15 Vegetable Plants You Can Direct Seed Into Your Garden: A Beginner's Guide
I'm going to share with you 15 vegetable plants that you can direct seed into your garden. Direct seeding is a great way to save effort and get your garden going quickly. Let's get started!
Peas love cool weather, and young pea plants can even tolerate frost. Plant peas four to six weeks before the last frost. Plant seeds one inch deep, spacing should be two to three inches apart and row spacing 24 inches apart. Make sure to use trellis when growing peas as they love to climb. Begin harvesting peas in two months.
Okra is very easy to grow from seed, and it does not like being transplanted. You can direct seed okra right in your garden after the weather warms up when the air temperature becomes above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Okra will germinate and it will grow tall and beautiful.
Corn is really easy to grow from seed. You can direct seed corn right into your garden after all the danger of frost is gone and the nighttime temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The seed depth should be one inch, plant spacing should be 12 inches apart, and row spacing 24 inches apart. Corn takes 10 to 14 days to germinate. Plant corn densely because corn is pollinated by the wind.
Green Beans take about two months before producing, so plant green means at least two to three months before the first frost. When starting green beans, plant the seeds one inch deep. Plant spacing should be three inches and row spacing 24 inches apart. While bush beans grow on their own, pole beans require a trellis or some sort of support structure. Start harvesting green beans just two months after planting.
Cilantro loves weather below 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so as soon as the weather cools in summer and the temperature starts to dip below 80 degrees Fahrenheit, you can start planting cilantro. Plant cilantro seeds a quarter of an inch deep, plant spacing should be 6 inches apart, and row spacing 12 inches apart. Cilantro is one of those plants that does not like to be transplanted because it develops a taproot.
Radish is a root vegetable that grows well in spring. Sow seeds two weeks before the last frost. Plant seeds of all root vegetables one quarter of an inch deep, plant spacing should be three to four inches apart. Grow spacing for all root vegetables should be 12 to 18 inches apart. Radishes are ready to harvest in one month.
Carrots can be planted two weeks before the last frost. Plant seeds one quarter of an inch deep, plant spacing should be two to three inches apart. Grow spacing for all root vegetables should be 12 to 18 inches apart. Carrots take three months to harvest.
Beets can be grown in fall and spring. Plant seeds one quarter of an inch deep, plant spacing should be three to four inches apart, and row spacing 12 to 18 inches apart. Beets take three months to harvest.
Turnips can be grown in fall and spring. Plant seeds one quarter of an inch deep, plant spacing should be three to four inches apart, and row spacing 12 to 18 inches apart. Turnips take two months to harvest.
Cucumber is another vegetable plant that is very easy to grow. Seeds should be 1 inch deep and 24 inches apart.
Spinach is a leafy green that can be grown in both the fall and spring. For spring planting, it's recommended to plant spinach seeds six weeks before the last frost date. The seeds should be planted one quarter of an inch deep with a plant spacing and row spacing of 12 inches apart. Harvest spinach as soon as it's big enough to eat, which is usually 30 to 45 days after planting.
Squash and pumpkins, including zucchini, crookneck squash, sugar pie pumpkins, and butter squash, can be grown by planting seeds directly into the garden in the spring after all danger of frost is over and nighttime temperatures are above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The seeds should be planted one inch deep with a plant spacing of 24 to 36 inches apart and a row spacing of four to six feet apart. Squash and pumpkin plants can grow huge, so make sure you have adequate space in between plants to accommodate growth. Pumpkins will take up to three to four months to harvest, while squash will start producing in just two months.
Swiss chard is another leafy green that makes a great fall vegetable. It's recommended to start growing Swiss chard about two to three months before the first frost, which is usually in August or September depending on your zone. The seeds should be planted half an inch deep with a plant spacing of 12 inches apart and a row spacing of 18 to 24 inches apart. You can start harvesting Swiss chard leaves as soon as the plant has about six to seven sets of leaves, leaving at least three to four sets of leaves if you want smaller leaves. If you want bigger and mature leaves, you can start harvesting leaves 45 to 60 days after planting.
Mustard is a great vegetable to sauté, and like spinach, it can be grown in the fall. To grow mustard, plant seeds at least two to four months before the first frost, which is anywhere from August to October. The seeds should be planted half an inch deep with a plant spacing of three inches apart and a row spacing of nine inches apart. As the mustard plants are growing, top off the flowers to encourage the plant to grow more leaves. You can start harvesting mustard leaves in about one and a half to two months after planting.
Fenugreek is a lesser-known vegetable that you can buy seeds for from an online or spice store. Before planting, soak the seeds in water for two hours. Plant the seeds half an inch deep with a plant spacing of one to three inches apart and a row spacing of 12 inches apart. After two months, the whole bed will start to fill in, and you can start harvesting fenugreek at this time. Fenugreek will keep coming back and keep producing a lot more leaves until the frost hits.
If you're looking for an easy way to grow vegetables in your garden, direct seeding is a great option. Direct seeding involves planting seeds directly into the ground instead of starting seedlings indoors and transplanting them later. Happy Gardening!