It pays to be self-sufficient. If you grow and raise your own food, you don’t have to pay too much to feed yourself and your family. That’s the good thing about homesteading or living off the grid. You eliminate the need to go to the grocery store every week to spend a fortune on food, water, and other needs. Begin your journey to self-sufficiency by starting with some of the easiest vegetables to grow in your garden.
Arugula
Arugula grows so fast that’s why it is considered one of the easiest vegetables to grow. You don’t even need a plot of land to grow some. This leafy vegetable prefers cold weather so you can plant it in pots and keep them in your home. Arugula produces a lot of yields. Just cut the bigger leaves and leave the little ones in the middle to let them grow continuously.
Carrots
Carrots grow best in deep soft soil since it’s a root vegetables. You also want the soil to be well-draining and free of rocks. Before planning your carrot seedlings, loosen the soil as deep as you can. You can also mix in some sand.
If you don’t have soil that’s deep enough, you can grow carrots in a pot. To do that, you’ll need a pot that’s at least 8 inches deep if you’re growing baby carrots or other short varieties. For normal-sized ones, you’ll need a pot or grow bag at least ten inches deep.
Leave enough space in between seedlings so the carrots will grow or form properly. If you overcrowd them, they tend to become deformed. You’re not joining any beauty contest for carrots but it’s still better if they form properly so they’ll be easier to peel.
Cucumber
If you love cucumbers in your salad, you’re lucky that it’s one of the easiest vegetables to grow. All you need is to prepare the soil properly and that means adding organic fertilizer that’s high in potassium and nitrogen. You also have to place it somewhere that the sun reaches, preferably a place where there is an existing fence or where you can build one so it has something to climb on. Harvest the cucumber regularly so its production will continue to increase.
Ginger
One main factor why ginger is one of the easiest vegetables to grow is because it’s readily available in grocery stores. You can buy ginger and plant it. Sooner or later you’ll have your own supply of ginger. You’ll need one that has lots of nodes. Choose the side with the most nodes and then plant this side first into a pot of soil. Cover the root with a little soil and keep the soil wet.
Kale
Of all members of the cabbage family, kale is one of the easiest vegetables to grow. You can basically plant kale anytime, particularly from spring to summer. It will continue to grow until the weather gets really hot.
Lettuce
Unlike kale, lettuce can grow even if it’s hot. It prefers cold weather but the sunlight but it will still grow under shade. Harvest the outer leaves whenever they reach about 4 to 6 inches long. Wait for new leaves to form before harvesting again.
Onion
Onion is one of the easiest vegetables to grow because it thrives under any condition. All it needs is loose, well-draining soil to grow. If you wish to harvest bigger bulbs, you can use some fertilizer. Onion seeds should be planted in pots and kept indoors for around six weeks. When transplanting, make sure there’s a space of 4 to 4 inches between each plant.
Potatoes
Potatoes are popular among homesteaders for the simple fact that they are some of the easiest vegetables to grow. It’s so easy that Matt Damon’s character survived being stranded on Mars by planting, harvesting, and eating potatoes.
Plant seed tubers in deep pots or grow bags. Make sure to leave space at the peak of the pots. This is where you’ll put manure.
Radish
Radish is another nice ingredient to put in your salad. It has this distinct taste and crunch that makes your salad a little more exciting. The best thing about radishes, however, is that one piece comes with just one calorie. Plant radish seeds in pots or in your garden.
Tomatoes
Despite being officially categorized as a fruit, tomatoes will surely pass as a vegetable. Because of that, we’re putting tomatoes here in this list of easiest vegetables to grow in your garden or in grow bags.
There are hundreds of vegetables but not all can be planted and grown as easily as these easiest vegetables to grow. If you wish to know more about crops, vegetables, and herbs that you can grow in your own home, please go ahead and visit The Gentleman Pirate.
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