20 Best Vegetables to Grow for Easy and Delicious Harvests
They can practically grow themselves! 👩🌾
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There’s something special about starting your own vegetable garden—it’s rewarding, delicious, and a little bit magical watching tiny seeds turn into a bountiful harvest. Whether you’re after crisp greens for salads, hearty root veggies for cozy meals, or fresh herbs to elevate your cooking, a home garden lets you enjoy the freshest flavors right at your fingertips. Some vegetables thrive with minimal effort, while others might need a little extra TLC, but the payoff is always worth it. Plus, gardening isn’t just about the food—it’s a great way to spend time outdoors, unwind, and connect with nature.
To get the best harvest possible, you'll want to make sure your garden or pots receive eights hours of direct sunlight, or they won’t produce. Also, remember that some plants like different temperatures! Think: spring vegetables versus fall vegetables. Peas, for instance, like chilly weather and can be planted in early spring. But if you're wondering how to grow tomatoes, these heat lovers can’t be set out until after the last frost. (If you’re not sure when that is, check with your local university coop extension service so you don’t put them out too soon!) And if you're looking into how to grow pumpkins, you should know that they need pollinators to form fruit, so don’t forget to plant some flowers as well. There are plenty of spring flowers that will look beautiful in your garden!
From types of lettuce to types of potatoes, once you choose the right vegetables to grow, you can plan your vegetable garden layout with ease. Now, pull on your gardening gloves and break out your gardening tools and get ready to plant these easy vegetables this year.
More ideas for your home garden:
Broccoli
Broccoli is a garden favorite that keeps on giving—even after you harvest the main head, smaller side shoots will keep growing! Plant in early spring or late summer for the best results, and make sure it gets plenty of sun and nutrient-rich soil. If the weather heats up too fast, broccoli might bolt (aka flower), so keep an eye out and harvest before the buds start to open. Want the best flavor? Pick in the morning when heads are firm and packed with nutrients!
When to plant: Start seeds indoors early to mid-spring for spring plantings and start seeds indoors or out in early to late July for fall.
Potatoes
There’s nothing like homegrown potatoes, and the best part is, they’re super low-maintenance! Plant seed potatoes in loose, well-draining soil, and keep hilling up the dirt as they grow to protect them from sunlight. Once the leaves start to yellow, it’s harvest time—dig carefully so you don’t bruise your spuds. Bonus: Store them in a cool, dark place, and they’ll last for months!
When to plant: Mid March through early May, depending on your location.
Onions
Onions are the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it crop—just plant, water, and wait. Whether you start with seeds, sets, or transplants, make sure they have plenty of sun and loose soil to grow nice and big. The trick to sweeter onions? Keep them well-watered, especially as the bulbs start to form. When the tops flop over, they’re ready to pull, cure, and store!
When to plant: Late March to early April, when the temperatures won't dip below 28°F.
Okra
Okra loves the heat, so if your summers are sweltering, this is your plant! Sow seeds directly in warm soil, and once it takes off, you’ll be harvesting pods almost daily. The key is to pick them young—wait too long, and they’ll turn tough and fibrous. Pro tip: Wear gloves when harvesting if you’re sensitive to the tiny spines on some varieties!
When to plant: Late April or early May in southern climates for a summer crop or early August for a fall harvest. June is best for northern climates.
Turnips
Fast-growing and packed with flavor, turnips are a double-duty crop—you can eat both the greens and the roots! Sow seeds in early spring or fall, and harvest while they’re still small for the best taste. The greens add a peppery kick to salads, while the roots can be roasted, mashed, or eaten raw. No need to wait too long—these little guys are ready in just a few weeks!
When to plant: A few weeks before the predicted last spring frost date for late spring harvest, late summer for a fall harvest, or early fall for a late fall harvest.
Bok Choy
Increasingly popular in recipes and grocery stores, this Asian cabbage can be propagated from leftover scraps and be ready to harvest within a month. It also grows fast from seeds in full sun in about 45 days.
When to plant: Early spring for a late spring harvest or late summer through early fall for a late fall harvest.
Radishes
These hardy root vegetables are a great last-minute crop—they can be ready for harvest as soon as three weeks after planting! While they're known for their colorful roots, the entire plant is actually edible.
When to plant: Early April through early May for a spring harvest and early August through early September for a fall harvest.
Pumpkins
If you're debating whether to grow pumpkins in your garden, we have just two words for you: pumpkin pie. You'll need a lot of space and a long growing season for this winter squash but we like to say, if you've got it, plant it!
When to plant: Well after danger of frost is past and the soil is between 65° and 95°F.
Cabbage
This hardy, leafy vegetable thrives with 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day so be sure to save a sunny spot in your garden if you plan to grow cabbage. Start sowing your seeds indoors for a summer harvest.
When to plant: About 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost for a summer harvest.
Carrots
Did you know carrots taste even sweeter when they're fresh from the garden? That's just one of the many reasons to start growing this colorful root vegetable at home. Carrots can be a tricky plant, but if you use mulch and remember to keep the soil well-watered during hot spells, you should have lots of luck!
When to plant: About 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost date.
Beets
This colorful root vegetable is super easy to grow from seed. Beets are a great cool-weather crop because they can endure frost and near-freezing temperatures.
When to plant: Start in early spring and make successive plantings every 2 to 3 weeks until mid-summer.
Lettuce
Gourmet greens often get icky fast in the fridge. Instead of picking them up at the store, plant your own and you can harvest some leaves right before dinner. Lettuce likes cool weather and grows well when planted as seeds. It’s also a great choice for planting in pots and window boxes because the roots are shallow. Keep the plant moist as the seeds sprout, then harvest when leaves are a few inches long. If you like variety, choose a mesclun mix which includes several different types of lettuce in one seed packet.
When to plant: Early spring or late summer for a fall harvest.
Tomatoes
You can grow heat-loving tomatoes from seed, or if you prefer, you can choose transplants, which you’ll find at local nurseries or online. Pay attention to what type you’re buying: Indeterminate types keep growing and producing until a frost, so their sprawling vines need to be staked—this means they’re not great in containers because they get top-heavy. Determinate types have fruit that ripens in a short period of time—they'll stay about three to four feet tall. Cherry tomatoes are best for beginners, and many new varieties stay nice and compact so they’re ideal for planting in containers.
When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.
Beans
Beans come in tons of varieties, and they’re prolific (plus, the more you pick, the more they produce!). Sow seeds directly in the ground because transplants don’t usually do well. Look for pole beans, which need plenty of space and a trellis to climb, or bush beans, which grow in a more compact form, so they'll work in containers. Read the seed label to find “days to maturity” so you know when to harvest specific types—you don’t want to wait too long because they’ll get tough.
When to plant: After the last frost.
Peppers
Peppers love the heat, and they grow well in beds, containers, or on sunny patios and decks. Transplants are a better choice unless you have time to start them indoors about six to eight weeks before the last frost. Most peppers need staking, so make sure you have enough space.
When to plant: After the last frost.
Herbs
Even if you only have a tiny balcony, you can still grow fresh herbs! It’s so much fun to snip off a few leaves for every meal, and it’s much cheaper than buying those pricey packages at the store. Herbs grow equally well in containers or beds. You can grow most from seed, but if you’re in a hurry, they’re not super-expensive to purchase as transplants. Better yet, some herbs, such as chives, sage, and thyme, are perennial and will return next spring.
When to plant: Mid-spring.
Cucumbers
Most cucumber types are heat-loving vines, so you'll need some space to grow them. You also can provide a cage or trellis for them to climb vertically, which will take up less room in your garden. Look for round, yellow, miniature, or compact varieties. It’s best to plant seeds directly in the ground as transplants can be fussy.
When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.
Swiss Chard
This beautiful green has long, elegant leaves with brightly-colored ribs of red, yellow, orange, or white. Swiss chard is not only delicious—it looks beautiful! It grows well from seed, so you can plant it directly in your garden. In hot climates, if you give it some afternoon shade, it will produce all the way until the first frost. In the rest of the country, you can pick the outer leaves and it will keep producing throughout the season.
When to plant: Mid-spring.
Kale
This super-food is incredibly hardy and doesn’t mind the cold one bit. In fact, many types will survive the winter and green up again in the spring. Kale does best in beds, and seeds or transplants are fine (though seeds are cheaper). If you’re tight on space, however, you can plant it in containers and harvest it as baby kale when it’s young and tender.
When to plant: Mid-spring or late summer for a fall harvest.
Summer Squash
Most squash are super easy to grow—you'll probably end up with tons to share with friends and family! Summer squash comes in a variety of sizes and types, but they mostly grow on vines that need room to spread. They do well when planted from seed or as transplants (though young plants don’t like their roots disturbed when planting, so be careful when setting them out). Bear in mind that these veggies love heat! Pick them before they get gigantic or they’ll become too seedy.
When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.
Arricca Elin SanSone is a writer, editor, and content creator who specializes in lifestyle and gardening. With a background in health reporting, she applies these same research skills when writing about the science of growing things. She trials new plants in her expansive garden, and her houseplant collection consists of 60+ varieties. Arricca has written thousands of articles for publications such as Country Living, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, VERANDA, Southern Living, and more. She’s happiest when digging in the dirt, baking, or spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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