Home » Misc » What to plant in a garden

What to plant in a garden


15 Best Vegetables to Grow

fotolinchenGetty Images

Fresh vegetables are never better than when they're harvested right from your own backyard. Juicy tomatoes, snappy green beans, and crisp cucumbers are just some of the best vegetables to grow in your garden this year. Best of all, you don’t need a huge yard to learn how to start a vegetable garden! Containers on your patio, deck, or balcony are great homes for your plants too. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can even grow seeds indoors a month or two before you plan on planting them in the ground to get a head start.

To get the best harvest possible, you'll want to make sure your garden or pots receive eights hours of direct sunlight, or they won’t produce. Also, remember that some plants like different temperatures! Peas, for instance, like chilly weather and can be planted in early spring. But if you're wondering how to grow tomatoes, these heat lovers can’t be set out until after the last frost. (If you’re not sure when that is, check with your local university coop extension service so you won’t put your young plants out too soon!) And if you’re growing plants such as squash, which need pollinators to form fruit, don’t forget to plant some flowers too. There are plenty of spring flowers and even edible flowers to add to your garden!

Now, pull on your gardening gloves and break out your gardening tools for these easy vegetables to grow.

Natasha KGetty Images

1 of 15

Lettuce

Gourmet greens often get icky fast in the fridge. Instead of picking them up at the store, plant your own and you can harvest some leaves right before dinner. Lettuce likes cool weather and grows well when planted as seeds. It’s also a great choice for planting in pots and window boxes because the roots are shallow. Keep the plant moist as the seeds sprout, then harvest when leaves are a few inches long. If you like variety, choose a mesclun mix which includes several different types of lettuce in one seed packet.

When to plant: Early spring or late summer for a fall harvest.

SHOP NOW

P A ThompsonGetty Images

2 of 15

Tomatoes

You can grow heat-loving tomatoes from seed, or if you prefer, you can choose transplants, which you’ll find at local nurseries or online. Pay attention to what type you’re buying: Indeterminate types keep growing and producing until a frost, so their sprawling vines need to be staked—this means they’re not great in containers because they get top-heavy. Determinate types have fruit that ripens in a short period of time—they'll stay about three to four feet tall. Cherry tomatoes are best for beginners, and many new varieties stay nice and compact so they’re ideal for planting in containers.

When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.

SHOP NOW

John BlockGetty Images

3 of 15

Beans

Beans come in tons of varieties, and they’re prolific (plus, the more you pick, the more they produce!). Sow seeds directly in the ground because transplants don’t usually do well. Look for pole beans, which need plenty of space and a trellis to climb, or bush beans, which grow in a more compact form, so they'll work in containers. Read the seed label to find “days to maturity” so you know when to harvest specific types—you don’t want to wait too long because they’ll get tough.

When to plant: After the last frost.

SHOP NOW

Geri LavrovGetty Images

4 of 15

Peppers

Peppers love the heat, and they grow well in beds, containers, or on sunny patios and decks. Transplants are a better choice unless you have time to start them indoors about six to eight weeks before the last frost. Most peppers need staking, so make sure you have enough space.

When to plant: After the last frost.

SHOP NOW

johnnyscrivGetty Images

5 of 15

Strawberries

Even though strawberries aren't a vegetable, you'll want to plant them in your garden too! Strawberries are a perennial crop, so they’ll come back year after year. Make sure the type you buy is suited to your USDA Hardiness Zone and is considered ever-bearing, meaning it will produce fruit all summer long. Strawberries are a great choice for containers. There also are new compact, thornless varieties of raspberries and blueberries, which are small shrubs that keep a nice, tidy shape yet yield tons of fruit. Berries are easiest to grow when they're from transplants.

When to plant: Early spring.

SHOP NOW

FlowerphotosGetty Images

6 of 15

Herbs

Even if you only have a tiny balcony, you can still grow fresh herbs! It’s so much fun to snip off a few leaves for every meal, and it’s much cheaper than buying those pricey packages at the store. Herbs grow equally well in containers or beds. You can grow most from seed, but if you’re in a hurry, they’re not super-expensive to purchase as transplants. Better yet, some herbs, such as chives, sage, and thyme, are perennial and will return next spring.

When to plant: Mid-spring.

SHOP NOW

VostokGetty Images

7 of 15

Cucumbers

Most cucumber types are heat-loving vines, so you'll need some space to grow them. You also can provide a cage or trellis for them to climb vertically, which will take up less room in your garden. Look for round, yellow, miniature, or compact varieties. It’s best to plant seeds directly in the ground as transplants can be fussy.

When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.

SHOP NOW

mgturnerGetty Images

8 of 15

Swiss Chard

This beautiful green has long, elegant leaves with brightly-colored ribs of red, yellow, orange, or white. Swiss chard is not only delicious—it looks beautiful! It grows well from seed, so you can plant it directly in your garden. In hot climates, if you give it some afternoon shade, it will produce all the way until the first frost. In the rest of the country, you can pick the outer leaves and it will keep producing throughout the season.

When to plant: Mid-spring.

SHOP NOW

Jacky Parker PhotographyGetty Images

9 of 15

Kale

This super-food is incredibly hardy and doesn’t mind the cold one bit. In fact, many types will survive the winter and green up again in the spring. Kale does best in beds, and seeds or transplants are fine (though seeds are cheaper). If you’re tight on space, however, you can plant it in containers and harvest it as baby kale when it’s young and tender.

When to plant: Mid-spring or late summer for a fall harvest.

SHOP NOW

mikroman6Getty Images

10 of 15

Summer Squash

Most squash are super easy to grow—you'll probably end up with tons to share with friends and family! Summer squash comes in a variety of sizes and types, but they mostly grow on vines that need room to spread. They do well when planted from seed or as transplants (though young plants don’t like their roots disturbed when planting, so be careful when setting them out). Bear in mind that these veggies love heat! Pick them before they get gigantic or they’ll become too seedy.

When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.

SHOP NOW

VostokGetty Images

11 of 15

Eggplant

Eggplant is a heat lover, and newer types are more compact and bushy so they can be planted in containers or beds. Look for fun varieties that produce long, slender, or even ball-shaped eggplants. Keep in mind that most need will need staking. It’s best to use transplants unless you’ve started these indoors about eight weeks beforfe the last frost.

When to plant: After all danger of frost is past.

SHOP NOW

Barbara RichGetty Images

12 of 15

Peas

Peas prefer chilly weather, so if you get peas in the ground too late, they’ll often grow but won't produce. As soon as the ground can be worked, it’s fine to plant pea seeds. Give them something to climb, and plant successive rows so you’ll be able to harvest them for a few weeks before it gets too hot and the plants fade. And one last tip: After you yank out the spent peas, plant a different crop in that space to finish out the growing season.

When to plant: Early spring.

SHOP NOW

Mattia Biondi / EyeEmGetty Images

13 of 15

Spinach

Spinach is another cool weather lover, so plant these seeds as soon as the ground can be worked—they don't even mind light frost! But don’t procrastinate: If you sow it too late in the season, it will “bolt” or go to seed in a hurry. If you live in a hot climate, look for more heat-resistant varieties. Pinch off baby leaves from the outside, or let it mature to use for sautéing or in salads.

When to plant: Early spring.

SHOP NOW

ZenShui/Sigrid OlssonGetty Images

14 of 15

Garlic

You won’t believe how easy garlic is to grow until you try it! It’s one of the first things to pop up in early spring. There are two basic types. First is softneck, which consists of many cloves and stores longer. The second is hardneck, which produces curly “scapes” you can harvest in late spring, then bulbs in mid-summer. Plant individual cloves of bulbs in the ground with the pointy-side up in fall. By late spring or early summer of the following year, it’ll be ready to harvest when the greenery has turned yellow and flopped over.

When to plant: Mid to late fall before the ground freezes.

SHOP NOW

PhotoAlto/Frederic CirouGetty Images

15 of 15

Scallions

Scallions, or bunching onions, are easy to grow from seed or bulbs (also known as “sets"), which you can expect to mature more quickly. These do better in the ground than in containers. Make sure to plant them a few inches apart to give the bulbs room to form.

When to plant: Early spring.

SHOP NOW

Top 20 Garden Vegetables to Grow

Top 20 veggies? You might be thinking you’re doing well to grow 5 different kinds (and you are!), but sometimes it’s good to mix things up a bit and try something new. I always recommend starting out slowly when you’re a new vegetable gardener, then adding one or two new ones to try every year. So here are our votes for the top 20 garden vegetables to grow in your garden — and why we recommend them. It all boils down to “healthy and delicious,” but you decide for yourself!

LEAFY GREENS

  1. Greens: This is a wide group of veggies including mustard greens, collard greens, and turnip greens. These easy-to-grow greens are loaded with Vitamins K, A, and C, manganese, fiber, and calcium, as well as a host of other vitamins and minerals. They’re best steamed but beware of over-cooking them, as they’ll release an unpleasant sulfur smell.
  2. Lettuce: Lettuce is very low-calorie while providing a ton of valuable nutrients including Vitamins A, K, and C, B-carotene, folate, iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Grow butterhead, Romaine, Chinese, and loose-leaf types like red and green leaf lettuces.
  3. Spinach: High in Vitamins A, C, E, and K, protein, thiamin, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. I love throwing them into smoothies for a green kick and adding them into my salads with sliced mushrooms and tomatoes.
  4. Kale: Long hailed as a superfood, kale is high in fiber, an array of Vitamins A, C, and K, folate, calcium, antioxidants, and iron. Juice with it or toss a handful into your smoothie, make salads or sautee as a side.
  5. Swiss Chard: Swiss chard is every bit as beautiful as it is healthy, and I do love it when plants serve a dual purpose. Their bright yellow, orange, and red stalks are topped with leafy growth that is an excellent source of Vitamins A, K, and C, dietary fiber, iron, potassium, and magnesium.
  6. Cabbage: Ideal for soups, salads, snacking, salads, slaws, and stir-fries, cabbage earns its keep in both the garden and the kitchen. And it’s so good for you that you will want to dedicate a spot in your yard to grow your own cabbage patch. Cabbage is packed with Vitamins C, K, B2, B6, fiber, manganese, folate, copper, choline, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, selenium, iron, protein, and niacin.

ROOT VEGETABLES

  1. Potatoes: I was surprised to learn that potatoes are the #1 vegetable crop in the world, but I shouldn’t have been, considering the wide variety of ways you can use them and how nutritious they are. Potatoes are a good source of Vitamins B6 and C, potassium, copper, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, phytonutrients, and dietary fiber. Bake, boil, or roast them, and to enjoy the potato’s health benefits, avoid frying them or loading up with cheese, butter, and bacon bits.
  2. Radishes: I think radishes get very overlooked in the health department. These tiny root vegetables pack great amounts of copper, Vitamin B6, magnesium, manganese, calcium, and fiber. Add them to a salad or pair them with hummus for a nutritious snack.
  3. Carrots: Who doesn’t love carrots? Salads, soups, stews, and juices all benefit from this tasty and healthy root vegetable. They are mostly high in fiber and beta-carotene, but are also a good source of antioxidants, Vitamins A, C, K, and B6, as well as folate, iron, copper, and manganese.
  4. Beets: This brightly colored root veggie is a favorite for pickling, juicing, and roasting, and it offers up some amazing nutrients like folate, Vitamin B6, and manganese, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
  5. Garlic: Although it’s hardly ever eaten on its own, garlic qualifies as a root vegetable rather than a spice or an herb. Probably our most popular flavoring for nearly any dish, garlic packs a punch with Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, folate, Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, and zinc. All that in a tiny bulb!

Best Vegetables to Grow in Your Garden

In this video, Birjette, a local organic seed grower from San Diego Seed Company shows us some of her favorite vegetables to plant and grow in the garden.

Whether your garden is big or small make the most of your space with these tips, and watch the full Best Vegetables To Plant In Your Garden video on the Kellogg Garden Youtube Channel.

VEGETABLES THAT ARE FRUIT

  1. Tomatoes: Tomatoes are undoubtedly America’s favorite veggie to grow. (Well, it’s actually a fruit, but we won’t split hairs today.) Aside from all the tasty things you can do with tomatoes — salads, juicing, preserving, sauces, condiments — they are packed with nutrition including Vitamins A, C, K, and B6, folate, and potassium.
  2. Zucchini: Another super easy veggie to grow, zucchini contains Vitamins A, B1, B6, and B2, magnesium, folate, potassium, copper, calcium, and phosphorus. Oh, and zinc, niacin, and protein. Use zucchini in soups and stews, sautéed as a side, in baked goods, and as a lower carb banana substitute in smoothies.
  3. Beans: Incredible sources of protein, beans are also high in complex carbs, fiber, antioxidants, copper, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc. Try growing snap beans, lima beans, navy beans, and black-eyed peas.
  4. Peppers: Growing any kind of pepper is fun (hello, salsa!) but if you really want to dial into health, go for the bell peppers, with the darker red varieties being the most nutritious. They are excellent sources of Vitamins A, C, B6, B2, and E, as well as dietary fiber, folate, niacin, and potassium. Eat them raw with hummus, incorporate them into your favorite salsa recipe, or throw them into stir-fries.
  5. Pumpkins: I ask you, is there anything more fun than growing pumpkins? They’re not only delicious for baking, but fun to use in seasonal décor, both in the home and in the garden. Pumpkins are high in fiber, potassium, and Vitamin C as well as antioxidants.

Kellogg Garden Organics

All Natural Garden Soil

Learn More

Product Locator by Locally

**Product not available in AZ, CA, HI, NV, UT. For a comparable product in these states click here.

MORE VEGGIES

  1. Okra: We don’t often think of okra has a health food, but it’s surprisingly high in Vitamins B and C, potassium, folic acid, calcium, and dietary fiber. New research shows that it can help manage blood sugar in people with diabetes. Who knew? Use it in gumbo, soups, and stews.
  2. Broccoli: Raw or cooked, broccoli is an indispensable veggie in salads, stir-fries, side dishes, and raw food snacking. And it’s high in nearly everything a veggie can be high in — Vitamins A, E, B1, and B6, potassium, copper, calcium, niacin, iron, protein, dietary fiber, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, manganese, and choline.
  3. Cauliflower: If broccoli is the King of Cruciferous Veggies, cauliflower is the Queen. High in Vitamins C, K, and B6, as well as phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, fiber, potassium, folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, and protein (whew!), cauliflower is definitely a worthy addition to the veggie garden.
  4. Brussels Sprouts: Now while Brussels sprouts often don’t top the favorite foods list for many people, they are actually delicious and good for you. Looking to increase your Vitamins C, K, B1, and B6? How about folate, copper, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, fiber, choline, and omega-3 fatty acids? Brussels sprouts are your man, er, veggie!

Share The Garden Love

14 amazingly beautiful plants worth planting in the garden

If you want your garden to bloom and smell fragrant all summer, plant these beautiful plants in it. Compliments from neighbors and guests are guaranteed!

Refined and showy, elegant and bright, these plants deserve to be in your garden.

Introducing the top most spectacular ornamental plants, according to the editors of Ogorod.ru.

Asian lilies

Lilies are the main "stars" of the summer garden. Fragrant, spectacular, elegant, they cause genuine admiration. The most popular type of lily among flower growers is Asian hybrids.

They are incredibly beautiful, amaze with a rich variety of colors, and at the same time they are very unpretentious and able to winter even at -40°C. You have not yet made sure that your flower garden urgently needs a couple of beautiful lilies? Just take a look at our selection of the 9 best Asian lily varieties and your doubts will be dispelled in no time!

Ampelous petunias

The first ampelous petunias were bred in England 200 years ago, and since then these charming flowers have not left European gardens. Fragrant petunias have several ampelous varieties: surfinia, fortunia, supertunia. Read our classification of types and varieties of ampelous petunias to choose a flower to your taste.

Heuchera

Heuchera is an amazing plant that can transform the most boring, shaded corner of the garden. The main pride of this plant is the leaves of the most incredible color. In geyhera, they are bright red, purple, dark purple and even silver. In a word, you can pick up a beautiful bush of almost any color. Interested? Take note of our selection of beautiful varieties of geyhera.

Hydrangeas

Hydrangea can be called a symbol of the European garden. This ornamental shrub is loved by both gardeners and florists. And well deserved! Luxurious, large hydrangea inflorescences just ask for a flower arrangement.

Unfortunately, hydrangea is a finicky “girl”, loves to soak up the warm rays of the sun and is afraid of frost. But this does not matter, because we have prepared an overview of all types and varieties of hydrangeas that are suitable for growing in the middle lane.

Tree peonies

At the beginning of summer, the fragrance of herbaceous peonies spreads in flowering gardens, but their tree-like "brothers" for some reason remain in the shade. And very in vain! The shrubs of this particular group can boast the most unusual colors: maroon with a black tint, lemon with white stripes, salmon.

Admiring the incomparable appearance of these ornamental shrubs, we have compiled the top 9 fantastically beautiful tree peony varieties that should definitely become regulars in your flower gardens next year.

Honeysuckle

Curly honeysuckle is one of the most delightful perennial vines you can grow in your garden. During flowering, they are strewn with bright flowers of elegant shape and fill the entire garden with their sweetish aroma, which attracts a huge number of bees and butterflies. What honeysuckle do you like: honeysuckle, Japanese, Serotina, Telman, Brown? Read more about the features of each type of curly honeysuckle in our material.

Clematis

Oh, those clematis! Flower growers cannot agree on the emphasis on the name of this vine, but they are unanimous in one thing - clematis are luxurious and delightful.

There are so many varieties of clematis with different colors of flowers that it is easy to choose something special for your garden. The main thing is to arrange the vine correctly and according to all the rules. Our article on clematis in landscape design will help you with this.

Beautiful fruit

Krasivoplodnik (or callicarpa) is perhaps the most unusual plant on this list. The fact is that, unlike most ornamental shrubs, it attracts attention in late autumn. All thanks to the fruits of incredible shades: purple, lilac, purple. On bare brown branches, they look like bright beads strung on a thread.

Find out more about growing and different types of this amazing shrub in our article.

Magnolia

In the early 30s of the last century, Alexander Vertinsky sang "tropical azure magnolia", a few decades later, VIA "Ariel" sang about how "the sea splashes in the land of magnolias". But don't be put off by the fact that this luxurious ornamental tree has become a symbol of the hot tropics. With due ingenuity, magnolia can be grown in the middle lane and, moreover, quite successfully. Arm yourself with our tips - and you will succeed!

Ranunculus

Ranunculus is a favorite of florists and decorators. Bouquets and compositions from this Asian buttercup can be called a real squeak of floral fashion. Ranunculus is gentle, charming, romantic. Its color scheme excites the imagination.

Of course, the easiest way to grow this flower is in containers - in case of frost, you can always move the pot into the house. But we are not looking for easy ways - why not try to grow ranunculus in the open field?

Roses

Roses… How much has been said about them. Roses need no introduction. This is without exaggeration the most popular garden flower. Florists, poets, artists have been inspired by its delicate aroma and luxurious flowers for more than one century.

The rose is admired regardless of the type: scrubs, floribunda, hybrid tea, bush and climbing - they are all good. It is not easy to choose one flower from a huge assortment, and roses bloom mostly for a short time and once, so we offer 9 in our selectionthe best varieties of roses that bloom all summer long, so that you can enjoy their tenderness and fragrance tirelessly.

Tulips Multiflora

Multi-flowered tulips are not hardy. Yes, they require care. Yes, they degenerate quickly. Yes, they love abundant watering and no less generous top dressing. But all these little whims are more than redeemed by the stunning beauty of these flowers.

In our article we have collected the most useful information about the various varieties and features of growing tulips Multiflora.

Forsythia

Forsythia is the first messenger of spring, the younger sister of the spring sun. In April, her bushes literally explode with cheerful lemon "confetti". Yellow flowers appear on the branches before the leaves and adorn the still gray garden that has not come to life after winter.

Flower growers grow 6 types of forsythia: European, medium, hanging, greenest, egg-shaped, Giralda. Which one will you plant in your garden?

Hosts

It is difficult to imagine a stronger, more unpretentious and at the same time elegant ornamental plant than a hosta. She feels great in the shady corners of the garden, so it is the best suited for planting under the canopy of fruit trees and shrubs.

The color scheme of its leaves covers a wide variety of shades of green: light green, jade, gray, malachite, coniferous ... The leaves are with and without stripes, heart-shaped and round. In a word, you will not get bored with the hosts!

Be sure to check out our selection of the best hostas to plant in 2016.

Which of these plants do you grow? Be sure to share your photos on our forum!

What to plant in the garden: a list of popular vegetables, fruits and berries

After buying a summer cottage, the question immediately arises of what to plant in your garden. However, you should not rush into choosing a crop, first you need to decide what exactly you want to grow and answer a few simple questions for yourself.

It is best to plan the site in advance on a large sheet of paper, and only then start working. Issues of water supply, quality drainage and soil are also important, however, if your site does not have access to direct sunlight, some crops will have to be abandoned.

Not many people know, but some cultivated plants can be planted in flowerpots or even pots. Some of them will bring not only fruits, but will also become a decoration of the house, due to their decorative effect. You can order indoor plants, as well as flowers in Ternopil online, without leaving your home or office.

Planting planning

Planning is very important, especially for the beginner gardener. Do not limit yourself to approximate sizes and rely on intuition. It is best to use a tape measure to make accurate measurements and draw the data obtained on an A3 sheet. Do not forget to measure all the buildings that already exist and are only planned. Carefully measure your gazebo, compost site, vegetable garden, home (if any), seating area, or barbecue. Make measurements and make several copies of the resulting plan. Choose well-lit and more shady areas, make appropriate notes on the plan. Allocate a large number of places for greenhouses or hotbeds and do not forget about the paths. Designate a water source.

What crops need beds

There are two important rules to remember before planting crops. First, some cultures do not get along well with each other. And secondly, do not plant the same crops in the same place every year. This can negatively affect their quality. There are some cultures that take root well without a garden bed. For example, dill seeds can simply be scattered around the site, and beans, radishes, beets and turnips can grow without beds. Raspberries can be planted next to fruit trees along the fence or set aside a special area for them - raspberries. However, remember that no other fruits or vegetables can be planted under a raspberry bush. Now let's look at which crops need beds, and also dwell on the compatibility of different crops.

Cucumbers . They grow well near potatoes, cabbage, beets and peas. Every year you need to look for a new place for these healthy vegetables.

Potato . Root vegetables, cabbage and the same cucumbers grow well with this perennial, but you should stay away from tomatoes because of common pests and diseases. Do not forget that potatoes, like love, live only three years, and then it is better to transplant them to another place.

Tomatoes . It is best to plant tomatoes with cauliflower and white cabbage, onions and legumes. If you are going to plant this crop every year, take care of the soil, as after 2-3 years of use it becomes too acidic. To avoid this, add some lime to the soil and dig deep into the soil.

Bow . In one place it is better not to plant more than 3 years in a row. It takes root well in soil rich in organic fertilizers or, if you plant onions in place of potatoes, tomatoes or cabbage. Sunlight and loose soil are critical for this plant. In clayey and heavy soil, the harvest will be poor, if at all.

Garlic . It is best to choose spring varieties of garlic, for example, "Gulliver". They give a good harvest and are easy to care for. The main thing is not to grow this crop in one place for more than 2 years, otherwise there is a possibility of soil contamination with a nematode.

Carrot . Sow immediately after early potatoes and cabbage. It will not be a mistake to place carrots immediately after tomato or peas.

Strawberry . The best predecessors are radishes, lettuce, celery, mustard and flowers (tulips, irises). They are usually planted in May in the sunniest place and, preferably, on a cloudy day.

Strawberry . Radishes, beans and parsley are suitable as a precursor for this delicious berry. Categorically not suitable cucumbers, tomatoes, all types of ranunculus and sunflowers. Strawberry transplantation is usually carried out in spring and autumn. There will be no berry transplantation in the year, so it is usually carried out in the fall. By the time of flowering, the root will have time to get stronger, and the strawberry will have time to adapt to new conditions.

In addition to these crops, you can grow radishes, pumpkins, beets, beans, corn and squash in the garden.

Selecting a location for each crop

Even in large farms, there is often not enough space or time to plant all the plants. In small summer cottages, there is even less free space. I want to plant tomatoes and potatoes, install a greenhouse and make a vineyard, but often you have to prioritize and choose. If you plant only one crop in the garden, then the soil will be depleted, and pathogens of various diseases will become a real threat to the site.

That is why experienced gardeners came up with the concept of crop rotation, that is, the alternation of different crops in the soil. In small areas, a full-fledged crop rotation is impossible, but at least a fruit change is necessary (when a crop is grown in one place for no more than 2-3 years). All crops are divided into several conditional groups: pumpkin (cucumber, zucchini, squash), tomato (pepper, eggplant, tomato) and cabbage (headed, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.).

Decide on size and location before changing crops, then vary every 3-4 years. It is important that cultures return to “their” original place. It is for this that copies of the plan, drawn up in advance, are needed in order to return the cabbage to the soil, which has recently been freed from potatoes. If everything is done correctly, your cultures will not change, unlike their location. This rotation will keep your garden healthy and allow you to get the maximum yield each year. If you plant exclusively a monoculture on your site, for example, potatoes, then for the health of the soil, plant intermediate crops (green manure) in parallel and plow them into green manure (for example, cereals, beans, peas, barley).

In the text above, we indicated with which plants popular crops have the maximum synergy. For a garden entirely consisting of green crops, alternate lettuce, dill, radish, basil and parsley. In a perennial ornamental garden, alternation is generally recommended once every 5 years. Crop rotation is convenient because plants receive natural protection from pests, grow well and do not deplete the soil, but supplement it with their alternation.

List of crops that can be planted in a summer cottage

With the advent of spring, many summer residents think about what crops to plant in their area. Of course, it is necessary to build on personal preferences and family preferences. But it is also necessary to choose the right neighbors for vegetables and fruits and distribute them over the site in order to reap a good harvest and not deplete the soil.

Vegetables

Vegetable plants are one of the most popular crops among summer residents. They are quite easy to grow, conveniently located, so at the end we get cheap and natural products from our own farm. We bring to your attention a list of the most popular vegetables that you can easily grow in your country house.

How to Arrange Vegetables

The conventional wisdom is to arrange the beds from north to south using a compass. It is important to monitor the location of the sun at dawn so that the rays can warm the plants and high plantings do not obscure the low ones in the morning. It is the morning sun that is considered the most favorable and productive in terms of photosynthesis for plants.

  1. Make the beds the same length and width
  2. North-south ridges are good for low plants and level ground with good drainage.
  3. Plant priority vegetables on the south, sunny side of uneven ground to get a good harvest.
  4. One, maximum 2 acres of land is enough for a family for vegetables.
  5. If the site has a slope, it would be most reasonable to first level it a little, adding earth, and plantings should be placed horizontally to maximize the use of moisture.
What vegetables can be planted under trees (in the shade)

Fruit

Berries

What is best to plant in the garden in spring and after frost

Curly cabbage . The vegetable can withstand temperatures down to minus 20 and is ideal for growing in early spring.

Radish . Radish seeds begin their growth already at +2 degrees. At too high temperatures, the radish becomes coarse and bitter, for him the cold is his best friend.

Carrot . Unpretentious cold-resistant culture, which is usually sown in late April. Seeds germinate well even at +4 degrees.

Turnip . The seeds of the legendary plant sprout even at sub-zero temperatures.

Arugula . This plant is often used in Mediterranean cuisine. You can plant seeds even in autumn, arugula does not die in sub-zero temperatures and frosts.

Spinach . Sailor Papaya's favorite delicacy is a very healthy and tasty plant. It begins to grow even in a slight minus, and the seedlings calmly tolerate frosts down to -15 degrees.

Peas . It grows rapidly in soil warmed up to 7 degrees. In addition, it revitalizes the soil and synergizes well with many plants.

Parsley . A very useful and tasty plant that grows quietly in the shade and does not pay attention to temperature changes.

Beets . It grows at +4 degrees and does not require special care or heat. After the appearance of the first leaves, the beets do not seem to notice any temperature changes (except for the very extreme ones).

Potato . The second bread for our people reacts quite calmly to frost and temperature changes. Tubers are planted in soil that has warmed up to +7 degrees. The largest crops are obtained in moderately warm temperatures, but even in a cold winter, the crop can remain alive, there will simply be fewer potatoes, and the fruits will be worse.

Celery . The plant grows for a very long time (up to 120 days) and is often bred using seedlings. Celery shoots survive at -5 degrees, but die in severe frosts. Based on this, calculate the time and place of planting a useful plant.

Lettuce . Only in appearance this plant looks like a gentle and thermophilic guest from other countries. Lettuce can withstand even -6 degrees and grows quickly in the shade. True, the payback for this is inedible and bitter leaves after harvest.

Rutabaga . The closest relative of the turnip sprouts in a few days even at 7-10 degrees and withstands slight frosts.

What is good for planting in summer

Shrubs and fruit-bearing trees - pears, cherries, apples, currants or raspberries are best planted in summer. These crops are the best choice for summer residents who appear on the site only in the summer, and even then, on weekends. When planting, it is advisable to fertilize the soil well so as not to let the plants wither and not deplete the soil. Also, look carefully at the site plan so that the roots of large trees do not interfere with other plants on the site. In addition, the bushes will form a beautiful hedge that will protect against noise and curious neighbors.

Melons . Watermelons and melons are not the most common choice for the site, but if you perceive the cottage as a hobby, then why not. They grow well without much human intervention, the only thing is to carefully monitor pests and beware of thieves.

Corn . Seedlings will make excellent cobs, and homemade corn tastes much better than store-bought.

Learn more