When should I start my vegetable seeds?

Count back from your last frost date. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplant go into trays 6 to 8 weeks before it, while squash and cucumbers need only 3 to 4 weeks. Peas, radishes, carrots and lettuce go straight into the ground a few weeks before the last frost.

How much sun does a vegetable garden need?

Fruiting crops such as tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers want 6 to 8 hours of direct sun. Leafy greens and most herbs manage on 4 to 6 hours, and root crops sit in between. Less sun does not stop you gardening, it changes what you plant.

What are the easiest vegetables for beginners?

Bush beans, radishes, lettuce, zucchini and cherry tomatoes. They germinate fast, forgive uneven watering and produce in one season. Start with five crops you actually eat rather than a long list.

How far apart should I plant vegetables?

Follow the seed packet, or use square foot spacing: 1 tomato or cabbage per square, 4 lettuces, 9 bush beans, 16 radishes or carrots. Crowding is the most common reason for small harvests and mildew.

How often should I water a vegetable garden?

Aim for about an inch of water a week in one or two deep soakings rather than daily sprinkles. Containers need much more, often daily in summer. Water at the base in the morning so the leaves stay dry.

How do I keep bugs off my vegetables without spray?

Cover young plants with fine mesh netting, rotate crops so pests do not build up, and leave a few flowering plants to attract predators. Hand-pick beetles and caterpillars in the evening, when they are easiest to spot.

Vegetable gardening

Grow food you actually harvest

Raised beds, square foot grids, containers and backyard plots. 115 free guides on planting, spacing, watering, and the pests that turn up anyway.

Start with the basics Something is wrong

115Vegetable guides

9Crop groups

5Tools I actually use

Start here Crop guides Small spaces Companion planting Problems Soil & feeding Gear All 128 guides

Backyard vegetable garden with raised beds full of crops

115free guides

Start here

New to growing food? Read these four first

Pick the sunniest spot you have, start smaller than you think, and improve the soil before you plant anything. Most first-year problems come from too little sun or too much ambition.

First garden

Start a backyard vegetable garden

Site, size, soil and the order to do things in.

Read the guide →

What to plant

10 plants for a first garden

Crops that forgive beginner mistakes and still produce.

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Raised beds

19 easiest raised-bed vegetables

Warmer soil, better drainage, fewer weeds.

Read the guide →

Protect it

Common pests and diseases

Spot damage early and treat it without harsh sprays.

Read the guide →

Crop guides

Guides by crop

Every vegetable guide grouped by what you are growing. Open a card for that crop’s full list.

8 guides

Tomatoes & peppers

The two crops most people start with, done properly.

21 guides

Eggplant

Heat-loving, hungry, and fussy about spacing.

See all 21 guides

24 guides

Cabbage & brassicas

Cool-season crops, plus what is safe to feed animals.

See all 24 guides

8 guides

Cucumbers

Sun, steady water, and something to climb.

See all 8 guides

6 guides

Squash, zucchini & melons

Big plants that take over if you let them.

See all 6 guides

Squash Plant Leaves Turning White? Causes and Fixes

Roots, onions & garlic 7 guides

Slow, low-fuss crops that store well after harvest.

See all 6 guides

Potato Leaves Turning Black: Causes and Fixes

Peas, beans & corn 3 guides

Climbers and heavy feeders for the back of the bed.

Herbs in the veg patch 8 guides

Flavor, pollinators and pest control in one row.

4 guides

Square foot gardening

One-foot squares, exact plant counts, far less weeding.

Small spaces

Containers, balconies and greenhouses

You can grow real food in pots. Use the biggest containers you can lift, fill them with potting mix rather than garden soil, and expect to water daily in high summer.

How to Grow Hydroponic Lettuce at Home (Step by Step)Hanging Basket Care: How to Keep Baskets Full and Blooming 20 Best Plants for Hanging Baskets (Sun and Shade Picks)How to Plant a Hanging Basket Step by Step (Beginner Guide)10 Best Vegetables for Container Gardening on Small Patios Can You Grow Vegetables on Your Balcony? Yes — Here’s How Green Roof Gardening: A Practical Backyard Guide How to Build a Small Space Edible Garden That Feeds You How To Grow Cabbage in Containers? (Step by Step Guide)How to Grow Cucumbers on Black Plastic How to Grow Squash in Containers Vertically How to Grow Vegetables in Greenhouse Year Round Small Space Vegetable Gardening How to Grow Strawberries: Planting, Care and Harvest Guide Cold-Hardy Winter Vegetables: 15 Crops You Can Grow in the Cold

Companion planting

What to plant next to what

Companion planting is mostly about space, shade and pests. Tall crops shade short ones, strong smells confuse insects, and two heavy feeders should not sit side by side.

When to Plant Vegetables: A Simple Planting Calendar Can I Plant Cucumber and Watermelon Together Safely?Can I Plant Zucchini and Eggplant Plants Together?Can You Plant Cabbage and Cauliflower Together?Can You Plant Cabbage and Peas Together?Can You Plant Cabbage and Strawberries Together?Can You Plant Cabbage Next to Asparagus?Can You Plant Eggplant and Peppers Together?Can You Plant Onions and Cabbage Together?Can You Plant Tomatoes and Eggplant Together?Can You Plant Zucchini and Cucumbers Together?Companion Planting in Square Foot Gardening What Not to Plant with Eggplant Plants?What to Plant with Eggplant in Raised Bed?

Problems

Pests, diseases and disappointing harvests

Check the undersides of the leaves first, then the soil. Yellow lower leaves usually mean water or nitrogen, holes mean insects, and white powder means poor airflow. Caught in the first week, most crops recover.

Why Are My Eggplant Leaves Drooping 9 Reasons Why Are My Eggplant Leaves Curling 9 Reasons Why Eggplants Turning Brown on the Plant Common Vegetable Garden Pests and Diseases Cucumber Plants Not Growing? 9 Fixes That Work Cucumber Stem Diseases: How to Spot and Treat Them How to Keep Bugs Out of Vegetable Garden Naturally Potato Leaves Turning Black: Causes and Fixes Squash Plant Leaves Turning White? Causes and Fixes What is Eating My Cabbage Leaves?

Soil & feeding

Soil, compost, mulch and fertilizer

Vegetables are hungry. Work compost in before planting, mulch 2 to 3 inches deep to hold moisture and block weeds, then feed fruiting crops once they start flowering.

Organic growing

Organic, sustainable and profitable gardens

Growing without synthetic sprays is mostly prevention: healthy soil, crop rotation, netting and resistant varieties. A few of these guides also cover selling what you grow.

My gear

The vegetable gardening gear I actually use

Five things that separate a patch that struggles from one that feeds you: strong starts, real support, steady water, pest protection, and knowing your soil.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability come from Amazon.

Gardzen 5-Set Seed Starter Tray Kits, Durable Plant Germination Trays with Humidity Vented Domes and Bases, Ideal for Seed Starting, Indoor Gardening, and Greenhouse (Total 200 Cells)

Seed starting trays

Starting from seed costs a fraction of buying transplants, and you get varieties no garden center stocks. The dome holds humidity until the first true leaves appear.

Check the price on Amazon →