Seeds are nothing short of magic!

You hold this seemingly inanimate object in your hand. Once you place it in soil, give it some water and light it GROWS! And it keeps growing, giving pollinators a purpose and habitat, sequestering carbon, building soil, and giving you food—plus providing its own seeds to continue the process.

Being part of this process ties us back into nature in a way that very few things can. And more of us are feeling that pull back to nature as gardening continues to grow as a hobby and passion across the globe. There are so many ways to start seeds, from Winter Sowing to Soil Blocking here we’ll focus on starting seeds indoors, under lights.

*This post contains affiliate links*

Why Start Seeds?

On a more practical level, an obvious benefit of growing a garden from seed is major cost savings. A packet of seeds is usually less than the cost of a single small potted vegetable or herb start. Add perpetual savings if you can save the seeds that grow from the plants as well. More about this in my article, Seed Saving Starts Now.  

Remember only open pollinated varieties are recommended for seed saving, as these are the only kinds that will grow back ‘true to type’. Many seeds sold are hybrids, meaning that they took certain traits from two different plants and combined them. Growing seeds saved from those hybrids will likely revert back to parts of their parent plants, sometimes with really funky outcomes!

Plant Diversity

There are thousands more varieties of seeds to choose from compared to the numbers of plants available to purchase already started in nurseries. I counted over 100 lettuce varieties in one seed catalog! This is similar to the differences in selection at the grocery store versus a Farmers Market…

Plus, you can choose seeds for fast maturing, cold tolerant, different colors (like carrots) and so many other traits. Not to mention that saved seeds become acclimated to the conditions they grow in. You can also play more with Companion Planting when you choose your own seeds.

How To Start Seeds

Timing

The golden rule of seed starting is to not start them too soon!

Seed packets give maturity dates—those will give you dates that you can harvest *from days after transplant*. Many companies suggest a number of days or weeks prior to average last frost date. For my growing zone (4b) the typical last frost date is generally around May 1–10, but this is changing due to climate chaos.

You can also start seeds a little earlier if you plan to transplant them out into the garden under cover. I usually pop up a simple low tunnel to protect my peppers and tomatoes. I make these simply by pounding some stakes (rebar) into the ground, and then sliding over some hollow PVC pipe, forming it into a half circle, then draping some sheet poly over that. Bricks and clips keep the plastic in place.

My basic seed starting schedule:

10-12 week prior seeds = beginning of February

8-10 weeks prior seeds = mid-February

6-8 weeks prior seeds = beginning of March

4-6 weeks prior seeds = mid-March

I grow in Minnesota, Zone 4b/5a

Seed Planting Prep

Trays + Pots

Before you get planting you’ll want to sanitize whatever you’ll be using for seed starting by washing in hot, soapy water and scrubbing off dirt, then soaking in a bleach solution (if 8% bleach use one tablespoon per gallon of water) for a few hours. Rinse well and let air dry. This is important to avoid the fungal disease of damping off, which kills seedlings.

Soil Blocking

I love Soil Blocking so much I wrote a whole separate blog post about it! Read that article HERE !

Also, I give you THIS VIDEO clip of the OG Soil blocker and legendary organic Gardener, Eliot Coleman.

The standard for seed starting trays is the “1020” which is roughly 10” X 20”. I use a solid 1020 with a mesh 1020 nestled inside this for my soil blocks. I also have an assortment of older pots that I use to plant into, always with a solid 1020 tray underneath. I Absolutely swear by Bootstrap Farmer’s trays. They cost more up front but will literally never need to be replaced- so much stronger then the box store trays!

Seed Snails

I’ve also just started some seeds in a ‘Seed Snail’. This method reuses old bubble wrap or polyethylene foam (that thin and flexible packing foam that comes in long strips between electronics). You simply add dampened soil on the flattened foam then roll it up, and plant the seeds on top.

This is a big space saver because the roots only grow into the neighboring plant. I am so curious to see how I like this method compared to soil blocking. I’ve got a YouTube video on it up too.

Seed Starting Mix

Start with a sterile seed starting mix. Do not use regular garden soil, or already used potting mix. There are quite a few good brands out there, I prefer Promix if I’m buying a pre bagged blend. But for when I do my main seed starting, I mix up my own, to be able to control the exact contents (yes, I am a bit of a control freak!) and to save money!

I’ve recently written an entire blog all on making the best Seed Starting Mix.

I’ve got a YouTube Video on my soil mix for starting seeds in trays. There are many ways to create a good seed starting mix. Here’s a link to my Amazon page if you’re interested in seeing all the products together.

I buy compressed bricks of organic coco coir, like these, to make up about half of this mix. I get roughly 3 gallons from one compressed brick after letting it expand for a few hours. So in the Mix recipe below, the 3 gallons = the 6 parts.

Seed Starting Mix
6 parts coconut coir or peat moss (1 brick coco coir =~3 gallons = 6 parts)
2 parts compost or 1-2 parts worm castings
2 parts perlite or vermiculite
1/4 cup blood meal
< 1/4 cup bone meal
< 1/4 cup Azomite (aka rock dust)

soak coconut coir for at 2+ hours prior to mixing, wet more after mixing

Germination

Heat mats

In general, seeds germinate better a little warmer than we keep our northern climate homes in winter. However, there is wide variation here, as I start pea seeds outside in 45F soil. But in general, you’ll get a higher germination rate and quicker germination with the use of a heat mat. Most seed packets or a quick online search will tell you the exact best temperature for germination. These heat mats are plug in units that sit under a regular 1020 tray.

Cover Them Up

After watering seeds in you’ll want to keep them warm and damp. The simplest way to do this is to cover the top of the soil. We’ve all seen the clear plastic domes, to help keep in the humidity. These work well—as long as they are removed as soon as you see green popping up! Keeping the soil and emerging seedlings covered too long invites molds, which are a seedling’s worst enemy.

Grow Lights

There are so many options out there for indoor grow lights. You can get a regular fluorescent ‘shop light’ and do well by your seedlings. But there are some specific benefits to different kinds of light that mimic natural sunlight more—or focus on parts of the spectrum that plants need most. This is a deep subject, and if you’re interested in more info, this podcast on Joe Gardener’s site where he talks with Leslie Halleck covers it really well.  For me, I use these T5 LED Grow Lights and I’m really happy with my results.

Watering

Just like watering plants in the garden, you’re going to want to water the soil not the leaves. And since we’ve got them in trays, we can actually water from below. This will help water more evenly and more fully, hence less often which is also better for root development. You also decrease the ‘splash up’ and most of the chance for fungal and mold (damping off) problems. There are systems you can set up for this, but I still prefer to lift an edge and hand water—it gives me a chance to check on the individual plants better as well. You are going to want to let the top layer of soil dry out a bit, and keep in mind many more seedlings suffer from being over watered than drying out!

This will get your seedlings off to a good start, but the most important step is simply paying attention. Truly, this is the part that brings gardeners the most joy—tending to their babies, watching closely and responding quickly.

Tips for Growing Big + Strong

• When fertilizing seedlings, use a diluted (50%) form of organic fertilizer.

• Pinching off will help some seedlings (like flowers and peppers) grow stronger and produce better crops. Pinching off at the flower bud will keep the plant’s energy going into growing leaves and roots.

• If your seedlings get pests (like aphids) try spraying them off with the  ‘stream’ setting on a water bottle. If needed, you can mix up a simple organic pest spray: in a 1 Qt spray bottle, mix in 1 cup Olive Oil, 1 Tbsp Castile Soap, and then fill with water.

Finally, it will be time to bring them out into the garden…

Hardening Off  

This is an essential part of growing healthy plants, and one of my favorite seed starting tips. You’ll need to slowly acclimate your seedlings to the full power of sunlight, wind, and changing temperatures. This process is called hardening off. You’ll want to find a partially sunny spot, maybe up against a wall and not open to wind gusts. You start with bringing the plants out for 15–30 minutes the first day, and increase 30–60 minutes per day for a week. Only then will they be ready to live outside and be transplanted out into their forever home. Not giving them enough time to acclimate can give them ‘sun scald’ and set the plant’s growth back by days or weeks. This happens to me with some plant almost every year—so a little sun scald is just part of the garden game.

Transplanting

You should plan on transplanting once soil is warm enough for the crop—and as this varies greatly, refer back to the seed packet. Both soil and air temps need to be warm enough so I transplant my earliest plants under cover. Tomatoes, peppers, and other heat-loving plants will especially appreciate the warmer soil and air—plus protection against those dropping overnight temperatures.

A big part of gardening is watching what is happening and reacting to nature—so be patient with nature and yourself!

On a more philosophical level, starting from seed brings you closer to nature. Growing a bean vine with hundred of beans from a single seed is nothing short of magical. I hope you get to experience that magic too.

What was your favorite seed starting tip?

Can’t wait to Dig In!
Michelle

The post Seed Starting 101 appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Before we get crafting the mini greenhouses that make winter sowing feel sort of like a pre-school art project, let’s go over the basics.

What is Winter Sowing?

Winter sowing is a way to work with Mother Nature to grow plants from seed. You plant seeds in a container and set them outside. They sprout in the containers and are ready to plant out into your garden from there. Trudi Greissle Davidoff was the first to write about the process of winter sowing.

The concept started by mimicking nature with seeds that need to be cold stratified. Stratification means the seeds need spend a certain amount of time in the cold usually around freezing before the seed’s ‘timer’ will go off and break dormancy to germinate. You can cold stratify seeds indoors with the help of a refrigerator or freezer, and seed packets will suggest the temperature and length of time needed.

Most tough native seeds also need to go through a freeze/thaw process to help weaken and break down their tougher seed coats to break dormancy and prepare them for germination. This is why ‘snow seeding’, which is the practice of scattering seeds once it starts snowing up north, works so well.

Planting seeds that need to be cold stratified inside a container gives you the best of both worlds. They will still be set to nature’s schedule of freezing and thawing, but you will also get a bunch of seedlings that you can keep an eye on and transplant when you’re ready. The seedlings also have the boost of not competing with other weed seeds and a little warmer and protected environment.

When planting our garden’s annual vegetable seeds, we’re not doing it to cold stratify them, because those seeds don’t require that. We winter sow vegetable seeds for the other benefits.

Winter Sowing bonuses include:

*Earlier seedlings
*No hardening off
*Stronger plants
*No extra equipment
*Recycling plastic

Simple + Eco Friendly

This process does not require any extra inputs to start seeds a little earlier. I will say that up in Minnesota (Zone 4) we likely won’t get a full harvest from our peppers or eggplants, (tomatoes mostly catch up) when started this way. However, there are quite a few plants which work wonderfully using this method.

You will most likely be reusing a plastic container. Not having to buy ‘extras’ is something to take into consideration when thinking about the costs of grow lights, heat pads, fans, and the energy to run them all. Those can add up to a big investment and a bit of an energy drain if you are diving into seed starting.

Making Your Winter Sowing
Mini Greenhouse Jug

I have posted 3 videos of the process on my YouTube for you visual learners!
* Winter Sowing Introduction
* Making and planting your Mini Greenhouse
* Placing your Mini Greenhouse Outside

Winter Sowing Vegetable Seeds

Now I get to share my findings about starting annual vegetables in winter sowing containers. We’re basically creating mini Greenhouses! As I’m always interested in trying new ways to garden, I dove into this years ago. Over the years I’ve trialed a few different varieties of cool weather vegetable crops a few different ways.

• out in the open
• under low tunnels
• under plastic totes
• inside my cold frame

Building on Elliot Coleman’s (Four Season Farm) writing that “The double layer moves the plants 1,000 miles to the south,” I wanted to see if growing under double ‘layers’ of protection translated well to this situation. In addition, I wanted to see if this really did anything to increase the growth rate, etc. on the spring side of seed starting rather than extending the harvest season.

I started with some of my standard cool weather crops. Overall, I got great results and so much valuable information to pass along.

Timing the Seed Starting

I’m a Minnesota Zone 4 (almost 5) gardener. We have pent-up gardening energy to burn in the late winter/early spring. So let’s funnel that into starting our best gardens yet!

Find your Frost Date Predictor at your state’s Department of Natural Resources page. Minnesota DNR Frost/Freeze Probability Dates

The probability of last frosts in my growing area range from mid-April to early May. Based on these dates and overall germination temperature requirements (see chart below), I have found that late February to early March works best for sowing the cool season annual vegetable seeds under double protection. You could set out winter sown containers earlier, but the above dates coincide with my indoor sowing of the same crops—and I’m all about streamlining seeding!

Vegetables Started + Results

My trials for winter sown containers out in the open showed 7-14 days of earlier germination and sustained growth compared to planting directly into the soil. My seeds started in winter sown containers under either a cold frame or low tunnel for an additional layer of protection were 10-20 days ahead. That time gained may be worth it to some; to each their own. That’s what makes gardening so fun—you get to decide!

*I usually sow varieties below in Winter Sown Containers
at the end of February inside my cold frame.

Spinach – Great germination. I start spinach in a jug in the cold frame. Transplanted into cold frame mid-March; those transplants took well. Transplanted out the rest of the spinach into open ground by peas mid-April. Picture of spinach in cold frame on April 25 looking great after transplanting. My first real harvest May 8. The star of my winter sowing trials.

Beets – Great germination. I was late to transplant, but grew to better sized bulbs than those I started inside a few weeks earlier.

Pak Choi – Decent germination, super tough plants that are harvestable before most insect pests have even shown up in the garden. Very happy, hearty plants.

Romaine (Winter Density) – Great germination, good transplanting. Got a few delicious extra-early harvests from double covered winter sown seedlings. But then it evened out (between the winter sown and direct seeded plants) as they grew to maturity.

Tatsoi – Great germination and even though transplanted later, did really well. We harvested as baby crop.

Broccoli – Decent germination rate. Took a little hit at transplant, but were stronger overall plants than my indoor-sown Belstar Broccoli plants. Similar final harvest dates and sizes.

Kale – Good germination and transplant, but not much earlier (or anything else noticeable) to harvest as compared to direct sown because I harvest these later in the season. Sowed both Scarlet and Dwarf Scotch Curly.

Minimum Soil Temps for Germination

35°– 45°F: Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula

40°-50°F: Beets, Parsley, Kale, Leeks, Onions, Kohlrabi

45°-55°F: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Pak Choi, Tatsoi,

55°-65°F: Cabbage, Swiss Chard

60°F: Celery, Tomatoes

*These temps are different from optimal germination temps, which run 10-20°F higher. For a full germination temp chart see page 46 of our book, Small-Scale Homesteading.

Looking Forward

What will I be adding this year? More winter-sown herbs, a few flower trials, and a second set of outdoor-sown brassicas (my favorite cool weather crops). I am also eager to see if there are any differences to starting winter-sown jugs in a greenhouse vs. a cold frame. Plant nerds unite!

My Winter Sowing Schedule

Late February – Mid-March
Spinach, Lettuces, Beets, Cabbages, Broccoli, Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Onions

Mid-March
Thyme, Salvias, Oregano, Cilantro, Parsley, Basil

Mid-April
Cosmos, Zinnia, Marigolds, 2^nd sowing of  Lettuce +  Bok Choy

So, have I inspired you to try this form of sowing seeds? I’ll be keeping up with sharing my winter sowing adventures on my stories on my Instagram and Facebook social media accounts. I hope you follow along with us too!

Love Digging in – especially in when there’s still snow on the ground!
Michelle

The post Using the Winter Sowing Technique with Vegetables appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

So instead, I’m sharing my favorite NEW veggies from last Summer’s garden. I love growing ‘new to me’ varieties every year, and usually try out quite a few unique plants each year. Once you start growing from seed a whole new world of flavors opens up to you, and my taste buds will never be satisfied with the same old same old again. For more information on starting seeds, check out my Seed Saving Starts Now blog.

This is a review of my five favorite new to me vegetable varieties.

Romanesco

EAT: fresh, roasted or in stir fry

If ever there was a Diva Vegetable, here she is! The unexpected fractal patterns on this vegetable, paired with the lime green color sets her up to steal the show. The taste is milder than cauliflower, almost nutty. And my kids LOVED IT. It grew well for me in the Spring and Fall. I got seeds from Jung’s Seed Co. and these germinated and grew just as well as their white amazing variety. The purple graffiti was a complete wash for me though.

I loved how the Romanesco’s leaved covered each little pyramid point. The plant itself was even bigger than an average cauliflower, and that’s saying something. Even with taking up considerable space in the garden, I’ll be growing even more this season. I’ll be interplanting  beets and spinach for an early harvest before these girls take over the beds.

Tall Utah Celery

EAT: fresh, in soups, as celery salt

This Celery makes the cut because after being scared to grow it I jumped in last year. Guess what, No worries! There are many varieties that don’t need blanching, are so flavorful, yet not bitter! I started them from seed last February, so they do take time, but they are 100% worth it! They don’t take up too much space and play well with others in the garden. I chopped and froze some for soup when I had an abundance.

I also dehydrated and blitzed the leaves for celery salt, which I use in soups and stews.

So, for $3.25 for a packet of Tall Utah from seedsaversexchange I ate fresh cut celery all summer, still have some frozen, and I’ve just started new babies under my grow lights for the coming season!

Glass Gem Corn

EAT: Popped with a drizzle of butter

I’ve been crushing over this for so long, so glad I dove back into these rainbow colored corn rows! This is a flint corn, not a sweet corn, so no fresh eating off the cob. They’re so beautiful you want to have time to enjoy their beauty for a stretch first anyway

We fed some fresh mini-cobs to our hens. I’ve planted some for “corn shoots” micro-greens with varying success, and by far our favorite- popping! I’ve saved some cobs to plant with the kids’ garden clubs I run in the summer (HEARTS) I hadn’t grown any corn for a few seasons after a ‘bad bug’ year, those can take a while to get over… I still had all kinds of insects around the corn this year- just none burrowing into the corn. (whew!) $3.25 for a packet, from Seed Savers Exchange, I planted 3X16 foot bed.

Cucamelons

EAT: fresh from the vine, sliced in salads

These little cuties are as adorable as they are delicious! They also go by the names ‘Mexican sour gherkin’ and ‘mouse melons’. They have a slightly citrus/sour cucumber taste that becomes more pronounced the bigger/more mature they get. These guys were slow to get started, (they like it hotter to germinate) and I totally underestimated how they much they would grow- AND how many little cucamelons they’d produce! Still, giving these away was much easier than say, a zucchini. My kids loved picking these garden veggies as much as eating them- until those really hot late August days after eating these daily… we still have some ‘pickled’ versions in the fridge- both a garlic and a straight ferment- they are a bit more sour than a regular fermented pickle, but add a great kick to salads and cheese trays! We’ll be growing these on a full size trellis this summer instead of in with our beans, lesson learned! Seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, which shows up online as Rare Seeds

Berner Rose Tomato

EAT: like an apple, plus any other way you eat tomatoes.

This tomato was the workhorse of my dreams last summer. I was gifted seeds from family in Switzerland, the true “Berner Rose”, a Swiss heirloom variety of German Pink.  These were the best germinating and hardiest of all my tomato plants from the start. These are a potato leaf determinate plant that gave me the tastiest tomatoes that didn’t split, wilt or get any diseases. I’ll know to use thicker stakes on these this year because they produce SO MANY tomatoes on each cluster, my gardens looked a little like a mouse trap by September. Still have gallon bags of frozen, a few jars of sauce and salsa- these are the tomatoes that just keep giving! Thank you to my cousin, Seraina, for the thoughtful gift I wish shipping the tomatoes back to her was a viable option !

DIG IN!

So, have I inspired you to try any new garden veggies in your garden? Or maybe to buy a new variety from farmers markets yet? Let me know if you plan to grow any of these varieties or have questions I didn’t answer above. I can’t wait to DIG IN!

-Michelle

The post My Top 5 NEW Garden Veggies appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

No matter where you are on the gardening continuum, there is always more to learn about the basics. And there is a way for you to grow some of your own food this summer. One potted tomato plant can bring pollinators, joy, and flavor to your home. Let’s get started, shall we?

Cold crops, like radish, spinach, and cabbage were seeded in weeks ago, but this weekend (OK, officially Monday, May 15) is when us Minnesota Zone 3b/4a gardeners get the green light for planting out our plots with the seeds and seedlings too touchy to handle frost. And Mother’s Day lines up perfectly with this timing

Small garden space? You’d never believe how much food can come from a 4X4 foot space until you try!

No garden space? Many vegetables can be grown in pots too!

Here are the three easiest vegetable plants to grow, with their fabulously funky variations, to get you started eating from your yard, deck, patio, or hanging basket all summer long. And the best news, these foolproof vegetables are still some of my favorites!

Growing Tomatoes

From sweet little cherry poppers to beefsteak whoppers there is a tomato for your every food mood. These fruits are always a garden favorite and for good reason; there’s something deeply satisfying about picking a sun warmed ripe tomato and popping it into your mouth. Home grown tomatoes are so much tastier than their store bought styrofoam copies that it is like eating a different veggie.

To be fair, I just found some Bushel Boy locally grown tomatoes (Southern MN) that were many steps closer to a real tomato.  Go local greenhouses! I agree with Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms, Inc. in his belief that the best use of petroleum products is polyethylene reinforced plastic to cover and make greenhouses to extend the growing season.

Back to the varieties. An online search for tomato seeds at my favorite go-to seed company, Jung Seed,  came up with 71 seed varieties. I love how Mother Nature diversifies.

There are varieties best for eating, slicing, canning, or salsa. Then there are the colors. With names like Chocolate sprinkles, Lemon Boy and Midnight Snack you can dream for days. But dream time is over people, time to get planting. And sadly, we are now too late for starting tomato seeds. So, if you’re looking to get tomatoes in and enjoy them before September, gotta go buy some plants.

But first, know your options!

I would start by looking at the days to maturity and get a few different kinds. The ‘extra early’ varieties can be ready in 45 days. The late bloomers (ha), like paste tomatoes, can take up to 85 days to reach full maturity.

Tiny cherry tomatoes generally ripen quicker than the big behemoths. Like the Beefmaster Hybrid, which gives you an average TWO POUND tomato. That’s a party’s worth of salsa from two tomatoes.

Ever wonder why some tomatoes keep growing new shoots off the tops until the frost wilts them and some get big and bushy? There are two separate categories of tomato plants: Determinate and Indeterminate.

Determinate varieties are better for containers because they stop their shoot production once flowers form on the ends. Shorter plants = less staking (although a tomato cage is still a very good idea) and earlier ripening.

Indeterminate are the kind that vine up, up and away. These guys will keep pumping out flowers and fruits along their side shoots until a frost knocks them down. They grow taller and require more care in general. Like pruning, which helps the plant know where to deliver its power and grow more tomatoes.

Read between my lines: first timers, try a determinate variety first. The labels should say which type they are; if not, ask someone, or google it quick while no one is looking…like I did and found this awesome article.

After setting the plants into some happy compost/soil, keep watered and watch for pests. Before I had copious amounts of compost, I found good luck with this fish fertilizer, although my husband wants me to find something else because, you guessed it, the smell. Oddly, this stuff smelled minty to mask the other odors. The smells never bothered me, but I’m the one who cleans the chicken coop. I digress.

Harvesting: In case you have any tomatoes that make it inside from the garden and can’t bear the idea of the fruits of your labor going to waste, it is time to preserve them. This can be as easy as slicing in half and freezing on a sheet pan and then popping into a freezer bag, or as fun as canning homemade spaghetti sauce.

Growing Green (and other colored) Beans

Beans are another one of the easiest vegetable plants to grow. There are two main options with beans. Short little bush beans, or lanky pole beans.

*I just caught a similarity here between tomatoes and beans that I’d never noticed before, they both have short bushy and long vining varieties, cool (beans).

Beans are so versatile—you can eat them raw right from the garden or cook them roughly a thousand different ways. And I’m not even going into edamame (my kids’ #1 favorite), lima, or shelling beans.

And of course, they come in the rainbow:

Yellow, purple, rattlesnake, green mottled with purple – and yard long red beans.

Sadly, these beans all (as far as I know) all lose their cool pod colors when cooked. Please let me know if you find a variety that holds its crazy colors after cooking!

Big Brother feeling proud by the scarlet runner, cucumber & lettuce patch last year

Bush beans will give you an earlier, more condensed crop. You could plan ahead and plant more seeds every two weeks to keep a continuous flow of green bean goodness coming in, or plant all at once, and freeze the ones you can’t keep up with. Bush beans don’t require any staking. Mulching at the base of plants helps with both decreasing watering and keeping the mud away after it rains, making eating them raw from the garden less, well, gritty.

Pole beans require some serious staking to hold up the weight of the vines and beans. There is truly no better way for kids to see the beans of their labor than with a climbing vine.

Pole beans will keep on sharing their love until you have beans coming out your ears. You may just have to learn how to make my pickled “dilly beans” because you have so many of them. There will come a day when you can’t keep up. Like the Old Farmer’s Almanac says, “Beans do not wait for anyone.”

After saving seeds for two years from my original packet of Blue Lake S7 from Jung Seed, I have more seed than I could ever use!

Harvest to Table has gathered a slew of bean varieties and their basic needs and gifts. Go ahead, geek out for the green bean team.

Growing Carrots

In some ways, these little nuggets are the opposite of vining beans. Having to wait to pull up the season’s first ‘test’ root can try even the most hardened gardeners’ patience. Yet, there are few things as fun as watching your kid pull up their first few carrots (after you’ve already done a few yourself). My kids never trusted that the next filigree green top would yield another carrot. Pure orange magic there. Of course, carrots come in a variety of cool colors too, from whites like “Lunar White” to pale yellows to vibrant reds,  and, you guessed it, deep purple.

I recommend starting with a “Nantes” type of carrot. There are 28 varieties of Nantes to chose from, and they’re still my favorite to grow. They seem to hold their straight shape better than others, taste sweet and crisp, don’t get a tough core if left to ‘mature’ in the garden soil (aka I forgot to dig out all the carrots last fall).

If you want to go deeper into the history of the carrot (and why wouldn’t you?) check out this article by Berkley Wellness. If you get a bumper crop, it’s good to know that carrots keep for months tucked into a bucket of sand left in a cool spot.

Final Thoughts on Easy Vegetable Plants to Grow

So, those are the three vegetable plants I’d start with. They are also the three I’d pare down to if I had to, but please don’t make me.

Bonus points for any garden newbie that throws down a few lettuce seeds. The options are astounding and will tingle your taste buds, guaranteed.

My Mother’s Day weekend will consist of living outside in our backyard garden and debating just how many vegetables we can eat this summer, plus how many more we can grow for the food shelf!

What will you be growing this season? What’s your favorite backyard vegetable?

Can’t wait to Dig In!

Michelle

The post Three Easy-Peasy Vegetable Plants to Grow appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.