Growing Organic Vegetables - Where to Start?

Quite naturally, when you first start your organic garden, you will want to see results as quickly as possible, and as easily as possible as well.

So, once you have worked with your soil to make sure that it is in prime condition to start growing, I have listed a few different types of vegetables that you might start with so that you can learn the art of growing organic vegetables through real experience. This will enable you to learn the basics, after which you can investigate other types of vegetables, herbs and flowers to see what else you would like to grow.

Radishes: Radishes are probably the easiest vegetable to start out with, as they grow pretty much all year round in temperate climates almost irrespective of the weather. Moreover, they grow very quickly as well, coming to edible maturity in a matter of weeks meaning that there is very little time for you to have any problems with pests and the like. The only thing that you need to do is make sure that they get plenty of water, particularly if the weather is hot, and that you thin them out if they get too dense. Otherwise, plant them and within 5-6 weeks, they will be ready for eating.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes will grow in all but the coldest climates and are pretty impervious to the soil that they are growing in as well. And as cherry tomatoes are the easiest of all to grow, this is the type of tomato that I would recommend you start with. Perhaps the easiest way of getting your tomato plant started is doing so indoors, moving them outside to the garden or to pots when the seedlings are 6 to 8 inches high. You can either stake them so that they grow reasonably upright (in which case, you should put your stakes in first to avoid damaging the roots) or you can let them ramble, it’s entirely up to you how you grow them. When they are in the garden, give your tomato plants at least 2 foot of space and make sure that you water them regularly. You only need to add liquid fertilizer when the fruits first start to appear, and you should pick them as soon as they are ripe to encourage another batch to grow.

Courgettes (zucchini): Another vegetable that is remarkably easy to grow, put three or four seeds directly into a pile of humus rich earth towards the end of spring and when the plants are around 4"-6", pull out all but the strongest shoot. You can train these to grow up a fence and this is one plant that just keeps giving and giving, with a seemingly endless supply of vegetables for your enjoyment.

Spring onions and leeks: These are also vegetables that you can start in seed trays or containers or plant into the ground where they are to grow immediately. If you do the latter, make sure that each plant is around 25 cm apart, whereas if you do the former, replant the seedlings when they are 6 inches to 8 inches high. As far as leeks are concerned, they will be ripe enough for eating once the stem is approximately 2 inches thick, whereas with your spring onions, can eat them any time you feel that they are ready. Whether you allow them to grow to a reasonable size or eat them when they are very young, it is your choice.

This is a quick snapshot of just a few vegetables which I believe are amongst the easiest to grow which makes them ideal for any new organic gardener who is just finding their feet.

There are however other vegetables which are almost as easy to grow as those listed above such as spinach, peas and beetroot that you will probably find you can grow very easily assuming that your climate is suitable for these plants.

A similar story would apply to chilli peppers and capsicums if you live somewhere warm where vegetables like these can flourish.
Love the life you live

Arabella

www.easyguidetoorganicgardening.com