Easiest Veggies to Grow and Lake City Home & Garden Show

This is the first in a series of blogs for beginner gardeners.
I'm frequently asked which vegetables are the easiest to grow from seed. My favorites are beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, summer squash, radishes and lettuce. These can be planted directly in the garden and are vigorous growers.

Variety Selection: Select varieties with resistance to pests and diseases found in your region. Call your local agriculture extension office for recommendations. It's fine to branch out and try a few that aren't recommended for your area too. Sometimes you'll get lucky! I like fin de bagnols, for example. These slim green bean are tender and delicious. They are recommended for northern climates, but grow fine for me in Florida.
Grow in Season: Sometimes it is fun to trick mother nature into giving you beans in December, but generally you will have more success in the garden if you grow at optimal planting times.
Sun: All of these vegetables require at least 4-6 hours of full sun. Lettuce can be grown in partial shade and will even fare better in partial shade in warm climates.
Moisture: Lightly water all the above plants on a daily basis until they have two sets of leaves. Once established, beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, and summer squash all need to receive about 1" of water a week. Radishes and lettuce require light daily waterings throughout the growing season.
Soil: Beans and peas are nitrogen fixers. They can take nitrogen from the soil and convert it for their growth needs. Other vegetables require nitrogen for steady growth. I add fish meal or kelp to my garden for a boost of essential and micro nutrients. All vegetables benefit from the addition of compost to the soil. Compost adds structure and micro-organisms to the soil.
The back of any plant packet will give you advice on sowing the seeds so I won't bore you here with this information.
It is hard to go wrong when growing beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, summer squash, radishes and lettuce. The above guidelines will give your plants a good start. Once your plants are up and growing, you'll need to be vigilant about pest control, however. More about that in my next blog.
Lake City Home & Garden Show It's this weekend! We'll be there -- inside where it is warm! Please stop by and see us.