pointing out, as broccoli rabe is a winter crop more suited to milder regions. When planted in late summer or early fall, the crop can provide harvests through winter and into spring. Plants will benefit from mulching to insulate the roots, and covering with frost cloth or blankets ahead of frosty nights.

To harvest broccoli rabe, cut the main head once the plants reach 12-15 inches tall. This will encourage lots of smaller side shoots to develop, which can be harvested two or three times by cutting them with sharp pruning shears or a harvesting knife, like this pocket-sized folding harvesting knife at Walmart.

3. Lacinato kale

Another crop that goes by many names, including Tuscan kale, dinosaur kale, or, as I have always known it, cavolo nero. I have grown kale of various kinds in different vegetable gardens, and my personal favorite remains this one. This is because the dark strap-shaped leaves give lacinato kale a stunning ornamental look, and the plants are prolific.

This is a brassica that I have regularly picked through winter for chefs, and it is super-easy to harvest kale in a way that keeps it growing for a long period of time. Once the leaves are large enough to use, you can harvest them as a cut-and-come-again vegetable.

Start with the largest leaves at the bottom of the stalk, and carefully remove them one by one. It is better to snip them close to the stem, as pulling them is a harvesting mistake that risks damaging the plant.

Lacinato kale is very cold-hardy and can tolerate frosts and low temperatures down to -10°F. In colder climates, it can be beneficial to build a mini hoop tunnel (you can use hoops like these at Amazon to make a tunnel) and cover it with frost cloth to protect plants from extreme cold.

But kale will overwinter in most US hardiness zones without too many issues. Plus, the flavor of the nutritious leaves will also improve after a few frosts.

4. Celeriac

Celeriac have long been one of my top vegetables to grow, and I have cultivated and harvested this unique root crop in several different vegetable gardens, including for Michelin-starred kitchens.

The globe-shaped roots have a nutty, sweet taste and are highly versatile, as you can mash, roast, or puree them as well as add celeriac to winter soups and stews.

You can harvest celeriac from late fall to early spring, and it is another crop that benefits from a few frosts, turning the starches in the roots into sugars. A bit of patience means sweeter celeriac for your dishes.

If you grow celeriac in colder climates, covering the plants in a layer of straw helps to overwinter root vegetables. The mulching layer stops the roots from freezing and thawing, while also making it easier to lift them in winter as the ground doesn’t freeze solid.

Use a garden fork to gently lever the celeriac roots out of the soil, rather than attempting to pull them from the earth with your hands.

5. Kalettes

Kalettes may be a new crop to many. It is a recent introduction to vegetable gardens, but their popularity is increasing, and kalettes are becoming a bit of a trendy crop. I grew them for the chefs at high-calibre restaurants as an alternative to Brussels sprouts, and kalettes do have a sweeter taste than the more traditional festive sprouts.

Kalette plants develop tall stalks covered with florets of tightly packed small green and purple kale leaves.

The florets are individually picked from the stem throughout winter and into spring. As all the florets don’t mature at the same time, the stalks need to be regularly checked and ready ones twisted from the stem or cut with a sharp knife.

As the plants grow tall stems, they will require staking in windier sites to stop them toppling over due to strong winter winds, or suffering wind rock and root damage. But the plants are very cold-hardy and need little protection against frost and snow.

6. Corn salad

Corn salad, also known as lamb’s lettuce or mache, is a very hardy leafy green. Its nutty, succulent, deep green leaves can be a distinct addition to winter salads.

The crop can tolerate freezing temperatures and a covering of snow. Even growers in colder regions can enjoy growing corn salad by covering plants with frost cloth, cloches, or cold frames (like this wooden portable cold frame at Wayfair) for extra protection in the depths of winter.

To harvest corn salad, you have a choice. Either pick individual leaves with scissors by cutting a few inches above the crown for successive harvests. Alternatively, you can cut the whole head near the base of the rosette, and the plant will resprout for a second crop.

Corn salad isn’t the only hardy green you can pick to spice up winter salads. The likes of arugula, spinach, mizuna, mustards, and winter lettuces can all provide harvests in December, especially when given some protection, or when you have them as vegetables growing in a greenhouse in fall and winter.

7. Rutabaga

Rutabagas are perfect for hearty winter stews, casseroles, soups, or roasts. After the roots have sweetened courtesy of a few frosts, start digging them up for all manner of seasonal dishes.

The root crop can be left in the ground to harvest over winter, but needs to be protected with a thick layer of straw or leaves to prevent the ground from freezing and the roots from going mushy due to repeated freezing and thawing. Give rutabaga a thick layer of straw and cover this with hoops and a row cover to keep it in place for winter.

Harvest the rutabaga once they reach 3-5 inches in diameter. Carefully loosen the soil around the roots and gently lift them from the soil. Once they reach this size, rutabagas can be stored for longer, up to four months in a dark, cool place with high humidity.

How does growing your own Christmas dinner sound to you for a truly homegrown festive celebration? If you like the prospect of Christmas plates full of homegrown vegetables, this guide reveals all the sowing and planting dates you need to know to grow your own Christmas dinner and enjoy plates piled with potatoes, carrots, sprouts, carrots, rutabaga, and green beans.

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It might be cold outside, but winter is still a time for homegrown harvests. Hardy greens will grow during the colder months, and you can keep those harvests coming for longer by overwintering leafy greens under a row cover, cloche, or cold frame.

Hardy winter leafy greens such as spinach, collard greens, winter lettuce, Swiss chard, pak choi, mizuna, and mustards can all provide late harvests of nutritious, tasty leaves at a time when offerings from the vegetable garden can be a bit more limited. Even in milder climates, a few simple steps to overwinter leafy greens can ensure a fantastic harvest throughout December and January.

Here, I highlight five factors to help you enjoy success overwintering vegetables. I have grown crops year-round as a professional kitchen gardener, and still try to keep my home plots productive throughout the winter. With just a few simple steps, you can overwinter leafy greens and get fantastic harvests for your seasonal dishes. Here I shine a light on five easy ways to protect winter leafy greens at home.

Where to Grow Winter Leafy Greens During December

Winter leafy greens can be grown outdoors during the colder months, but they also make fantastic vegetables to grow in a greenhouse in the fall.

If you aren’t fortunate enough to have a large greenhouse in your backyard, don’t worry, as there are many options available to cultivate them outside successfully.

These include growing them under cloches, covers, cold frames, or in a mini greenhouse, like this portable greenhouse on Wayfair.

1. Pick hardier varieties more suited to cold weather

To grow winter leafy greens successfully, selecting the right varieties is important. Among all the different vegetables, some varieties will be hardier than others. Being careful and choosing varieties that offer the greatest resilience to cold and frost will help to ensure you get the best harvests possible through winter.

To grow lettuce in winter, opt for hardy varieties that are known to tolerate cold temperatures, and, for many, there is a tell-tale hint in their name. The likes of ‘North Pole’, ‘Arctic King’, or any varieties with ‘Winter’ in their name tend to be the hardiest of the winter lettuces.

It is the same with spinach, as certain varieties withstand the worst of the winter weather better than others, including ‘Giant Winter’ and ‘Verdil’, and kale, as ‘Red Russian’ and ‘Dwarf Siberian’ are the hardiest of all the types.

Many oriental greens are also well-suited to growing through winter, including bok choy, mizuna, and tatsoi. These winter leafy greens are available in different leaf shapes and colors, and can be picked as cut-and-come-again vegetables to add spicier flavours even through the coldest months.

2. Mulch plants to protect the roots

There are many benefits to mulching a vegetable garden in the fall, including helping to overwinter leafy greens and other cold-hardy crops. Putting a thick mulching layer around the base of the winter leafy greens insulates the plant’s roots, protecting them against dropping temperatures, and retains moisture in the soil.

The best types of mulch for protecting vegetables over winter include compost, straw, or shredded leaves. The latter of which makes a great cost-effective fall mulching material if you’ve been busy collecting leaves in recent months. Apply a layer 3-4 inches thick and leave a small bare ring around the plant’s crown.

For an extra layer of protection and to keep straw or leaves in place over winter, you can add a low tunnel covered with frost cloth or netting. For example, a hoops kit like this at Amazon can be used to quickly construct a low hoop tunnel to support any material over your crops.

3. Protect plants with row covers

Row covers offer a simple way to protect vegetables from frost. These frost cloths, also known as horticultural fleece, are made of polyester or polypropylene. There are varying thicknesses available, and heavier grades of row covers can provide decent levels of insulation against cold weather, such as this frost cloth at Amazon.

As the material is breathable and permeable, it allows water, light, and air circulation to the plants, while providing a crucial few degrees of warmth. It is not exact, but lightweight row covers can provide 2ºF of frost protection and heavyweight ones up to 8ºF. They can provide just enough insulation to help plants survive cold, frost, snow, rain, and freezing winds.

When using row covers, they need to be weighed down, either with garden staples (you can get heavy-duty landscape staples at Walmart), bricks, or stones. This keeps them in place throughout the winter. Any time you remove them to harvest your greens, remember to put the cover and weights back in place.

4. Cover crops with cloches

Cloches have been used for centuries to cover plants. From historic ornate bell-shaped glass cloches to modern plastic ones, these tools protect plants from frost and can make attractive features in a winter garden.

You can still get eye-catching antique glass cloches, either bell or lantern-shaped, but nowadays most are plastic. Alternatively, you can use recycled plastic containers, sheets, or frost cloth as a DIY cloche replacement. The more lightweight materials will need anchoring to remain in place over winter, unlike sturdier glass cloches that can withstand the elements.

Cloches provide warmth and insulation to the leafy greens underneath them, as well as a physical barrier against any pests that may wish to nibble on them during winter. As well as covers for individual plants, you can get a cloche tunnel, like this one at Amazon, to protect rows of plants from frost or animals.

5. Grow greens under cold frames

A cold frame is an ideal protected place to grow winter leafy greens, especially fast-growing vegetables like winter lettuces, mustards, bok choy, and spinach.

A cold frame is a mini greenhouse with a wooden or plastic frame and plastic or glass windows on the sides and top.

You can either start plants off in a permanent cold frame or place a lightweight portable version over vegetables in situ. This wooden cold frame from Amazon is an example of a portable version, or you could opt to use a plastic mini greenhouse, such as this one at Walmart.

The cold frame traps warm air during the day and retains it into the evening when the lid is shut, keeping the greens insulated against dropping temperatures outside. When there are freezing temperatures, cold rain, or snow, you can keep the cold frame lid shut as a shield. On sunnier winter days, open the lid for air circulation around the plants.

Root vegetables are another fantastic crop for homegrown harvests throughout the winter. A selection of carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, celeriac, and Jerusalem artichoke can provide rich pickings for dinner plates in the colder months.

In milder climates, you can overwinter root vegetables in the garden by covering them with mulch or frost cloth to protect them from freezing. However, in cold regions, it is beneficial to lift and store them in crates filled with moist sand in a dark, frost-free place, such as a garage, cellar, or shed.

Homegrown vegetables offer year-round delights; it needn’t stop when winter arrives. Even when the temperatures drop, winter root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, turnips, celeriac, and Jerusalem artichokes offer hearty harvests in the colder months.

To enjoy these seasonal vegetables, you often need to take steps to ensure they remain in top shape for your festive plates. In areas with milder winters, you can overwinter root vegetables in the ground to lift them as you desire over the season. Gardeners in colder climates, though, may need to lift and store them to see them through winter.

As a professional kitchen gardener, I grew many root vegetables and supplied restaurants with harvests throughout December. In my climate, which was zone 8, most were protected in the ground over winter, lifted directly from the soil and delivered to the chefs. For home growers, there are three methods of overwintering vegetables I would choose, depending on your climate and soil type, and I will examine each of them here.

How to store winter root vegetables – in or out of the ground

As highlighted above, whether you keep winter root vegetables in the ground or out will depend on the extremes of winter in your US hardiness zone and your soil type. There is a great selection of vegetables to overwinter for bountiful harvests 12 months a year, but most will need protection from the elements.

Another important tip is to remember to cut back on watering during winter (many won’t need watering at all) and don’t feed plants until early spring.

1. Cover crops with straw

This was my simple go-to method for protecting carrots, parsnips, celeriac, and rutabagas in winter. It was a quick and easy way to extend the season and ensure I could harvest these roots throughout the winter. A thick layer, at least six inches, of straw on top of the crops, before the ground freezes solid, keeps them in good nick and also makes harvesting easier.

The straw insulates the ground, preventing it from freezing. This stops the roots from going mushy due to continued freezing and thawing. Mulching also makes it much easier to harvest parsnips or carrots, as it can be laborious attempting to lift such deep-rooted vegetables from frozen ground without damaging them.

This technique can be used on winter root vegetables in climates with milder temperatures and frosts. You can get a straw bale at Walmart to spread around your winter root vegetables, whether they are growing in the ground or in a raised garden bed. If you can’t get straw or want a free alternative, shredded leaves are a freely available fall mulching material that can be used as an alternative to straw.

If you live in exposed areas with strong winter winds, covering the straw mulch with frost cloth or an old bed sheet can stop the mulch from blowing away and uncovering the root crops underneath.

2. Use low hoop tunnels

Covering crops with hoop tunnels can be done in conjunction with mulching in colder zones or as a standalone DIY cloche idea for milder winters, as it creates a warmer microclimate and protects plants from frost. It can be used to extend the season for carrots, beets, or turnips, or provide a protected enclosure for winter for carrots, parsnips, celeriac or rutabaga.

Such a DIY mini greenhouse can be easily constructed over plants by pushing hoops into the ground and covering them with frost cloth (also known as horticultural fleece) or sheets of clear plastic. I have often cut PVC irrigation pipes to size to make hoops, but I think an easier option for home gardeners is to buy a hoop tunnel kit, such as this hoop kit at Amazon.

The edges of the plastic or fleece covering need to be secured to the ground, either with garden staples or heavy bricks and stones, to trap heat and prevent it from blowing away.

Whether you cover the crops with straw, leaves, or compost underneath the tunnel is up to the individual gardener, and will depend on how cold it gets over winter and the availability of the mulching material. Personally, I would opt for a layer of straw for an extra layer of protection and peace of mind.

3. Lift and store roots indoors

Lifting and storing winter root vegetables is advisable in climates with extreme frosts and snow. But it is not just the cold that can damage winter root vegetables; if you have a heavy soil type that sits very wet, then it is better to lift them so the crops don’t rot in cold, sodden soil over winter.

You don’t want to lose your precious harvests after caring for vegetables for many months, so start lifting them ahead of the frosts in cold regions. Inspect all roots when you lift them, and store only unblemished ones. Cut off the foliage and brush off loose soil in preparation for storage, but don’t wash the winter root vegetables, as it will reduce their storage life.

A root cellar, a cool underground structure, is a perfect place, but not a common household feature. A shed, garage, or cellar makes an ideal alternative to store winter crops, as such a location needs to be frost-free and dark. Place the root vegetables in boxes of lightly moist sand, sawdust, or compost, but do be careful so that the vegetables don’t touch each other.

Check the box over winter, and remove any vegetables that are getting soft or showing signs of rotting, so they don’t impair others around them.

FAQs

Will beets overwinter in the ground?

When you grow beets, they can overwinter outside, but will need protection from freezing temperatures. In milder climates, covering them with frost cloth or a mulching layer of straw or leaves will shield the roots from damaging frosts. Beets can withstand temperatures to 28°F for short periods, but are damaged by prolonged exposure to cold or cycles of freezing and thawing.

Can parsnips be left in the ground over winter?

Parsnips are hardy winter root vegetables that can overwinter in the soil. Indeed, when you grow parsnips, they taste better after a few frosts, as the starches in the roots are converted into sugars, giving the roots a sweeter flavor. Mulching the roots with straw or compost is a simple way to make harvesting easier and prevent them from getting damaged by freezing and thawing.

Can I leave carrots in the ground over winter?

Yes, when growing carrots, they can be stored in the soil over winter in milder climates or those with well-draining soil. The ideal way to do this is to mulch the bed with straw or chopped leaves, or cover the rows with low tunnels to insulate the roots in the soil.

Growing vegetables can be a year-round pleasure. Not only can you harvest lots of vegetables in December for festive meals, but there is also scope to plant some crops this month to get a head start on next year’s growing season. My guide to vegetables to plant in December reveals seven such crops you can sow this month. This selection gives quick harvests over winter, and also earlier pickings come spring.

December may seem cold and unsuitable for planting to many gardeners, but for those who want to get their fix of seed sowing, there are options available. You may need to do it inside rather than out, but there are vegetables you can plant in December in a greenhouse, cold frame, under cloches, or on a bright windowsill.

There is no hiding that, in most hardiness zones, the weather is cold and light levels are lower in December. As warmth and light are two essential factors for good germination, it means you often need to supplement natural levels by using heat mats and grow lights during the depths of winter. Not all vegetables need this, but many do; it depends on your climate.

Yes, sowing and planting vegetables in December can be a bit trickier, but don’t let that stop you from trying. If you have space and some determination, there is no reason you can’t keep sowing throughout winter. I have grown vegetables year-round, supplying restaurants 52 weeks a year, and have chosen seven vegetables to plant in December to showcase. Winter sowings allow you to get ahead, enjoy earlier spring harvests, or even have quick crops during the lean winter months.

7 vegetables to plant in December

Before choosing vegetables to plant in December and starting sowings, consider your climate and conditions to ensure you have any necessary equipment.

Growers in colder climates may benefit from heat mats or heated propagators to provide extra warmth to seeds during winter, which aids germination. Once seedlings appear, grow lights help prevent leggy seedlings, a common ailment caused by a lack of light when growing indoors over winter.

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1. Garlic

Garlic bucks the trend, as it is one crop you can still plant outside this month, but this is the last chance to get fall-planting types of garlic into the ground. Garlic planting can be done in early December, as the crop needs cold exposure to develop bulbs.

To plant garlic outdoors, split your garlic bulbs into individual cloves. Plant each clove six inches apart, with the flat end down and pointed end up. The tip of the clove should be an inch below the soil surface.

If you do have a heavy soil type that sits waterlogged over winter, you can start growing garlic in pots. And this is a crop on this list that won’t require additional heat indoors, just a protected environment such as a cold frame or unheated greenhouse for winter.

Fill a pot at least six inches deep with a good potting mix for container gardening, and place one clove in each. Keep the pots somewhere protected over winter, and the plants can be transplanted outdoors in spring once conditions improve and the soil is workable.

See the range of garlic bulbs to plant at Amazon

See the range of garlic bulbs to plant at Walmart

See the range of garlic bulbs to plant at Burpee

2. Microgreens

As I mentioned, I worked as a professional kitchen gardener growing edibles for chefs. It included sowing and growing microgreens year-round. Even in December, I did weekly sowings of microgreens and harvested them multiple times a week during the month.

Microgreens are seedlings, harvested at only a few inches tall, but at this point, they are more nutrient-dense than their fully grown counterparts. There are many types of microgreens to grow, including pea shoots, radishes, amaranth, beets, and brassicas, in a greenhouse or on a windowsill.

Fill a seed tray with compost. Sow your seeds over the surface, sowing more thickly than usual, and press them down before covering with more compost or vermiculite. Here, I would advise placing the tray in a vessel of water to soak up moisture without disturbing the seeds.

This tray wants to be positioned on a bright windowsill or in a heated greenhouse. A heated mat and grow light will help encourage germination and healthy growth in the depths of winter. The microgreens can be cut once they are around two inches tall, once they have developed a second set of true leaves.

Discover the full range of microgreens supplies and seeds at True Leaf Market

3. Carrots

A greenhouse can become premium real estate for the colder months, as it is an ideal spot to protect plants from frost. If you have space in a greenhouse remaining, you could start growing carrots, alongside overwintering plants indoors, for a spring harvest.

This can be done in beds in a heated greenhouse, if you have any, or you can grow carrots in containers in there. You will need a large container to grow carrots indoors if you want long roots, unless you opt for shorter or rounded carrot varieties, such as ‘Paris Market’ or ‘Short n Sweet’.

The best varieties of carrots for winter are smaller types or fast-maturing varieties, like ‘Early Nantes’ or ‘Amsterdam Forcing’. Carrots need warmth and ideally temperatures of 60-65°F. They can tolerate as low as 45°F, but growth will be much slower at lower temperatures.

It is the same when it comes to light; they want at least eight to ten hours, so they may need grow lights on for around 12 hours during winter if the natural levels are too low. The lower the light, the slower the growth.

Get Carrot 'Short n Sweet' seeds at Burpee

Get Carrot 'Parisian' seeds at True Leaf Market

Get Carrot 'Amsterdam' seeds at True Leaf Market

4. Cauliflower

They are often seen as a bit of an old-fashioned vegetable, but I have always loved growing cauliflower. They also have a reputation for not being one of the easiest vegetables to grow, and that brings with it a huge satisfaction when you harvest cauliflowers from your own garden.

It may seem early, but you can sow cauliflower seeds indoors during winter to plant out after the last frosts. The best varieties for this are early types, such as ‘Early White Hybrid’, and I have grown ‘All Year Round’ (which, as you may guess, can be grown year-round) cauliflowers in winter.

Sow seeds into individual pots or large modules, as cauliflowers quickly develop roots and can suffer from root disturbance when transplanted. As they will be spending winter indoors, you don’t want them to get too root-bound ahead of being planted out.

Cauliflowers should germinate well at temperatures of 60-68°F. They can handle down to 50°F, but will take a bit longer to germinate at colder temperatures.

Get Cauliflower ‘Early White Hybrid’ seeds at Burpee

Get Cauliflower ‘All Year Round’ seeds at Amazon

5. Mizuna

Both mizuna and mibuna make fantastic cool-weather-loving crops to grow under cover in December in milder zones. If you are looking for an alternative winter green that is easy to grow, these are fantastic options, and you can harvest them as a cut-and-come-again vegetable for lots of pickings.

These Japanese greens differ in their leaf shape; mizuna has feathered, serrated leaves, and mibuna has narrower, spoon-shaped leaves. Both offer a mild spicy taste, which can add an extra flavor to winter salads when enjoyed raw or slightly cooked in stir-fries.

Mizuna doesn’t require lots of heat over winter to germinate and develop; it can thrive in a greenhouse, polytunnel, or cold frame in milder climates. You can also successfully grow mizuna on a windowsill to enjoy harvests of baby leaves within six weeks of sowing.

Other leafy greens you can plant in December include corn salad and winter lettuces. Both of these crops can be grown in an unheated greenhouse or on a windowsill to provide quick harvests.

Get Mizuna seeds at Amazon

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Get Mizuna seeds at Burpee

Get Mizuna seeds at True Leaf Market

6. Onions

It is a gardening tradition to sow onion seeds on Boxing Day. It is thought to be a key to growing bigger onions, and closely adhered to by gardeners looking to exhibit giant onions next year.

Not all growers are as fussed about planting onion seeds so early, but it can give your crops a head start at a quiet time of year, and they should be in fine fettle once the temperatures rise come spring. If you want to sow seeds on Boxing Day in the pursuit of larger bulbs, you can start growing onions in a greenhouse, cold frame, or on a windowsill.

Sow the seeds into trays or modules around a half-inch deep and cover with a thin layer of soil. Keep the soil moist and provide the seeds with temperatures of 50-60°F to germinate. The onion seedlings can be transplanted once they reach around 10 inches, after the last frost in spring.

Discover the full range of onion seeds at Amazon

Discover the full range of onion seeds at Walmart

Discover the full range of onion seeds at Burpee

Discover the full range of onion seeds at True Leaf Market

7. Fava beans

While you usually plant fava beans in the fall or spring, you can get them in the ground in December for an earlier harvest next year. Just remember that the best way and place to plant them this month will depend on your local weather and soil type.

If you have mild winters and well-draining soil, you may have the opportunity to sow seeds outdoors. To make conditions more amenable to growing fava beans through winter, you can warm the soil and protect the beans with cloches, a portable cold frame, or a DIY cloche, such as using old glass frames or hoops and plastic.

However, gardeners in colder climates or those with heavy soil are advised to sow seeds indoors in pots in a greenhouse or on a windowsill to plant outdoors in the spring.

I have always found that ‘Aquadulce’ is a perfect type of fava bean for overwintering. It germinates at low temperatures, and over many years, I have found it a very reliable and consistent performer. It is an excellent choice for a top fava bean harvest every season.

Get 'Aquadulce' fava bean seeds at Amazon

Get 'Aquadulce' fava bean seeds at True Leaf Market

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Even though you may be planting vegetables in December, there should still be lots of crops to harvest this month in your yard. The likes of Brussels sprouts, kale, parsnips, leeks, and Jerusalem artichokes are among the best vegetables to harvest in December. The flavor of homegrown vegetables surpasses any you buy in stores, and many taste extra sweet this month as the frosts convert starches within them into sugars. What better than homegrown harvests on your festive plates this December?

You can sow vegetable seeds every month of the year. There may be more options at certain times, but not a month goes by that vegetables cannot be planted. If you want to make a more personalized plot, there are birth month vegetable seeds to sow and grow suited to the month you were born.

Planting birth month vegetable seeds can be a fun way to introduce someone to growing vegetables. They make a unique present to enjoy planting and caring for, but also are a tasty treat as those homegrown crops will taste much better than store-bought.

Our list of birth month vegetable seeds outlines which crops to sow each month, along with some growing tips for each of them. They rank among some of the easiest vegetables to grow, so you can enjoy the process of planting and harvesting your birth month vegetable.

Discover your birth month vegetable seeds

For flowers, you can sow birth month flower seeds. However, if you want an edible garden featuring crops individualized to your birthday, add these birth month vegetable seeds, along with birth month fruit trees and birth month herbs, to your vegetable garden.

To help you plan your plot and keep it productive year-round, our in-depth guide to when to plant vegetables offers a month-by-month plan to what crops to sow throughout the year.

For the novice gardener, the sheer choice of vegetables to grow can feel overwhelming, especially if you're not sure what will work for your yard. But, I've found the perfect thing to help with this: a wooden seed bank with 32 heirloom vegetable seeds, organized like a beautiful chocolate box.

The best part? There's a specially curated collection for seven different US hardiness zones, and it comes with a grow guide explaining how to grow each of the crops included.

It's such a great find if you're in holiday shopping mode, especially considering this Amazon vegetable seed bank is currently half price, at $31.99. I have a few people in mind who are planning a kitchen garden to gift this to and with varieties to grow in every season, I'm planning to also treat myself to one so I can have a productive year-round veg patch in my own yard.

The importance of proper seed storage and organization

There are quite a few seed storage mistakes many gardeners don't realize they're making.

Not having a dry, dark storage solution for seeds can impact their viability by the time you come around to planting them. This is especially true for seeds you have collected from your own yard, lacking a seed packet like shop-bought ones.

Not only this, but as you experiment with more and more varieties of the years, organization is a must.

Many seeds can look similar, so it's vital to have them labelled to keep track of your stock. You don't want to think you're planting a smaller variety of squash only to find a larger one emerge without sufficient room to grow it.

Having a label or notepad to write down when the seeds were bought or collected is also important, as you can only store seeds for a number of years, sometimes only even one year.

This is where the Amazon vegetable seed bank does the work for you. It provides proper storage and a key to keep track of seeds. Plus, the wooden case is a sophisticated addition to your potting shed.

What the reviews say

It's clear to see by the reviews that this Amazon vegetable seed bank has made the perfect gift for many of the shoppers' green-fingered friends and family.

'[I] bought these heirloom seeds for a Christmas gift for family member who loves to plant a garden for fall and spring,' one review reads. 'The box the seeds came in is a great presentation and I know he’ll enjoy them. Great gift idea, I recommend this item,' they add.

The box seems to be a big selling point of the Amazon vegetable seed bank, offering a stylish storage solution that keeps all the seeds organized.

'Doomsday prepping doesn't get much cuter than this seed bank,' one shopper says.

The fact you can also select a seed bank for your US hardiness zone has pleased many customers, offering seeds for planting in every growing season.

The quality and range of the seeds also seems to satisfy buyers:

'This is a great choice for home gardeners who want a reliable, diverse, and easy-to-grow vegetable seed assortment without having to research which varieties fit their region,' says one five-star reviewer. 'It keeps your garden thriving through all four seasons!' they add.

The one downside? There are only options for US hardiness zones 3-9, so it isn't necessarily suitable for those living in the coldest and hottest climes.

Nevertheless, covering a vast majority of growing regions, this seed bank provides an incredible 32 varieties of the best and most delicious vegetables to grow and a charming vessel to keep them in. Worth $60 but on sale for $32, it's a no-brainer you get value for your money.

Shop stylish seed gifts for the holidays

Whether you're buying this Amazon vegetable seed bank as a gift or you're treating yourself to it, our guide to vegetable garden hacks can help you get the most out of your seeds.

November may be late in the gardening calendar, but there is still time to plant vegetables. Do not underestimate the power of late-season sowings, which can provide quick pickings, despite the cold, and also earlier harvests next year.

This month allows for late sowings of fast-growing vegetables, but pay close attention to their days to maturity to choose the best varieties. November also offers a chance to plant cold-hardy crops that can overwinter in the vegetable garden without issue for harvests come spring or summer.

Many of the vegetables to plant in November that I discuss here require protection in colder climates. Whether you grow them indoors, in a cold frame, or build tunnels or hoop houses, providing them with some protection will be crucial for success in late fall and early winter.

7 Vegetables to Plant in November

Building a small winter hoop house is a great way to protect plants from frost and help you to overwinter vegetables successfully.

They do not have to be large and can be simple to make, using garden hoops (like this set of six fiberglass hoops at Amazon) that you cover with blanket row covers (such as this 10 ft x 30 ft floating row cover also at Amazon).

Such a mini DIY hoop house can be used on vegetable beds or raised beds to help seedlings get off to a great start in a protected environment.

Quick-Cropping Vegetables to Plant in November

1. Red-Leaf Lettuce

There is a great selection of cold-hardy red-leafed lettuces that can provide attractive harvests of leaves throughout the colder months. Another reason to consider red-leaved lettuces is that they have a milder, nuttier, and slightly more bitter taste than usual green-leaved lettuce varieties.

When picking lettuce varieties for November, the two key considerations are ensuring they are cold-hardy and mature quickly. A range of around 25-45 days means fast cut-and-come-again harvests. But there will still be time to harvest lettuce heads if you desire.

Some of the best cold-hardy red-leaf lettuce varieties include 'New Red Fire', 'Merlot', and 'Red Sails'. Despite their tolerance for colder temperatures, they still prefer growing in an unheated greenhouse, under a hoop tunnel, or in a cold frame in colder climates, just to protect them from prolonged freezes.

Buy Lettuce 'New Red Fire' seeds at True Leaf Market

Buy Lettuce 'Red Sails' seeds at True Leaf Market

Buy Lettuce 'Merlot' seeds at Amazon

2. Mustards

Winter mustards make ideal vegetables to plant in November for peppery harvests of leaves to spice up cold-weather plates, whether enjoyed raw or cooked. There are a plethora of hardy mustards you can sow this month directly into the vegetable garden, with some even capable of surviving frosts and snow.

Some of the best mustards to sow in November include the very hardy 'Ruby Streaks', 'Green Wave', and 'Red Giant'. Mustards are fast-growing vegetables that can be harvested as a cut-and-come-again crop in only 25 days from sowing, while it takes only 45-50 days for the plants to reach maturity.

Sow seeds a quarter-inch deep in rows spaced 18 inches apart. While they are tolerant of cold, growing them under row covers or tunnels helps to prevent damage from pests, including birds that may peck at the leaves when food is scarce during the winter.

Buy Mustard 'Ruby Streaks' seeds at True Leaf Market

Buy Mustard 'Red Giant' seeds at True Leaf Market

Buy Mustard 'Green Wave' seeds at Amazon

3. Corn Salad

A fantastic and often under-appreciated crop for winter, corn salad is a mild-tasting salad leaf with a buttery texture and a slightly nutty flavor. Also known as lamb's lettuce or mache, it can be used in salads, either alone or mixed with other leaves for a tasty mix, or used as a garnish on winter dishes.

Corn salad is very cold-hardy and can survive frosts and snow to provide pickings even deep into winter. You can sow corn salad under cover in many climates in November, while those with very cold winters should see it as a vegetable to grow in a greenhouse in the fall.

Sow seeds outdoors directly into their growing position in fertile, well-draining soil. They only need to be covered with a light layer of soil and kept moist, without being waterlogged.

Harvest corn salad as a cut-and-come-again crop, which can start around a month after sowing the seeds. Simply snip leaves from the plant with a pair of garden snips or scissors as and when required, and you should get many harvests throughout winter and into spring.

You can get corn salad seeds at Amazon to sow this month.

4. Spinach

Spinach leaves are packed with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, and you can get great harvests of this nutritious vegetable by sowing seeds this month.

If you want to grow spinach this month, look for cold-hardy varieties that have a fast days to maturity. The likes of 'Giant Winter' and 'Perpetual' are renowned for their hardiness and thrive in cooler temperatures of 30-60°F. Such varieties can provide harvests of baby leaves within a few weeks, or take 45-50 days to reach full maturity.

Spinach can grow in beds, raised garden beds, or you can even grow spinach in pots indoors during the colder months. Sow seeds around an inch deep and cover lightly. Thin the seedlings as they appear to around four inches apart, and keep the soil moist.

Start harvesting spinach once the leaves get large enough to use. Regularly picking the largest, outer leaves allows younger ones to grow on and promotes the development of new leaves for future harvests.

Get Spinach 'Winter Giant' seeds at True Leaf Market

Get Perpetual Spinach seeds at Amazon

Longer-Term Vegetables to Plant in November

5. Garlic

Garlic is one of the easiest and best vegetables to plant in November; planting garlic is as simple as pushing the cloves into the soil. Indeed, the main thing to remember is that you plant it the right way up (hint: the pointy end should be upwards).

You can plant hardneck or softneck garlic in the fall, though hardneck varieties are hardier and most suited to the coldest winters. Hardneck garlic does need exposure to the winter cold for the bulb to split, and you can’t plant it in spring like softneck can be. Consider your climate when picking the best type of garlic for you.

To grow garlic, the crop wants a sunny spot with well-draining soil, with compost or well-rotted manure added before planting. Separate the head of garlic into individual cloves and plant each one six inches apart, with the tip just showing above the soil surface.

Garlic can take 8-10 months from planting in the fall to harvesting in the summer. But the wait is well worth it, so try to resist harvesting garlic until the leaves turn yellow and die back naturally.

Shop garlic bulbs to plant at Burpee

Shop garlic bulbs to plant at True Leaf Market

Shop garlic bulbs to plant at Amazon

Shop garlic bulbs to plant at Walmart

6. Fava Beans

Fava beans, or broad beans, are not always the most popular crop, but a staple in many a vegetable garden. I have certainly grown them every year, and you can plant fava beans in the fall or spring for an earlier harvest of mild, nutty, and earthy beans in spring.

Whether you start growing fava beans in the fall often depends on soil type and whether your garden gets many visitors during the winter. Sowing is not ideal in heavy soils, as the beans can rot in sodden ground, while rodents can eat the beans as they search for food in winter.

However, if you can provide good conditions for fava beans, pick a variety suited to fall sowings. And the undisputed top pick for that is 'Aquadulce', a cold-hardy variety that you can rely on for great fava bean harvests come spring.

Sow the beans into two-inch deep drills, sowing them on their edge to reduce the risk of them rotting due to water sitting on the beans in the ground.

You can get 'Aquadulce' fava beans at Amazon to plant this month.

7. Overwintering Onions

There is still time to plant onions at the start of November, and these overwintering crops can provide an early harvest next year compared to spring-planted onions. By planting a combination of both, you can get a great and long crop of onions to enjoy.

Not all types of onions are suitable for overwintering, so look out for varieties marked as ideal for fall planting. Hardy varieties like 'Radar', 'Red Baron', 'Yellow Stuttgarter' or 'Senshu Yellow' are classic overwintering onions to choose from, and ones I have all grown successfully from fall plantings in the past.

Push the sets into the soil with the flat root end down and the pointed end facing up. It is advisable to cover the onions with row covers or horticultural fleece until the crop has developed roots. This is because birds are known to pull newly-planted onion sets out of the ground.

Get 'Red Baron' onion sets for planting at Amazon

Get 'Yellow Stuttgarter' onion sets for planting at Amazon

If you also want to grow fruit as well as vegetables in your productive garden, November can be a time to plant fruit trees. Our guide to some of the best fruit trees to plant in fall highlights seven different types you can plant in fall, when you can choose between planting container-grown or bare-root plants in your yard.

Shop Products to Protect Vegetable Seedlings

If there's one thing you've likely heard gardeners say over and over again, it's just how valuable heirloom fruit and vegetable varieties are. These are varieties that have proven the test of time, often passed down through generations of gardeners and farmers, and reliably crop every year with resistance to pests and diseases.

One of the best places to find inspiration for heirloom varieties to grow is kitchen gardens, and I recently had the privilege of visiting the iconic walled kitchen garden at the luxury hotel Gravetye Manor in Sussex, England. It was formerly the home of renowned Victorian horticulturalist and garden author William Robinson, and today the kitchen garden serves the hotel's Michelin Star restaurant.

Tom Coward, Gravetye Manor's Head Gardener, is passionate about growing the very best flavors he can. He revealed to me the trick is not only relying on heirloom varieties, but also using heritage techniques, and throwing modern crops into the mix. It's this recipe that allows him to grow such high-quality crops and, as he notes, 'flavors you simply can't buy'.

Gravetye Manor's Heritage Growing

Heirloom seeds are found in kitchen gardens after being passed down for their exceptional qualities, not only in flavor but also in ease of growing. This is often because they are open-pollinated, meaning they are pollinated naturally by the wind, insects, or birds, which allows them to maintain their characteristics as seeds are saved and grown again.

It's something quite fitting for Gravetye Manor's history. William Robinson first constructed the walled kitchen garden around 1900. It did fall into disuse over many decades after he died in 1935, but in 2010, Tom Coward joined Gravetye and began an incredible restoration project. Today, it's one of the last large-scale Victorian walled kitchen gardens in full working use.

'Growing food was incredibly important to William because he grew up poor and lived through the Great Hunger. It was essential we restored that value of the garden and continue to protect it through our growing,' he describes.

Today, the walled kitchen garden has impressive beds of brassicas, root vegetables, legumes, fruit trees, soft fruits, and more. Within, Tom and his team grow a mix of heritage and modern varieties every year.

'Some of the crops we grow here are very old,' Tom notes. 'But, arguably the most important part of protecting the garden's heritage value is in the Victorian techniques we use, even for modern varieties, keeping that side of heritage growing alive.'

Some of these methods include growing peach trees in a Victorian glasshouse to protect them from issues like peach leaf curl (a fungal disease worsened by excessive rainfall). 'Allowing peaches to ripen on the branch under glass creates a delicious, intense flavor,' Tom says.

Tom and his team also make use of the engineering of the walled garden, which is purposely shaped elliptically to funnel out cold air through a frost gate and create a warm microclimate.

'We also have a crop rotation system,' Tom notes. 'We grow different vegetables in each bed and rotate them to prevent replant disease.'

This is where a crop struggles to grow in the same spot as before, due to a build-up of pests and diseases, and a lack of soil nutrients. By rotating where a crop is planted, they can grow stronger and more reliably.

'Heirloom varieties are important, but to get the best flavors from fruit and vegetables, we have modern ones in the mix. I think the best way to represent heritage is to plant the best possible varieties for flavor,' he adds, the approach he believes William himself would use.

'By using these techniques, I get to see the whole process from making our own compost, right the way through to the Michelin Star dish,' Tom says.

5 Kitchen Garden Varieties from Gravetye Manor

I asked Tom to share his top five crops growing at Gravetye Manor, and here's what he picked out:

'Howgate Wonder' apple – this is an heirloom variety originating in the Isle of Wight in the 1910s. It grows best across US hardiness zone 4 to zone 8, and Tom notes it produces one of the tastiest juices.

Florence fennel – an heirloom vegetable, growing best across US hardiness zone 5 to zone 9. It is exceptionally fragrant and is a popular salad ingredient.

Find Florence fennel seeds at Burpee.

'Wonder Tree Doyenne du Comice' pear – a delicious heirloom pear, originating in mid-1800s France. In the US, it's best grown across US hardiness zone 5 to zone 9. This pear is considered a dessert pear, loved for its sweet flavor.

'Cylindra' beetroot – an unusual heirloom beetroot, with cylindrical taproots (hence the name). Hardy across US hardiness zone 3 to US hardiness zone 10, it makes an excellent addition to root vegetable patches, looking attractive when growing as well as providing sweet, earthy flavor.

Find 'Cylindra' beetroot seeds on Amazon.

'Avalon Pride' peach – not an heirloom variety, but a highly resistant peach tree. At Gravetye Manor, it grows on the south wall of the kitchen garden with resistance to peach leaf curl. It grows best in US hardiness zone 5.

If Gravetye Manor's heritage growing has inspired you to start growing your own fruit and vegetables, our guide to planning a kitchen garden may be useful. Make sure to also read up on vegetable gardening mistakes to aid your success.

When you think of an indoor garden, your mind likely goes to abundant tropical plants offering plenty of ornamental value. But, this isn't the only possibility for growing plants indoors. There are actually lots of edible indoor plants that can turn your indoor jungle into a multi-sensory experience.

Alongside the best indoor plants, enhance your indoor garden with aromatic herbs, vegetables, and even fruit trees. That's right, it's possible to grow some of your favorite elements of your kitchen garden indoors.

And while they are delicious ingredients to have in your home, they also offer plenty of beauty and green interest. Here, indoor plant experts share their top edible indoor plants for both flavor and aesthetics, plus tips on growing them.

5 Delicious Edible Indoor Plants

The best edible indoor plants don't just include your indoor herb garden. There are plenty of kitchen garden crops that can be grown indoors for ornamental and edible ('edimental') value.

1. Rosemary

This is an aromatic herb that will fill your kitchen with a delicious perfume. Plus, the tall sprigs of rosemary add some height to herb displays. When growing rosemary indoors, there are a few requirements to meet.

'Rosemary requires bright light to do well indoors. Place the plant in front of a southern window or under full-spectrum lighting that is on 14 hours a day,' advises Julie Bawden-Davis, indoor plant expert at Healthy Houseplants.

'Avoid overwatering the plant, especially in the winter months, as they are susceptible to root rot,' she adds.

To harvest rosemary so it continues growing, use these herb snips from Amazon to take just the green leafy stems, not the woody parts.

Find a rosemary plant from Walmart.

2. Lemon Tree

It may surprise you to have a fruit tree indoors, but there are plenty of them that can grow well in an indoor environment. In fact, if you live in a colder clime, it can even be ideal for some fruit trees to grow indoors.

The trick to getting them to fruit indoors is choosing a fruit tree that is self-pollinating, not dependent on pollinators for fruit production. A lemon tree is the perfect fit, though hand-pollination will increase the likelihood of a greater harvest.

'Place them in front of a southern or western window or under full-spectrum grow lights that are on 16 hours a day,' Julie advises. 'Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and fertilize your lemon tree two or three times a year with a citrus fertilizer (from Amazon),' she adds.

To be successful with growing a lemon tree indoors, consider also choosing varieties more suited for indoor growing. This includes 'Improved Meyer' (plant from Amazon) and 'Ponderosa' (plant from Amazon).

'If your home is cooler than 75 degrees on a consistent basis, place the plant pot on a seedling heat mat (from Amazon) to keep the roots warm,' Julie adds.

3. Chili Peppers

If you're looking for vegetables you can grow indoors, then turn to chili peppers. When grown as edible indoor plants, they offer pops of color among green foliage.

There are actually ornamental peppers, which are primarily grown for their aesthetic value, and not taste. Or, you can choose from varieties suited to an indoor environment, like some jalapenos (seeds from Burpee) or habanero peppers (seeds from Burpee), and other chili varieties for containers.

Something to note is that it isn't the easiest to grow chili peppers indoors, as it is with other edible plants, which is why Julie advises: 'If your home is not 75 degrees or warmer, it’s necessary to place the plant pot on a seedling heating mat, which will keep the soil warm.'

Likewise, Julie notes you should 'avoid overwatering'. Water when the top inch to two inches has dried or a soil moisture meter (from Amazon) indicates nearly dry.

4. Basil

Basil makes one of the best edible indoor plants not only for its flavor, but also its bushy nature that fills spots on windowsills.

It's one of the easiest herbs to grow, so is definitely a great choice for a beginner indoor gardener. You can grow basil quite quickly with these basil seeds from Amazon.

'Initially, basil needs a lot of water, so water it every five days in spring, every two or three days in summer, and once a week in fall,' advises Plantum indoor plant expert Marina Prokaten. 'You'll need to adjust the watering regime for winter, just watering roughly every 10 days.'

To make the most of basil as an edible indoor plant, take steps to get basil to grow bigger and last longer. This includes regularly harvesting basil leaves from the top of the plant, encouraging fuller growth.

Find a basil plant at Walmart.

5. Mustard Microgreens

You should consider adding microgreens to your roster of edible indoor plants because they provide an influx of green foliage and fast, delicious harvests.

Mustard microgreens are a good choice, especially if you want to engage children with gardening. You can plant mustard microgreen seeds (from Amazon) and harvest in just seven to 10 days.

They make for a great filler in an indoor herb planter, which can make an attractive indoor plant display on a coffee table or windowsill.

FAQs

Are There Any Edible Traditional Indoor plants?

There are not many classic houseplants, like tropical evergreens, that are edible. In fact, many are likely to be toxic and can cause you to become unwell if ingested. However, there are plenty of herbs, fruits, and vegetable plants that can be grown indoors as edible indoor plants for both ornamental and edible value.

These edible indoor plants bring beauty and taste to the home. If you want to take your indoor garden to the next level, try growing these plants in a vertical indoor garden set-up.

Cut-and-come-again lettuce is one of the simplest and most productive crops you can grow at home. Whether in the ground, raised beds, pots, or indoors on a bright windowsill, you can get lots of tasty homegrown harvests for the cost of a few seeds.

You can grow lettuce of many different sizes, colors, and flavors, but some varieties are more suited to growing as cut-and-come-again vegetables. In particular, the growth habit of loose-leaf varieties makes them perfect for multiple harvests, as opposed to those lettuces that develop a compact head.

With many different types and a plethora of varieties and cultivars to pick from, it can feel confusing, especially for inexperienced gardeners. Here, some experienced horticulturists reveal their top cut-and-come-again lettuce varieties to help you choose tasty, prolific, and reliable varieties to grow at home.

5 recommended cut-and-come-again lettuce varieties

You can plant lettuce outdoors or indoors, and in the ground or in containers. You don't need lots of space for wonderful harvests of lettuce, and these varieties are all suitable for growing lettuce in pots or raised beds in smaller spaces.

1. Black Seeded Simpson

A very prolific and reliable variety, Black Seeded Simpson comes highly recommended as a cut-and-come-again lettuce variety. This heirloom variety of lettuce produces compact, curled, light-green leaves that make excellent choices for salads or sandwiches.

Teresa Speight, an award-winning author, writer, and podcaster from Cottage in the Court, hails Black Seeded Simpson as 'one of my all-time favorites' and a 'tried and true' cut-and-come-again lettuce variety.

You can sow in the spring for late spring and early summer harvests, but it can bolt in midsummer. However, it is a hardy variety that can also provide harvests throughout the colder months from late summer or early fall sowings.

'It holds up when the fall days are a little irregular,' says Teresa. 'With a little effort in practising a biweekly succession planting plan and conscientiously harvesting the outer leaves, this lettuce survives most mild winters. If offered protection, I have enjoyed Black Seeded Simpson lettuce from October to March.'

Buy Black Seeded Simpson lettuce seeds at Amazon

Buy Black Seeded Simpson lettuce seeds at Walmart

Buy Black Seeded Simpson lettuce seeds at Burpee

Buy Black Seeded Simpson lettuce seeds at True Leaf Market

2. Sierra Batavian

Margaret Mishra, an avid gardener, grower and founder of The Gardening Me, claims that Batavian lettuces are her top varieties of cut-and-come-again lettuce. Batavia lettuce is also known as French lettuce, and varieties come in different shades of green, red, and mixed colors.

Sierra is a green-leafed Batavian lettuce that Margaret praises for its 'loose head of thick, almost succulent leaves'. She adds of Sierra: 'It's a slower grower, at 65 days to maturity, but once it gets going, it really gets going.

'It's a heavy producer, one of the slowest to bolt, and it has an amazing, slightly sweet taste with a crunchy, juicy texture,' she adds. 'Once picked, it also has a very long shelf life in the fridge.'

Buy Sierra Batavian lettuce seeds at Amazon

Buy Sierra Batavian lettuce seeds at Walmart

3. Slobolt

Slobolt was introduced in 1946 by the USDA's Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.

This variety was bred for higher tolerance to warmer temperatures, meaning, as the name suggests, Slobolt is slow to bolt and get bitter. It makes Slobolt an excellent cut-and-come-again lettuce variety for warmer Southern gardens, or for growing in a greenhouse.

In praise of Slobolt, Margaret Mishra says: 'This large green looseleaf lettuce is delicious, with a touch of sweetness, and it is an exceptional producer.'

As with many others on this list, Slobolt is a fast-growing vegetable, and it can take as little as 45-50 days from sowing in the spring to pick the first crinkled, light-green leaves to add to summer salads, sandwiches, or burgers.

You can get Slobolt leaf lettuce seeds at Amazon

4. New Red Fire

If you are seeking a cut-and-come-again lettuce variety that makes a colorful addition to any salad bowl, then you should consider New Red Fire. This leafy variety has soft, tinged, frilly leaves that are green at the base and dark red at the edges.

This easy-to-grow variety can be successively sown from early spring through till summer and harvested even through the warmest months after 50-60 days from sowing. By picking a few leaves at a time, the harvests can be extended over several weeks, or you can cut the entire head and wait for new leaves to develop for a second harvest.

Michelle Bruhn, a Minnesota gardener, writer, speaker and co-author of Small-Scale Homesteading, says: 'New Red Fire is a favorite loose leaf for cut-and-come-again with its heat tolerance and true red color. It keeps its sweetness long into summer and makes a great lettuce to grow into fall as well.'

As well as being slow to bolt, New Red Fire is also suitable for cooler growing conditions and can be sown in the summer to provide harvests well into the fall months.

You can get New Red Fire lettuce seeds at True Leaf Market to sow from spring to fall.

5. Salad Bowl

I spent many years working as a professional kitchen gardener, running vegetable gardens and growing crops for chefs or to sell to visitors in public gardens.

One of the most consistent cut-and-come-again lettuce varieties I have grown over the years is Salad Bowl, which comes in both green and red types. I would always recommend it as a variety, even to those new at growing lettuce, as it is so simple.

Salad Bowl has been one of the most popular cut-and-come-again lettuce varieties for many years, and it is understandable why. It can be grown throughout the year, is a reliable grower, can be grown in pots, and is slow to bolt.

This classic lettuce variety ticks all the right boxes for what you want in a cut-and-come-again lettuce.

Salad Bowl is suitable for US hardiness zones 4-9. Sow seeds successively every few weeks from March until August, when it will take around 45-50 days from sowing to the first harvests.

Shop Salad Bowl lettuce seeds at Amazon

Show Red Salad Bowl lettuce seeds at True Leaf Market

Shop Green Salad Bowl lettuce seeds at True Leaf Market

If you find a variety that you adore, you can harvest lettuce seeds to sow again the following year. It involves letting the plants bolt and produce seeds, which often happens to spring-planted lettuce in summer when the temperatures rise. The seeds take around six weeks to be ready to harvest, which can be done by hand by removing the individual seedheads or shaking the seeds from the stalk into a paper bag. Store the seeds in a glass jar or paper bag, and lettuce seeds can last for two years when properly stored.

It's officially the busiest harvesting season and there are plenty of homegrown goods to collect from your fruit and vegetable patch this month. It's the perfect opportunity to gather some ingredients for cozy fall meals, all of which will taste a hundred times better than store-bought goods.

These crops to harvest in October should be at the top of your fall gardening checklist, as you don't want to leave it too long. They could become overripe, rot, and won't taste as pleasant otherwise. At the same time, harvesting too soon can also affect the flavor. But, October is the sweet spot for many popular crops, including plenty of root vegetables, leafy greens, and even some fruit.

Here, we talk through seven of the crops to harvest in October from your vegetable garden and kitchen garden, plus tips on how to harvest them correctly.

7 crops to harvest in October

As well these crops to harvest in October, there are also plenty of vegetables to plant in October for harvests in winter and spring.

Make sure to have essential gardening tools to hand for both harvesting and sowing, including this garden knife from Amazon.

1. Kale

Kale is a fast-growing vegetable you can plant in late summer and harvest by October.

'Kale is a super-nutritious crop to harvest this month as a cut-and-come-again crop. It is a hugely under-valued superfood that can be used in many different ways in the kitchen, plus you can keep harvesting it,' says Drew Swainston, Homes & Gardens' Gardens Content Editor.

It doesn't matter what variety you choose when growing kale, Drew notes the technique to harvest kale is the same across the board:

'Whether you are growing curly kale, red Russian kale, or Tuscan kale (also known as Cavolo nero), carefully remove the largest, outer leaves, which allows the smaller ones to keep developing for future pickings,' Drew describes.

'Only harvest a few leaves from each plant, and don’t take any from the top rosette, and you can get many pickings from your kale plants throughout the fall and winter,' he adds.

Use gardening scissors (from Amazon) to make clean cuts at the base of kale leaves.

2. Squash

Squash, gourds, and pumpkins are perhaps the image you have in your mind when you think of the fall vegetable garden. October is the prime time for harvesting any squash you have grown.

Whether you grow squash vertically, grow squash in containers, or grown squash in your vegetable patch, you should look for a few key signs they are ready to harvest.

Winter squashes (including pumpkins, butternut squash, and delicata squash) should be hard, the stem should be brown and dry, and your fingernail should not be able to easily pierce the rind. Another key indicator is the vine turning brown and crispy, as it dies back and indicates the fruit is mature.

You will need a sharp pair of pruning shears (like these from Amazon) or garden knife to make a clean cut on the vine. Aim to leave two-to-four inches of the stem attached to the crops.

3. Lettuce

There are lots of types of lettuce that can be harvested in October that have been sown in summer. In fact, you can grow lettuce throughout the year, with successional planting making it possible to harvest in every season.

To harvest lettuce, you can choose to take the whole crop or just individual leaves.

For the latter, remove the largest leaves from the outside of the plant. This will elongate the harvesting period through October as the crown remains intact and will continue growing new leaves.

To harvest the whole head of lettuce, use sharp essential pruning tools to cut it off the stem.

4. Parsnips

If you've grown parsnips this year, October is the time to check in for harvesting. These root vegetables can take up to four months to mature, so it's a rewarding job to finally pull them up in fall.

'The first parsnips from your spring sowings are ready to harvest in the fall, and in colder climates, they will taste all the sweeter when touched by the first frosts this month,' Drew advises.

'The frosts convert starches in the roots into sugars, which gives the crop a sweeter flavor. When the temperatures drop and the foliage dies back, it is time to begin harvesting,' he explains.

A hand garden fork (like this from Amazon) will help you with harvesting parsnips seamlessly.

'Place the fork deep into the soil near the parsnip. Loosen the soil around the root and then lever the parsnip out of the soil,' Drew describes. 'Try not to just pull hard on the parsnip, as you risk snapping the root in the ground.

'You don’t need to rush harvesting parsnips, as they are very hardy vegetables that can be left in the ground into winter,' he adds.

5. Quince

For a fruit that's ready to pick in October, turn your attention to your quince trees. This yellow citrusy fruit should have a golden appearance with a downy coating by fall.

You can grow quince trees across US hardiness zone 5 to zone 9, where they start to set fruit over summer.

You can also tell your quince is ready to harvest by smelling it. By this point, it should be highly aromatic and easily twist off the tree.

Aim to pick quince before the first frost, though it's best to leave them on the tree for as long as possible for the best taste.

If you struggle to get your quince tree to fruit, consider making some adjustments. For example, your tree may need more sunlight exposure or a better watering regime.

Using this beautiful harvesting trug can make it a less strenuous task to collect quinces, which can be tricky to carry in large volumes.

6. Tomatoes

You may be surprised to find tomatoes on this list, but October is the last chance to harvest tomatoes that are still ripening on the vine. This is because frost will damage the fruit, leaving it mushy and flavorless.

So, check in with your tomato plants this month. Red tomatoes should easily come off the vine with some gently twisting. As for any green tomatoes, it's best to cut them from the main stem (using these pruning snips from Amazon).

You can then begin the process of ripening green tomatoes indoors. There are a few ways to do this, but one of the best tricks is using a brown paper bag (like these from Walmart) and placing green tomatoes in it with a ripe banana to ripen them.

The ethylene gas produced by ripe bananas will also help ripen green tomatoes.

7. Pears

Another fruit tree that will be ready for plucking from in October: pear trees. It makes for a sweet ingredient in warming desserts during the colder months.

When growing a pear tree, you'll know the fruit is ready for picking when it feels firm and easily twists off the tree.

Pears continue to ripen off the tree, much like bananas. That's why it's best to harvest pears while they still feel firm. You can leave them on the tree up until frost if needed, until they reach mature size.

You can then place your pears somewhere dry and at room temperature, like in a fruit bowl. They'll ripen over several days before being ready to eat.

FAQs

How do you store harvested parsnips?

To store harvested parsnips to keep them fresh for longer, there are a few things you can do. This includes brushing away soil without washing them, trimming their leafy tops, and packing them into damp sand, peat moss, or sawdust in wooden boxes. The medium should be kept moist, but not wet, and the crops should be layered so they're not touching. This can give your parsnips a shelf life up to six months.

Alongside harvesting, there are other important garden tasks to take on this month. For example, there are bulbs to plant in October and perennials to divide in October.

Shop harvesting essentials:

With the Amazon Prime Big Deals Days soon coming to an end, I'm turning my attention to stocking up on the smaller items for my garden. It can be easy to be whisked away by discounts on garden tools and machinery this sales period, but it's also the perfect opportunity to get your essentials together, like seeds.

There's a lot of planting on our fall gardening checklists and it can become pricey having to purchase so many seeds. That's why I'm ecstatic to have found a real gem buried in the Amazon sale – a selection of 35 types of heirloom vegetable seeds for just $20. This is a particularly great deal to snag for a new veggie grower like me, setting me up with seeds to not only plant now but also in spring.

Even if you've had a kitchen garden for many years this is a bargain to get your hands on, replenishing your stock ready for another abundant year. You can have confidence in the quality of these seeds, too, as this best-selling Amazon vegetable seeds selection has a 4.7 star rating from 8K buyers who share they've had '100% germination' success.

Why shoppers love this seed selection

It's obvious that the incredible 48% off on this Amazon vegetable seed selection is a bargain, working out at roughly 58 cents per seed packet. But, it isn't just the value for money buyers are pleased with.

'This was the PERFECT plant starter kit. I highly recommend for anyone wanting to get into planting or even to gift to someone!' one five-star reviewer writes.

It's a great selection for beginners just starting a vegetable garden and needing to start their stock from scratch. For real novices, these are user-friendly seed packets:

'Different seeds are packed in separate envelopes just like the pictures,' a buyer explains, with each seed packet containing essential information on how to grow the vegetables.

Speaking of the selection, buyers are satisfied with the wide range of seeds included, stating there are 'a large a varied amount.'

Not only are there root vegetables and classic crops, this Amazon vegetable seed selection also includes staples for a herb garden, like basil.

It seems you can easily avoid the seed sowing mistake of using poor quality seeds with this selection, too, as reviewers note their success with these seeds:

'These seeds produced over a hundred plants per package. Produce is great in growth and quality,' one shopper shares.

'Everything sprouted and has grown amazingly! One month in and I'm already harvesting,' another adds.

It's hard to find a downside to this vegetable seeds deal, with customers raving about the quality, value, and success of them.

The fact you can't select the best choices of seeds for your local climate does make it tricky to judge how much success you will have, but with 35 seeds for just $20, it's well-worth taking the risk. Plus, the selection seems to have options for every circumstance and hardiness zone.

When do you plant vegetable seeds?

When you plant vegetables depends on the type of seeds you're sowing and it can even vary depending on variety, as well as your US hardiness zone.

Vegetables to plant in October include shallots, broccoli, and winter lettuce. Meanwhile, vegetables to plant in May include pumpkins, chard, and leeks.

You can also grow some vegetables indoors at any point in the year, for example you can grow green onions indoors and grow carrots indoors. However, this does rely on you having the right set-up and choosing the right varieties, often those that are more compact and can be grown in pots.

Ultimately, there are lots of different factors that go into when you sow vegetable seeds. The good news is, this makes vegetable growing versatile – there's an option for any kind of space and climate.

That's what makes this wide Amazon vegetable seed selection so great, providing lots of options and keeping you stocked up for a number of growing seasons.

You will need some other kit to help you make your vegetable growing a success. For example, these seed trays with humidity domes from Amazon, this seed starting soil from Amazon, and this seedling watering bottle from Amazon.

I can't wait to kick my vegetable patch up a notch with this vast variety of seeds. If you are new to growing your own crops, check out our guides to sowing seeds outdoors and sowing seeds indoors to help you have a successful endeavour.

Other seed deals worth jumping on:

Do you prefer your peppers fiery? If so, this list is for you, as we look at the hottest peppers to grow at home. Perfect for anyone wanting to add some heat to their meals, you can readily source seeds of these picks to grow your own plants.

The current Guinness World Record holder is Pepper X at 2.69 million Scoville Heat Units (SHUs). However, you can't grow this chili pepper as it is a patented variety and not available as plants or seeds (though you may see some fakes online – so beware). But there are still some super-hot peppers you can buy to grow, including the previous world record holder.

Chili heat is measured in Scoville units, or SHUs, and this list ranks some of the hottest peppers to grow at home in terms of SHUs. If you want to try growing any of these types of chili peppers, we also recommend some tips for happy plants and great yields to fulfil all your culinary desires.

The hottest peppers to grow – a quick warning

You always want to wear plastic gloves when handling any of these hottest peppers to grow, which includes the seeds and the flesh. They contain the compound capsaicin, which gives the peppers their heat, and can cause skin inflammation or a burning sensation. It also causes pain if transferred to the eyes or other parts of the body.

To successfully grow chili peppers, they need a sunny location, ideally with 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day and consistent daytime temperatures of 70-80°F. This can be outdoors in warmer climates or in a greenhouse to provide a warm and protected environment.

Providing the right light and heat helps you grow hotter peppers, as the fruits can reach full maturity and their optimum levels of heat. Other methods of ensuring your fruits get as hot as possible include letting peppers fully ripen on the plant for as long as possible and stressing the plants by growing them in drier conditions, which promotes more development of capsaicin.

Carolina Reaper

Scoville Rating: 1.5 - 2.2 million

American pepper enthusiast and breeder Ed Currie (who also created Pepper X) developed the Carolina Reaper, and it was officially unveiled in 2012. A mix of a Pakistani Naga pepper and a Habanero from the Caribbean, it held the world record for the hottest chili pepper from 2013 to 2023.

The Carolina Reaper averages around 1.6 million SHUs, but can reach over two million. Of the hottest peppers to grow at home, this is the number one option. It is a vibrant red color and has a unique shape, with fruits 1-3 inches long having a bumpy texture and a pointed tail.

You can grow this fiery variety at home, with seeds commonly available that can provide you with harvests within 100-120 days from sowing.

For example, these Carolina Reaper seeds at Amazon come in packs of 10. Alternatively, you can get a complete Carolina Reaper growing kit, also at Amazon, that comes with seeds, coir discs, and peat pots.

Ghost peppers

Scoville Rating: 855,000- 1,000,000+

Ghost peppers were cultivated in India and are also known as bhut jolokia (which translates as ghost pepper in English). It won the Guinness World Record for the hottest pepper in 2007 and held that title for four years.

Ghost peppers average around a million SHUs, and, despite having an intense heat, they do have a sweet, fruity flavor that makes them usable in cooking and for hot sauces. They come in shades of red, yellow, orange, or chocolate color, and there are both rough and smooth-skinned versions of the red varieties.

You can get Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper seeds at True Leaf Market if you want to grow this intense variety at home. The plants need a long growing season, so are best sown indoors up to 12 weeks before the last frost.

They also require consistent temperatures of 80-90°F to germinate, which often means the use of a heated propagator (like this propagation kit at Walmart). Ghost pepper plants reach 18-24 inches, so they are a good chili variety for containers.

Scorpion Pepper

Scoville Heat Units: 300,000 - 1 million+

The Trinidad scorpion pepper is, perhaps unsurprisingly, native to Trinidad and Tobago. It hit the headlines in 2011 when the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T variety held the title of the hottest pepper.

Over the years, many new varieties have been created, and you can find seeds of different strains to grow at home, which range in heat levels. Many varieties are around 300,000 SHUs, but some types (like the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T variety) can surpass 1.2 million SHUs. The hottest is the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, which hits 2 million SHUs.

Scorpion peppers tend to produce fruits 2-3 inches long, with the distinctive pointy scorpion's tail. The fruits ripen from green to red, but you can get yellow varieties. The plants are tall and reach up to four feet, so they do need support as they grow.

These Trinidad Scorpion Pepper Seeds at Amazon are related to the Butch T Scorpion, but without the tail. This gives the advantage of more flesh.

If you grow a Trinidad scorpion pepper, these extra-tall tomato cages at Amazon can be used to support plants and prevent them from flopping on the ground when laden with fruit.

Habanero

Scoville Rating: 100,000-350,000

Habanero peppers are named after the Cuban city of La Habana, commonly known as Havana in English. It used to top the list of the world's hottest peppers, but modern spicier rivals have taken more of the headlines since the turn of the millennium. However, it remains a very hot variety to grow at 100,000–350,000 SHUs.

Habaneros come in different colors, most commonly orange and red, but there are also white, brown, and yellow varieties. The orange habanero is the most common and has a sweet, smoky, and fruity spice that makes it popular in many dishes.

For those not seeking such a kick, some of the red varieties are not as hot and are ready to harvest sooner. However, take care, as there are also some red types, like the 'Red Savina' habanero, that are bred to be very hot. Take care when choosing varieties to grow, as the heat often depends on the type rather than solely color.

These orange Habanero Hot Pepper seeds at Burpee are ideal for salsas or sauces. Alternatively, for a bit of fun, you can get these Habanero Mix Pepper Seeds at True Leaf Market, which will result in fruits in six colors, so you can enjoy a range of different fruits with varying tastes and heat.

Scotch bonnet

Scoville Rating: 100,000-350,000

The scotch bonnet is likely one of the most well-known of the hottest peppers to grow. It has been around for centuries and used in many cuisines, particularly in the Caribbean, where it is a staple in jerk and hot sauces.

Rather unusually for a pepper hailing from the Caribbean, the moniker scotch bonnet comes from the fact that its shape resembles a Scottish 'Tam o'Shanter' bonnet. With a wrinkled and squashed 'bonnet' shape, the fruits can range from one to two inches long and be yellow, green, or brown. The most common varieties mature from green to red.

A scotch bonnet chilli has a sweet, fruity, and fiery taste, offering a sweeter alternative to habaneros, with which it shares a heat profile. Scotch bonnet peppers offer the advantage of being high-yielding plants that remain a compact size.

These orange scotch bonnet seeds at Amazon will develop into plants 24 to 30 inches tall, making them suitable for raised beds or container gardens.

When you find a variety that you love, the good news is that peppers are one of the best vegetables for collecting seeds. Provided it is not a hybrid variety of chili, you can collect seeds from fully ripe peppers (remembering to wear gloves as mentioned earlier) and store them to sow again next year. With peppers, you only need to buy seeds once if you repeat the cycle of collecting seeds to sow again year after year.

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Asparagus can be a long-lived and productive vegetable. The highly desirable crowns can provide harvests of delicious stems for over 20 years, provided they are healthy and well-maintained. Unfortunately, one pest that risks the future of your plants is the pesky asparagus beetle.

Asparagus beetles feed on spears and foliage, affecting your harvest and ultimately the long-term health of the crowns. If you grow asparagus and don't want your yield of tender spears to be affected, it pays to know how to spot and control the asparagus beetle.

This guide looks at how to spot asparagus beetles, along with the damage they cause. It also reveals the best methods of combating the asparagus beetle, including one core job you can do in the fall that will impact the population of this troublesome pest.

How to get rid of asparagus beetle – in focus

If you're growing asparagus, it's important to be aware of the damage asparagus beetles can cause. I have experienced asparagus beetle on plants before and know that monitoring and acting fast can make a difference. To help me discuss all things asparagus beetle, I also spoke to a gardening and pest expert.

What is the asparagus beetle?

Asparagus beetles are the primary nemesis of the perennial vegetable. There are two types to look out for: the common asparagus beetle (Crioceris asparagi) and the spotted asparagus beetle (Crioceris duodecimpunctata), and the former is the most common asparagus pest you are likely to encounter.

The common asparagus beetle has red-rimmed black wings that feature six white spots, and its larvae have green bodies with black heads. The spotted asparagus beetle has orange bodies with 12 black spots, and the larvae are similarly orange.

Susan Mulvihill, a seasoned grower and author of The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook, explains that spotted asparagus beetles inflict less damage compared to their common relatives.

'The adult common asparagus beetles and their larvae damage young asparagus spears and ferns through their feeding habits,' says Susan. 'Because the adult beetles and larvae chew on the foliage, this affects the plant’s ability to conduct photosynthesis. When this happens, the plants will experience a decline or even die.'

She adds: 'Both the spotted beetle adults and larvae feed solely on the asparagus berries, so they don’t cause damage to the spears or foliage.'

Asparagus beetles emerge in May or June and will damage plants throughout the rest of the season as they feed on spears and ferns. It is common for the pests to have two life cycles, but this can rise to four or five in climates with long growing seasons.

How to get rid of asparagus beetle

There are five key ways to control asparagus beetle, and we break down each one here:

1. Remove debris in the fall

There is one key thing you can do in the fall to help control asparagus beetle, and it is a quick, super-simple task that you should be doing annually anyway for a healthy and productive asparagus patch.

It is important not to cut back asparagus until the foliage turns yellow in the fall, as leaving the fronds to develop allows the plant to store energy for next year's harvest. You should prune the resulting asparagus fern once the colour changes and it begins to fall naturally, and this will help destroy asparagus beetles.

This is because asparagus beetles overwinter in plant material, and removing this makes it hard for the pests to survive the colder months. Cut down the stems to around two inches from the ground and dispose of them, as Susan recommends: 'Always clean up any garden debris so beetles won't have a place to hide.'

Removing any other piles of stems or leaf litter from near your asparagus patch, as well as the asparagus itself, will impact the asparagus beetle population and prevent them from appearing in huge numbers in spring to wreak havoc again.

2. Hand-pick the pests

It may be a more squeamish form of asparagus beetle control, but hand-picking the pests as you see them is a reliable way to deal with them. Any larger pests can be controlled in this way, including hand-picking snails to protect plants, but it requires vigilance and dedication.

Once the beetles and larvae start appearing from late spring onwards, closely monitor plants and remove any you see. They can be picked from the plant and dropped into a container of soapy water. Regularly hand-picking asparagus beetles can control their numbers.

It is also advisable to look for eggs – these will appear as dark eggs near the ends of the ferns – and wipe them off.

3. Attract beneficial predators

There are many beneficial insects you can attract to your yard to help combat asparagus beetles. Creating a more wildlife-friendly garden can attract birds, frogs, and predatory insects that will eat the larvae and adults.

'The great news is that asparagus beetles have many natural predators,' says Susan. 'These include lacewing larvae, ladybug larvae, the larvae of parasitic wasps, praying mantids and spiders.'

Companion planting for asparagus can be both beautiful and beneficial. In terms of edibles, tomatoes and eggplant produce solanine, which repels asparagus beetles. There are also flowers such as nasturtiums, zinnias, and cosmos that will attract ladybugs to your yard to eat the pests.

4. Use beneficial nematodes

Beneficial nematodes can be used as a natural pest control method to destroy the larval stage of the asparagus beetle. The microscopic soil-borne organisms seek out their prey and release bacteria into them, killing target host insects within 48 hours.

Beneficial nematodes can be applied in the spring or fall and are mixed with water to apply to plants. There are many species of nematodes, but Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes are the ideal type to target asparagus beetle larvae.

You can get Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes at Amazon.

5. Spray plants

Large infestations of asparagus beetles can be targeted by spraying plants with neem oil, while Susan also recommends making a garlic spray to deal with the pests.

Some chemicals can be used as a last resort, but pesticides can be toxic to pollinators and beneficial predators. You can use pyrethrin, but Susan highlights spinosad as another potential option.

You can get spinosad insecticide at Amazon; however, Susan warns: 'Always follow the label directions for the best results and use the minimum amount suggested.'

FAQs

Does diatomaceous earth kill asparagus beetles?

Diatomaceous earth is a natural substance derived from the remains of hard-shelled microscopic aquatic organisms called diatoms. The microscopic shards of the material cut insects and cause them to dehydrate. It can be used to control the asparagus beetle.

Always use food-grade diatomaceous earth, which is available from Amazon. Place a thin layer of the powder on stems, leaves, and soil where the asparagus beetles are active.

Can you eat asparagus beetle eggs?

If you harvest asparagus spears with asparagus beetle eggs on them, you can wipe the eggs off and eat the spears. The eggs themselves will not harm if consumed, but it is best to remove sections with eggs or clean the stems thoroughly before cooking the asparagus.

If your asparagus crowns start to disappoint and produce fewer, thinner stems, it could be because the plant has become overcrowded. You can rectify this by dividing asparagus in late fall, after you cut back the plant, or in early spring, before it starts to produce that season's spears.

Carefully dig up the crown and divide it into sections. You can plant the new asparagus pieces at least 18 inches apart in a sunny spot with rich, well-drained soil.

Growing okra in your home vegetable garden can provide a wealth of pods to use in the kitchen. Indeed, the plants are so prolific that you may have more pods than you can cook. If you leave some on the plant towards the end of the season to continue growing, then you can harvest okra seeds.

Not only are okra seeds edible, but collecting and saving them gives you a handy free resource of seeds to sow next year. It saves you money, it is reassuring to know the seeds you get work well in your garden and have a flavor you like, and collecting and saving seeds is a very satisfying pastime.

When you grow okra, the harvesting season starts winding down in the fall. It is the ideal time to let some pods continue to mature so you can harvest okra seeds from them. This guide reveals the key to knowing when the pods are ready to pick, along with tips for collecting and storing the okra seeds.

Why you should harvest okra seeds

Collecting seeds from your favorite vegetables is a great budget-saving method of having seeds for next year. Analyzing your crops each year and saving the seeds from varieties that work the best (or ones you particularly enjoy the taste of) guarantees you plants that will thrive in your garden season after season.

When you have an okra variety that works great in your garden, why not save some free seeds so you can grow that type again next year, safe in the knowledge that it will give you a great harvest of okra? As okra seed pods can be so high-yielding, saving just a few pods will provide you with hundreds of seeds.

A key thing to remember is that you want to save seeds from open-pollinated heirloom varieties. Hybrid varieties won't come true if the seeds are saved and sown again. Also, when intending to save seeds, it is important to grow only one variety of okra in a space. There is a risk of different varieties cross-pollinating if they are grown together, and the resulting seeds can produce mystery hybrids.

When to harvest okra seeds

Okra provides a rich bounty of pods during the summer and fall. The harvesting window starts two months after planting the vegetable, around 60-70 days from sowing seeds or 40-50 days from transplanting seedlings.

Plants produce pods that are typically harvested when they are 2-3 inches in length. Letting them get larger means they go woodier. However, if you want to harvest okra seeds, you want to leave the pods to mature and dry on the plant.

With harvesting okra, the more pods you pick, the more the plant continues to produce. As okra has a long harvesting season, it means you can harvest lots of pods and still leave some to collect seeds from towards the end of the season.

When left on the plant, the pods will develop past the edible stage and get tougher. The seed pods should be left until they get large and turn brown. At the ideal stage for harvesting, they are brittle, potentially start to crack, and you can hear the seeds rattling inside if you shake the pod.

How to harvest okra seeds

Once the pods have dried completely on the plant, harvesting and storing the seeds is a simple task. It is a job to do with a pair of gardening gloves on, though, as okra pods have fine spines that can irritate the skin.

As the seed pods are large, they can be removed from the plant with a pair of pruning shears, garden snips, or scissors, or you can carefully twist them from the stem. Place them carefully into a basket or container (something like this Garden Hod from Burpee is ideal) and bring them indoors to finish drying.

To do this, lay out the collected pods in a single layer on a tray and place them in a cool, well-ventilated place until they are dry. Always take time to ensure seeds are fully dry before storing them. It is a major seed storage mistake to store damp seeds, as it encourages mold and rot.

Once dry, the pods can then be broken open, and the seeds collected. Store the seeds in a sealed paper envelope or an airtight glass container. If you want to repurpose common household items into DIY seed storage containers, glass food jars or spice jars are perfect for the job.

As for how long you can store the seeds, they will be viable for up to three years when kept in ideal conditions. However, it is best to use them the following season as their viability will drop each year.

FAQs

Can you eat okra seeds?

Yes, okra seeds are edible. They can be eaten raw or cooked and are a source of fiber and protein. As well as cooking with them, okra seeds can be ground and roasted for a caffeine-free alternative to coffee, or pressed to make oil.

Jumping ahead to next spring, okra seeds will benefit from being soaked in water before sowing. This simple task helps soften the shells and can both speed up germination and improve the rate of success. It is easy to soak seeds before planting. Simply put the okra seeds in a bowl of warm water for a few hours, dry them and quickly plant them in small pots or module trays filled with potting mix.

Growing bigger beets means larger roots to roast, and the reward is a rich, sweet and warming vegetable to enjoy in fall as a side with meat dishes, to pair with seasonal salads, or to add to many dishes.

While you can enjoy baby beets raw, there is a sweet earthiness to enjoy from roasted mature beets. If you aspire to grow bigger beets, there are a few aspects you need to get right, including watering and feeding the crop efficiently during the growing season.

The Guinness World Record for the heaviest beet is 52 lb 14 oz, which was achieved by growers in the UK in 2019. You will not be growing beets to hit record levels, but for a good yield. These steps to grow bigger beets will help you have a harvest of quality, good-sized roots, rather than small, disappointing ones.

How to grow bigger beets – 5 aspects to get right

Beets are one of the easiest vegetables to grow, and you can get a long harvest of roots throughout the season. But sometimes you can be disheartened by the sight of small beets come harvest time. If you want to grow bigger beets in your vegetable garden, follow these five steps:

1. Pick bigger varieties

There are lots of different varieties of beets to grow at home, whether in the ground, raised beds, or if you want to grow beets in pots. There is quite a range among that list, too, with roots coming in different sizes, colors, and shapes.

From classic deep-red beets to yellow-fleshed varieties, or Chioggia, which is a particular favorite of mine with red skin and stunning red-and-white candy-striped flesh – you can get Chioggia beet seeds at Burpee to sow at home.

If you aspire to grow bigger beets, be considerate when ordering seeds and focus on those varieties known to produce larger roots. The roots won't reach world record levels, but you can confidently get good-sized roots to pickle, bake, roast, or add to salads.

Here is a selection of 5 beet varieties that'll give you good-sized roots:

• Detroit Dark Red – This classic red variety has tender roots that reach up to 3-4 inches across. Get Detroit Dark Red beet seeds at Burpee.
• Crosby Egyptian – This heirloom variety has a slightly flatter shape than other beets, and the roots reach 3-5 inches. Get Crosby Egyptian beet seeds at Amazon.
• Crimson King – This variety produces medium-to-large deep red beets to be harvested around the size of a tennis ball.
• Lutz Green Leaf – Known as a 'winter keeper', this variety produces roots up to six inches and retains the sweet taste and desired texture when they get large. You can get Lutz Green Leaf seeds at True Leaf Market.
• Mangelwurzel – Also known as mangel beets, this heritage variety grows huge roots that can be enjoyed roasted or mashed. Get Mammoth Mangel seeds at True Leaf Market.

2. Prepare the ground before planting

Any dreams of growing bigger beets start with preparing the soil before planting. It might not sound key, but enhancing the soil will reap the rewards of stronger, healthier growth – and bigger roots to harvest.

Before you plant beets, take a bit of time to weed the ground to reduce the competition your beets will face. As beets like fertile soil types, it is recommended to add at least two inches of organic matter to the site.

The best organic matter to use is homemade compost (or store-bought bags of compost) or well-rotted manure (not fresh manure, as it burns plants). This will improve garden soil in three ways. It boosts soil nutrients, enhances the moisture-holding capacity, and also helps with drainage.

3. Thin the seedlings to give them room to grow

Start sowing beets in spring and successively plant the vegetable throughout spring and summer for the longest harvests. You can sow seeds outdoors once the soil reaches 45°F, or you can sow seeds indoors earlier and transplant seedlings outside once the soil temperature rises.

Sow seeds outdoors in one-inch deep drills, taking care not to sow too thickly, as the large beet seeds are actually capsules with multiple seeds, rather than individual seeds.

Once the seedlings have germinated, thinning them means giving each one the space to develop into nice-sized bulbs. For larger roots, thin seedlings to four inches apart. Pick the strongest seedlings, and remove the weaker ones – but you can enjoy the thinned seedlings in salads.

Not thinning would be a beet growing mistake, and the result would be packed seedlings all competing for the same water, nutrients, and light. The ultimate size of the roots will be affected by such competition.

4. Water regularly – don't let the soil dry out

Several problems arise from insufficient watering of beets during the growing season, including disappointing size, splitting roots, poor flavor, and bolting. Beets need regular watering during their early stages, and will develop their best in consistently moist conditions.

Keep a close eye on when to water plants – a soil moisture meter can help gauge the moisture levels under the soil surface – and give plants around an inch of water per week. Regular deep watering as required is more effective than a little-and-often approach, especially during dry spells.

Mulching around beets will help to retain moisture in the soil for longer, to the benefit of your crop. Spreading straw, leaves, or grass clippings after mowing keeps the soil cooler, so less moisture is lost to evaporation.

At the other end of the scale, avoid overwatering plants as it can result in beets with excessive foliage rather than root development.

5. Fertilize often to help them develop

Providing lots of nutrients is key to any aspirations to grow bigger beets. As well as enriching the soil ahead of planting, you can fertilize beets to give this hungry crop extra nutrients throughout the growing season.

Firstly, feeding with a balanced fertilizer around 6-8 weeks after sowing provides an excellent base of nutrients for a good crop to develop. Use a granular product, mix it into the top few inches of soil, and water it in.

A good example of such a product is this all-natural 4-4-4 vegetable garden fertilizer, available at Amazon.

You can also feed plants with a liquid fertilizer during the growing season. Use a liquid seaweed feed or a homemade comfrey fertilizer, which are high in potassium and other minerals such as zinc and copper.

The main fertilizing mistake to avoid is giving plants too much nitrogen. Using a high-nitrogen feed will result in lots of beet foliage, but only small roots.

FAQs

How big should beets be to harvest?

Depending on the variety, beets take between 70 and 100 days from sowing to harvesting. You can harvest smaller, or baby, beets before maturity, but fully-formed beets are best for storing, slicing, or roasting.

Size can be a great indication of when to harvest beets, as mature beets want to be at least golf-ball size, though they can reach the size of a baseball and still be perfectly fine to use.

You want to avoid letting them get too large, though, as the roots can be tough and woody, which can be identified by a thick tan band around the shoulder of the root.

Another highly recommended way to guarantee a great harvest is by choosing good beet companion plants near the crop. For example, garlic and sage can deter pests, including the likes of aphids and cutworms that commonly trouble beets, while planting beans nearby adds nutrients to the soil and benefits surrounding plants.

I always advise anyone who grows crops at home or aims to start a vegetable garden to include cut-and-come-again vegetables in their plot. These easy-to-grow foods provide long harvests of delicious homegrown vegetables for little expense – you can get pickings from plants for weeks or months during the season.

There are cut-and-come-again vegetables that continue to produce stems to harvest, and leafy plants that will develop new leaves as you pick the larger, mature ones to eat. And space needn't be an issue, as there are cut-and-come-again vegetables you can grow in pots or window boxes if you aren't blessed with a large vegetable garden.

I always featured many cut-and-come-again vegetables in the productive gardens I managed as a professional kitchen gardener. Whether I was growing and harvesting the crops for chefs or selling the produce to garden visitors, these plants offer rich bounties for the cost of just a few seeds. Here I have picked seven of the best cut-and-come-again vegetables for plots of any size.

Vegetables with multiple harvests vs cut-and-come-again crops

Not all crops that provide long harvesting seasons are cut-and-come-again vegetables. For example, the likes of beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers all provide harvests over many weeks (even months) during the season, but are not classed as cut-and-come-again.

I would also always have plants with multiple harvests like these on my planting plans for the year, as well as many cut-and-come-again vegetables from the following list:

7 of the best cut-and-come-again vegetables

This is by no means an exhaustive list of cut-and-come-again vegetables; as many crops can be harvested multiple times during one growing season in this way.

But if you are looking to plant vegetables to provide long pickings, you can’t go wrong with any of these crops.

1. Swiss chard

I have always grown Swiss chard and have done so for many years, both in the kitchen gardens I worked in and on my home plots. It looks fantastic, is simple to grow, and gives a long supply of stems for many months.

Plant Swiss chard seeds in the spring for harvests from summer into fall, and in midsummer to pick once the first batch of plants starts to wane. You can overwinter chard by protecting it with fleece or cloches to extend the harvesting season through into the spring.

If you want to know how to harvest Swiss chard as a cut-and-come-again crop, simply pick individual leaves as you need them.

Harvest the older, outer leaves and cut the thick stems at the base with clean and sharp pruning shears or a sharp knife. This allows the younger inner leaves to continue growing.

See the range of Swiss chard seeds at Amazon

See the range of Swiss chard seeds at Walmart

See the range of Swiss chard seeds at Burpee

See the range of Swiss chard seeds at True Leaf Market

2. Lettuce

Lettuce is undoubtedly the most well-known cut-and-come-again vegetable, and usually the first one any grower starts with. This fast-growing vegetable can be grown in outdoor beds, vegetable container gardens, or windowsills for quick pickings of leaves to be added to salads or sandwiches.

Growing lettuce is super-simple and can be done throughout the year. You can start sowing in spring, either indoors or outdoors, and successively plant lettuce through to late summer. You can harvest lettuce once the leaves are large enough to use, which can be in as little as 30 days from sowing.

The best lettuces to grow as cut-and-come-again plants are loose-leaf types, rather than those that produce a typical head.

Or, you can find a blend of salad mix seeds, such as this gourmet blend of lettuce seeds on Amazon, which features a selection of loose-leaf varieties perfect for cut-and-come-again harvesting. Such seeds are suitable for growing lettuce in pots or raised beds.

3. Kale

Kale is a superfood and a cut-and-come-again vegetable, meaning you can get long harvests of healthy leaves rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

It is a cold-hardy crop that can overwinter in the vegetable garden, and the leaves will have a sweeter flavor after being touched by frost. But kale isn't just a winter crop, and earlier sowings in spring can provide harvests from summer onwards.'

To harvest kale, cut individual outer leaves, starting from the base of the stem. Avoid taking more than a third of the leaves at any time, so the plant can keep producing new ones further up the stem, and don’t pick any from the top rosette.

If you have a smaller space and want to grow kale in pots, a compact variety such as dwarf blue curled kale grows to 16 inches and provides lots of leaves to pick. You can get dwarf blue curled kale seeds to sow at Burpee.

4. Broccoli

When you grow broccoli, you get the main first harvest of a single head of densely-packed buds – aka the classic broccoli head you see in stores. But not everyone knows that it is not the only harvest, as the plant will continue to grow smaller side stems.

These side stems are delicious, and you can get three or four harvests of them before the end of the season. Stopping the plant from flowering is vital if you want the best broccoli harvests during the summer, ensuring the plant puts energy into producing these smaller stems rather than blooming.

These Green Sprouting Calabrese seeds from True Leaf Market are a great example of a variety that will provide bumper side-shoot harvests after cutting the main head.

Another good option for repeated harvests is to grow broccolini. This hybrid between traditional broccoli and Chinese broccoli produces lots of small, bite-sized stems over a really long period.

5. Asparagus

This cut-and-come-again vegetable doesn't have the speedy results many others on this list do, but the pain of a two-year wait for the first harvest is more than made up for by the lifespan of the perennial vegetable. You can grow asparagus for up to 20 years, getting a crop of tender spears each spring.

Plant asparagus crowns in early spring or fall in a sunny spot in the kitchen garden. This is the same if you are planting them in the ground, or growing asparagus in a container or a raised bed. You can grow asparagus from seed, but this requires an even longer wait for the first harvests

You do need to wait two years to start harvesting asparagus, or three if you planted seeds. When the spears appear in spring, start cutting them with a sharp knife once they reach 6-10 inches and are thicker than a pencil.

This cutting will encourage new spears to appear for future harvests. The harvesting window may be short at just 6-8 weeks, but they are a cut-and-come-again vegetable during this time and can be for many years to come.

You can get high-yielding 'Mary Washington' asparagus crowns at Amazon.

6. Rhubarb

Rhubarb is usually thought of as a fruit, but it is technically a vegetable that can be included on this list of cut-and-come-again vegetables.

You can grow rhubarb in a sunny position on your plot for perennial harvests of tart stems for desserts, either by planting crowns or growing rhubarb from seed. A good clump of rhubarb can provide harvests for 10 years or more, and you can divide rhubarb plants to keep them productive and get new ones for free.

However, while it can be a cut-and-come-again vegetable, you actually don't want to cut it. It is always better to harvest rhubarb by pulling and twisting the stems away from the plant; this is preferable to cutting it, which causes what's left of the stalk to rot into the crown.

Keep pulling stems once they reach at least 10 inches, taking a few at a time, and the plant will continually produce new ones to pick throughout the season.

You can get 'Victoria' rhubarb crowns at Amazon to plant in your plot to enjoy harvests for years to come.

7. Arugula

Arugula is one of the easiest vegetables to grow from seed for fast and multiple harvests. It is a popular crop on restaurant plates, and one that tastes best picked fresh from the garden rather than packaged off grocery store shelves.

You can start growing arugula in spring, and each plant can provide many pickings of peppery leaves for adding to salads, sandwiches, stir-fries and pasta dishes, or use as a garnish.

Picking individual leaves when required is the best way to harvest arugula. As with others on this list, harvesting the oldest leaves first once they are usable allows the younger leaves in the center to develop.

Arugula leaves get more bitter as they mature. Start picking once the leaves reach three inches, and don't let them get past six inches. Take a few leaves off each plant at a time, and it will encourage smaller leaves to develop and new ones to emerge.

See the range of arugula seeds to plant at Amazon

See the range of arugula seeds to plant at Walmart

See the range of arugula seeds to plant at Burpee

See the range of arugula seeds to plant at True Leaf Market

Is spinach cut-and-come-again?

Yes, you can grow spinach as a cut-and-come-again vegetable to get multiple harvests from each plant. Simply harvest spinach by removing the outer leaves with pruning shears, a harvesting knife, or by pinching the stems between your fingers. Tasty baby spinach leaves are ready to crop around a month after sowing, and can be enjoyed raw, while it may be closer to two months before the time arrives to pick mature leaves.

Is bok choy cut-and-come-again?

When you grow bok choy, this oriental vegetable can be harvested as a cut-and-come-again vegetable. Taking some of the outer, thicker, and ribbed leaves and leaving the looser central ones allows the younger ones to develop, and the plant will regrow new leaves. It is important to leave the base intact when you pick. Cut the larger leaves close to the base, but keep around an inch of stem remaining.

While not a cut-and-come-again vegetable, there is a neat hack to get a second harvest from cabbage. When you harvest cabbage, cut the head from the stem, but leave the stem in the ground. Cut an 'X' into the top of the stem, and it will develop a second crop of smaller heads to harvest down the line.