5 Veggies with Which to Start an Organic Garden
These Veggies Are So Easy They Practically Grow Themselves
Jul 24, 2008 Rachel Tsoumbakos
So, you want to start your own vegetable garden, using the organic method. Some plants respond very well, others do not. These top five are the easiest of the lot.
Growing vegetables the organic way can be very easy, especially when it is a method you have used for a while. To start off though can be a bit daunting. Many times, you plant your beautiful seedlings and the very next morning there is nothing left. Without snail bait, your precious little seedlings have become a midnight snack. It is even worse with seeds. You never quite know if they germinated or not. But most likely, the snails and slugs have levelled the lot as they have raised their heads from the soil. While the following plants are all still prone to be eaten by snails and slugs, they are a lot hardier. Some will even appear to rise from the dead.
- Silver beet or Swiss Chard - this plant is one that is rarely found in supermarkets these days. Spinach instead is all the rage. Silver beet is a much better vegetable for the home gardener. It can be picked leaf by leaf and will go on producing for most of the year or longer if you are careful or your growing conditions are favourable. The easiest way to start with this vegetable is to plant some seedlings. They can be planted all year round, but tend to go to seed once the weather warms up. If you cut the plant back when this occurs, it should stop the process. Be wary of how many seedlings you plant though - six plants will supply not only supply you and your extended family, but the neighbours as well.
- Squash - This is by far the easiest vegetable to grow. If you have ever thrown out the seeds into your compost bin, then chances are you will have squashes growing this summer. That is if your compost bin is not hot enough to do its job correctly. Most saved seeds will sprout, but it is better to buy non-hybrid, open pollinated seeds to guarantee success. Plant the seeds in spring and wait. By summer, your garden will most likely be overtaken by this rampant plant.
- Peas - these vines are best planted from seed. But they are prone to some snail attacks this way. If you are transplanting seedlings, it is best to provide some sort of a barrier for the first week. The reason that snails love newly transplanted seedlings so much is because they can smell transplant shock. A week is ample time for the plant to settle in to its new environment. These plants are sown as the weather cools down. They are not affected by frost at all. As with many winter vegetables, the frost will actually sweeten the flavour of the peas. This is because the frost triggers a reaction within the plant that then converts the carbohydrate or starch into sugar.
- Potatoes - This is yet another super easy plant. Either use seed potatoes to start with, or throw your peelings out with the compost. They do not like the frost though. So planting them in spring, once the frosts have passed, is advisable.
- Tomatoes - These plants take a bit more care to get established in your garden. But they are well worth it. Most people start their vegetable patch because they remember the taste of tomatoes from before they were bred to withstand the supermarket environment. If you want to avoid a snail invasion, then plant only established plants - the bigger the better. They need to be planted well after any chance of frost as they will turn their toes up at the cold.
The copyright of the article 5 Veggies with Which to Start an Organic Garden in Organic Gardens is owned by Rachel Tsoumbakos. Permission to republish 5 Veggies with Which to Start an Organic Garden in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
These veggies can all be grown at home organically
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