Vegetable Garden Care Guide

Arugula

Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa · Vegetables & herbs

A leafy vegetable with a sharp flavor that is ready to harvest in 3-4 weeks. It also grows in pots; in heat it turns bitter and bolts.

Beetroot

Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris · Vegetables & herbs

An easy-to-grow root vegetable whose roots and young leaves are eaten. Each "seed" is actually a cluster containing several seeds, so thinning is necessary.

Broccoli

Brassica oleracea var. italica · Vegetables & herbs

A cool-season vegetable whose flower buds are eaten. After the main head is cut, it keeps producing small heads from the side shoots.

Cabbage

Brassica oleracea var. capitata · Vegetables & herbs

A hardy, cool-season vegetable that forms tight heads. Seedlings are prepared in summer, planted out in autumn and harvested throughout winter.

Carrot

Daucus carota subsp. sativus · Vegetables & herbs

A root vegetable that needs deep, stone-free, loose soil. Fresh manure or stony soil causes the roots to fork.

Cauliflower

Brassica oleracea var. botrytis · Vegetables & herbs

A cool-season vegetable grown for its white, compact flower head (curd). It is the fussiest of the cabbage family; the head stays small if water or nutrients are lacking.

Coriander

Coriandrum sativum · Vegetables & herbs

An annual kitchen herb whose leaves and seeds are used. It gives plenty of leaves in cool weather; in heat it quickly runs to flower.

Cucumber

Cucumis sativus · Vegetables & herbs

A fast-growing, climbing warm-season vegetable. It needs plenty of regular water; the fruit of a plant that goes without water turns bitter.

Dill

Anethum graveolens · Vegetables & herbs

A fragrant, fine-leaved annual kitchen herb. It dislikes transplanting and should be sown where it will grow. It flowers quickly in heat.

Eggplant

Solanum melongena · Vegetables & herbs

One of the most heat-loving vegetables. It needs a long, hot summer to develop; yield drops in cool regions.

Fava Bean

Vicia faba · Vegetables & herbs

A hardy legume sown in autumn and harvested in spring. It adds nitrogen to the soil and is a good preceding crop for vegetables sown afterward.

Garlic

Allium sativum · Vegetables & herbs

A very hardy bulb vegetable whose cloves are planted in autumn and harvested in summer. Winter cold is necessary for it to form bulbs.

Globe Artichoke

Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus · Vegetables & herbs

A perennial vegetable with gray-silvery leaves whose flower buds are eaten. It yields for 4-5 years in the same spot; it goes dormant in summer heat and regrows in autumn.

Green Bean

Phaseolus vulgaris · Vegetables & herbs

An easy-to-grow legume that fixes nitrogen from the air into the soil. Pole varieties need support; bush (dwarf) varieties grow without it.

Lettuce

Lactuca sativa · Vegetables & herbs

A fast-growing leafy vegetable that likes cool weather. It bolts and turns bitter in summer heat; it does best in spring and autumn.

Melon

Cucumis melo · Vegetables & herbs

A sprawling fruit vegetable that loves hot, dry summers. Little water during ripening makes the fruit sweeter.

Okra

Abelmoschus esculentus · Vegetables & herbs

A tall summer vegetable tolerant of heat and drought. If sown before the soil has warmed thoroughly it will not germinate; it needs plenty of sun.

Onion

Allium cepa · Vegetables & herbs

A bulb vegetable grown from sets or seed and eaten fresh or dried. It needs dry soil as harvest approaches; too much water rots the bulb.

Parsley

Petroselinum crispum · Vegetables & herbs

A biennial kitchen herb that can be harvested year-round. Its seed germinates slowly and unevenly; it takes patience.

Pea

Pisum sativum · Vegetables & herbs

A cool-season, climbing legume. It is sown in autumn or early spring; yield drops quickly in summer heat.

Pepper

Capsicum annuum · Vegetables & herbs

A heat-loving fruit vegetable that is very sensitive to frost. It comes in types such as long pointed, Charleston, bell and kapya peppers. It is planted later than tomato and needs the soil to be warm.

Potato

Solanum tuberosum · Vegetables & herbs

A tuber vegetable grown from seed potatoes. Tubers turn green and become poisonous when exposed to light, so it needs regular hilling.

Radish

Raphanus sativus · Vegetables & herbs

One of the fastest-growing vegetables; small red radishes are harvested in 4-6 weeks. It likes cool weather and turns bitter and woody in heat.

Spinach

Spinacia oleracea · Vegetables & herbs

A hardy, cool-season leafy vegetable. It bolts quickly once the days lengthen and warm up; it is sown in autumn and harvested throughout winter.

Sweet Corn

Zea mays var. saccharata · Vegetables & herbs

A tall summer vegetable pollinated by the wind. For good pollination it should be sown in a square block rather than a single row.

Swiss Chard

Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla · Vegetables & herbs

A leafy vegetable tolerant of heat and cold that yields for months as its outer leaves are picked. Varieties with colored stems are also used as ornamental plants.

Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum · Vegetables & herbs

The most widely grown vegetable in home gardens. It loves heat and sun and does not tolerate frost. Indeterminate (unlimited-growth) varieties need support and removal of side shoots; regular, even watering determines fruit quality.

Watermelon

Citrullus lanatus · Vegetables & herbs

A sprawling fruit vegetable that needs a long, hot, sunny summer and a wide area. It does best in light, sandy, quick-warming soil.

Zucchini

Cucurbita pepo · Vegetables & herbs

A fast-growing summer vegetable that gives a generous crop from few plants. It takes up a lot of space; the flowers are edible too.