Summer salad vegetables are some of the easiest almost foolproof vegetables to grow. They are tasty and good for you as well as cheap to buy! Here are 5 easy vegetables to grow in your garden.
Lettuce
Seedling lettuces are economical and can last a long time in the garden. Seed packets have an abundance of seeds and germinate readily, and you will end up with far more lettuce than you need.
Plant out 4-6 plants and plant a few more a few weeks later. Most lettuce varieties can be picked as you need them.
Plant out seedlings closer than recommended and continue picking as you need leaves. Be aware that as they age they can become bitter if this happens, plant more seedlings.
Tomatoes
Tomato plants are readily available in a wide range of sizes and colours. Choose a few to plant and decide where you will put them in the garden.
Most tomatoes do not require elaborate staking and can just be left to do their own thing in the garden.
Tomatoes like a lot of water, so keep an eye on the soil moisture and water daily in hot weather.
Tomatoes can be prone to a few diseases, to cut down on problems, water the soil and not the leaves and mulch the base of the plant. You will be rewarded with ample tomatoes for salad and even tomato sauce.
Courgettes
Courgettes make very fuss-free bushes. Plant out a few seedlings and you will be hunting out recipes for your glut of courgettes.
There are a few varieties you can plant, but the most trouble-free is the green-skinned varieties. Add plenty of compost and mulch the seedlings when you plant them.
As with tomatoes, try not to water the leaves or leave them wet overnight as mildew can become a problem. They can go from finger-sized to almost marrow-sized in a few days, so careful harvesting daily is the best way to keep on top of them.
Bush beans
Carefree and mostly pest and disease-free, beans make a great addition to the summer garden. Beans are best planted from seed.
Soak the seeds for a few hours, then plant them out in rows, they should germinate in a few days. Daily picking will help to prolong the production from the plant.
Planting out a few rows every few weeks will extend the harvesting of your beans.
Radishes
A great summer vegetable from the garden. Sprinkle some Radish seeds from the packet onto finely tilled soil, and in a few days they will have germinated, and in a few more weeks you will be enjoying tangy radishes.
When sowing, try to space the seeds out well or you will need to do a lot of thinning when they germinate. Try to harvest your radishes when they are young to enjoy the best flavour.
Inspired to grow some veg? You can get a bumper pack of 21 varieties from Amazon for a great price!
Final Word
Growing your vegetables can help with budgeting by cutting down those supermarket bills and what’s more, homegrown produce tastes so much better! Sowing from seed is cheaper than growing seedlings. Start small and try vegetables that are easy to grow and enjoy your garden!
