In today’s video, I’m sharing my top 6 easy vegetables for beginners to grow in their spring garden. I’ll take you from seed to harvest on each vegetable growing choice.
If you have questions about growing vegetables for your garden, need help starting a vegetable garden, want tips for gardening for beginners, are looking for more gardening tips and tricks and “garden hacks” , have questions about vegetable gardening and organic gardening in general, or want to share some DIY and “how to” garden tips and gardening hacks of your own, please ask in the comment section below!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
00:06 – How to Grow Peas From Seed
01:05 – How to Plant Potatoes // No Dig Potatoes // Ruth Stout
02:24 – How to grow Lettuce From Seed
03:00 – How to Thin Lettuce Seedlings
03:19 – Hack for Sowing Lettuce Seed
04:07 – How to Grow Onions from Seed
05:44 – Huge Onion Harvest
06:03 – How to Cure and Store Onions
06:19 – How to Plant Garlic / Planting Garlic Cloves
07:33 – Garlic Harvest
07:44 – How to Cure and Store Garlic
08:04 – How to Grow Carrots from Seed
09:03 – How to Thin Carrot Seedlings
09:23 – Extra – How to Grow Tomatoes not Leaves Video
RELATED VIDEOS FROM NEXT LEVEL GARDENING
How to Grow Peas: https://youtu.be/Lns8XgOnR3s
How to Grow Potatoes 4 Ways: https://youtu.be/CqqrBFRlN2A
How to Grow Lettuce: https://youtu.be/EgTasbpQJLE
How to Grow Onions: https://youtu.be/pBxUIH825oc
How to Grow Garlic: https://youtu.be/J58N1CJxoWg
How to Grow Carrots 3 Ways: https://youtu.be/574wflr-AWk
How to Grow Tomatoes: https://youtu.be/9w-7RoH_uic
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Hey Guys, I’m Brian from Next Level Gardening
Welcome to our online community! A place to be educated, inspired and hopefully entertained at the same time! A place where you can learn to grow your own food and become a better organic gardener. At the same time, a place to grow the beauty around you and stretch that imagination (that sometimes lies dormant, deep inside) through gardening.
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In this video I’m going to show you six easy to grow vegetables at home these are great for beginners we’re going to start off with peas peas are easy to grow and have very few pests they’re one of my favorite Fresh Garden snacks they rarely make it inside eaten fresh or
Cooked they’re not the same as the peas I grew up on that came Frozen or cammed if those two ways are the only ways you’ve eaten peas you’re in for a real treat by growing your own the best way to start peas is sewing the seed in full
Sun directly in the ground about 1 to 2 in apart they’re cold tolerant and can be sewn Outdoors 6 weeks before your last frost date if you have milder Winters you can sew peas in the fall and grow them right through spring peas need to be trained on some sort of structure
As they are a Vining crop bamboo te peas and cattle panels have always been the best way for me to Trellis them you can Harvest snap peas as soon as you see peas starting to develop in the Pod since these peas are grown mainly for eating the whole pod for shelling peas
You want to wait until pods swell and look nice and full potatoes are one of the most fun things you can grow in the garden mostly because you never know what you’re going to dig up at the end of the season it’s like buried treasure the flavor of a homegrown potato fresh
Out of the earth is something you just have to try chitting your potatoes before planting gives them a head start in colder winter climates it also let you know before burying them in the soil which potatoes are viable and which ones aren’t to chip potatoes four to 6 weeks
Before your last frost date set seed potatoes in an egg carton in a bright warm place once they have broken their dorcy and Sprouts are about half an inch tall they’re ready to be planted chitting or not you can plant your potatoes 2 weeks before your last frost
A unlike the traditional method of burying potatoes deep in the soil there’s a much easier way place the potatoes on top of the soil about a foot apart cover your potatoes with a thick layer of straw keep them well watered keep adding straw if the potatoes start
To show through when potato flowers fade and the plants start to turn yellow it’s time to remove the straw and see what kind of harvest you’ve got when first harvested the Skins are very thin and fragile you can rinse them but don’t scrub the soil off they need to be
Stored in a cool dark place for 7 to 10 days to really cure that skin lettuce is a great starter plant especially leaf lettuce if you’ve never gardened before lettuce is a great place to start it germinates quickly grows quickly and you can start harvesting in
Less than a month there are two main types of lettuce that you can grow leaf lettuce and head lettuce head lettuce takes more time and space to harvest and leaf lettuce is quick growing and can be tucked in just about anywhere they like a moist rich soil but will grow in most
Spaces and can even handle partial shade lettuce is a cool season crop and germinates very easily as long as temperatures remain under 80° F 27 C the seeds are very small and it’s easy to sew them too thickly they do need to be thinned about 4 to 6 in apart for leaf
Lettuce and about 12 in apart for most head lettuce you can eat the thinnings if you hate to pull up hundreds of tiny baby plants but there’s also a trick I can share take an Old Spice shaker bottle put a couple of tablespoons of sand into it along with the seeds from
One seed packet Shake It Up when you sprinkle the contents out it will naturally space the seeds Out Among the sand most lettuces are surface sewn but some need a thin covering of soil keep them evenly moist until they germinate as the plants grow a liquid organic
Feeding helps to make more robust leaves and can be applied every two weeks in the case of head lettuce you want to make sure that the head is the right size before harvesting it should feel firm and completely filled out before cutting it from the stock you you can
Treat leaf lettuce as a cut and come again crop meaning you can remove the outer leaves frequently for salads and New Growth will continue to grow in the center of the plant onions have been in cultivation for over 5,000 years it’s pretty easy to see why I can’t think of
Very many of my favorite recipes that don’t involve onions I’m not sure why but growing my own onions and cooking with them is so satisfying maybe because they’re so flavorful and add so much to so many dishes different varieties need a certain amount of sunlight per day for a
Specific number of days in the United States it’s broken down like this if you’re in the northern part of the United States you’re going to grow long day onions in the central part of the country you’re going to grow intermediate day onions and in the South
We grow short day onions if you don’t grow the right type of onion for the latitude you live in you’ll get only green onions or leaves but not the bulb in southern mild winter climates we can sew short day onion seeds in mid November or or if we miss that window we
Get another chance in February to sew intermediate day onions if you’re in colder winter climates you can start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost St you can sew a whole packet of seeds very thickly it will crumb up like freshly sewn grass for the next 4
Weeks let them grow 4 weeks before your last frost AE you can separate the seedlings and plant them out in the garden about 6 in apart onions are fairly easy to grow make sure they get plenty of sunshine and moist moisture and you’re sure to get nice large bulbs
To ensure this you feed them every 2 weeks with a balanced liquid organic fertilizer you’ll know it’s about time to harvest when the stems start to bend over at the neck just above the bulb when about half of them have flopped over go ahead and very gently bend the
Rest of them over at the same spot this signals the plant that it’s time to prepare for dormy when it’s time for the actual Harvest you want to dig up your onion bulbs From Below and not just pull them out by the stem brush any remaining
Soil off of the bulbs and roots and lay them in the Sun for 3 days in a single layer after that they will go inside or in the shade in a single layer for another 3 to 4 weeks until the leaves are crispy and brittle then store them
In a cool dry place I don’t know about you but I can’t get enough garlic in recipes that call for garlic I add at least double what it calls for growing garlic is fun and much easier than you might think you can also get quite a
Large Harvest out of a very small space garlic is planted in the fall and you want to get it in the ground before your ground freezes 6 weeks before is ideal in climates where the ground never freezes you can plant garlic through November and even December since they’re
Bulbs they like phosphorus so put some organic phosphorus like bone meal in the bottom of the planting holes you want to choose these strongest biggest clothes those will produce bigger plants and in the end bigger garlic bulbs garlic likes a full sun location and Rich well- draining soil plant each
Clove pointy end up about 4 in deep and 6 in apart garlics are almost a plant and forget it crop they need to be fed every so often but that’s about it as long as the soil stays moist and was well amended prior to planting they get
By pretty well on their own it takes about 8 to 9 months to get a harvest and you’ll know when it’s about time when the bottom leaves turn brown and start to dry up when this happens dig down a little next to a couple of plants and
Check the bulb size if they look like they’re full size you can pull them up you can eat garlic fresh but if you grew a lot you want to prepare it to be stored so that it lasts as long as possible dust the dirt off the bulbs
Leave the stock and Roots intact lay them out in a single layer to dry or tie 8 to 10 together and hang them bulbs side down to dry they need to dry in a fairly dark and cool environment for 3 to four weeks until the roots and stocks
Are dry and crispy at this point you can cut off the roots and the stock and continue to store them in a cool dark location picking carrots in my grandparents Garden is probably my earliest memory of gardening all root vegetables are fun for adults and kids to harvest because you never know what
You’re going to get in mild winter climates carrot seed can be sewn in the fall in cold winter climates you can sew carrot seed Outdoors 3 to 5 weeks before your last Frosty carrots don’t like to be transplanted so you will need to sew the seeds directly into the Garden in
Whole Sun they’ like a moist lightweight root run without a lot of nitrogen adding manure or other high nitrogen source to the soil will cause your carrots to twist or Fork carrots are notoriously difficult to germinate they take a while anyways and they don’t really want to be covered with any soil
Problem that presents itself is the seeds have to stay moist at all times one trick I use is to sew the seed and cover it up with vermiculite or wood shavings these let the light through but keep the the moisture in continue to keep them moist and they will grow
Quickly you want to make sure you thin your carrot seedlings so there’s at least an inch or two between each one cut off all the rest at ground level the only way to truly know if a carrot is ready to harvest is to brush the soil
Away from the base of the plant to expose the top of the carrot root if it looks to be the diameter it should be it’s time to pull it I didn’t include tomatoes in this list even though they’re pretty easy because it does take just a little bit
Of knowledge to grow them really success successfully you can check out this video right here which happens to be one of the top videos on YouTube for growing tomatoes with over 12 million views if you want more information on any of the crops discussed in this video check the
Video description I’ve got more in-depth videos for all of them see you guys next time
23 Comments
Thanks Brian. 🥶❄️💚🙃
Another good option for hardening off vegs – is cutting off the foliage in the post-Autumn, pre-Fall weather, leaving the bulb or root in the ground at the surface. Cut off the greenery at the 1/2 inch above the topsoil. (This is the easy measurment of your point finger fingernail length).
This stops all photosynthesis of the leaves down to the root. Like stripping grape leaves off Fall vines – forcing dormancy. You are doing the same to vegetables have the roots and bulbs forced into dormancy. The 1/2 inch will start to dry out and dry back to the root or bulb, faster than turning down the greens. It is also safer stopping any potential molds or rot crawling back down to the root or bulb. Make sure that there is no rain in the future, getting into the drying/dried cut tops, and molding/rotting them.
SSSSSSAAAAAAVVVVVVEEEEE the greens – don't let them go to waste !!! Dried onion and garlic leaves (chives, shallots, scallions, wild ramps, wild ransoms), even fresh beet, turnip, rutabaga, parsnip leaves, (even strong carrot leaf) all make great additions to a meal – or to a stew. Otherwise, make garlic and/or onion braids and hang up, and you still have these leaves to use as a byproduct. One can easily blanch, ziplock baggy, and store the veggie greens in the frezer – and still have fresh greens – just put the thawed greens into soups and stews.
One can also do this with potatoes and other tubers (sweet potatoes, yams, taro, lotus, cat tails,…yacon, … bullrush water chestnuts), BEFORE they naturally die off in the Fall and frost period. Dying plants send dying hormones into the tubers (that you do not want). (Forced) dormant plants do not do this. Allow the de-foliaged tubers to lie fallow in the soil and harden off their skins, and they won't have as much "green" in the tuber (like green solanide toxin with potatoes). One can overwinter in the soil, or later in the Fall post-frost harvest, or entirely pull them out with their hardened skins, and the tubers can be safely root cellared.
Using both of these plans, one can overwinter in cool and temperature grow zones, … or especially post-frost, when the roots, bulbs, and tubers all get less watery and conentreate their sweeter sugars, one can then harvest and remove from the soil, and root cellar.
I cosign this list as I grow them in containers and every one of these recommendations is currently thriving in my small space container garden. 👍🏾
I really wish I had someone to help me get some raised beds started. I can’t carry the soil to fill them and buying raised beds are costly so I would have to figure out how to do it VERY cost effectively. I have two small water tanks that I use but they are SMALL and even they are not FILLED with soil but I did manage to get just enough in them to grow a small amount of things . I planted two very small left over potatoes that somehow where missed and I did get some nice potatoes but I would love to be able to plant enough produce that I could either can or freeze. I know, if wishes were horses beggars would ride. 🥶❄️💚🙃
I’ll never get over how your onions looked like pumpkins ! This is my favorite time of year! Planning out my new garden and getting ready for it. It really kicks those winter doldrums in the kiester!!
I wouldn't call all of these easy to grow in my backyard, but I agree that the green peas are easy to grow. Garlic, too, as long as you pick the right variety for your area. I'd add tomatoes, though, because they grow with no real effort – far less than some of the others, at least – again – in my limited experience.
Yo Brian, I planted sugar peas and snap peas last winter and had a great crop going until they got the worst aphid infestation you can imagine! When I shook the vines, the ground had more than 1/2" layer of green aphids below the vines. The vines were also crawling with ladybugs and their larva, but they didn't make the slightest dent in the aphids. I carefully rinsed off as many aphids as I could, avoiding ladybugs. I wrote off the crop and used it as a ladybug nursery until I needed the bed for the next crop. The nearby brassicas had ZERO aphids, so it was a potent trap crop for them.
Thanks so much! I'm looking forward to getting started! Come April and May the gnats will have me going insane and by June here in middle Georgia I'll be sick of it all, but I'm excited for now!! lol
You grow the biggest onions ive ever seen.
I'm in central Alabama. It is too early fore sowing seeds, but it is only about a month away. Snow peas, and shelling peas go in the ground about February 20th. I drop seeds in the ends of my raised beds at the same time. I also sow seeds for radishes, carrots, and beets. Potatoes go in the ground the first week of March. I have about two hundred seed starts growing for tomatoes and peppers. In about a week, I'll be doing another batch of seed starts for mustard, Swiss chard, bunching onions, Creole Onions, basil, dill, oregano, Sweet Marjoram, and chives. My first generation of tomato plants will go in the ground in March, and be protected from frost with a polytunnel. I have both Elephant Garlic, and hard-neck garlic growing that I planted in October, and they are doing great with surviving the Artic blast. I'll grow twice as much next fall. The second generation are sprouting. The third generation will be planted about near the end of April. I have a lot of sowing to do in February, and then again in April. Once the garden is in full bloom, it will be time to work on planning my fall garden. I am in the process of adding five fruit trees, and I am also adding Wine Cap mushrooms to my garden this spring.
I wanna grow sausages 😐
Wow! Thanks, Brian. I had forgotten how easy gardening can be. Your instructions are simple to follow from seed to harvest; and encouraging to see the end product. My parents grew potatoes in a similar manner and had abundant harvests. Your video makes me want to try to grow veggies I haven’t grown for years and try something new. Is it time for you to write another great book about gardening? Lol. Thank you for sharing. Many, many blessings
For me: peas, radishes, spinash, swiss chard, cabbages, carrots, beets, zucchini, winter squash, cucumbers, lettuces,
Great video! Could you make a similar style video for easy to grow veggies for containers?
My favorite kind of video to watch from you! I enjoy them all, but this kind help me most. You're a very natural teacher, explaining in simple, easy to catch ways.
YOU'VE INSPIRED ME TO START MY OWN GARDEN and post the progress on my YouTube channel!
If I have questions, is it okay to send you an email? Or, can I just comment my questions below your latest videos to get in touch with you??
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
I must be a horrible gardener. Pretty much none of these grow for me except peas, but I don't plant enough to get a crop, obviously. Onions, nope. Garlic, nope. Carrots, nope. Potatoes, not enough to feed us for two weeks, etc, and so on. I have been trying these plants for years. No success. Very disheartening.
Thank you so much Brian, I finally found intermediate day onion seeds (am in Sonoma) from Johnny seeds, just sewed the seeds indodors, crossing fingers!!
It is raining cats and dogs right now, so I am watching this as inspiration for when we can start planting again!
Great video! Even though I don’t grow them, radishes are the earliest thing I can recalled growing as a kid. Since I was probably 5, they must be easy, lol. Carrots never did well in our clay soil, but that’s one I grew as a kid as well. Mom gave my own (kid section) of the garden.
I love the straw method for the potatoes, would pine straw work? I have an endless supply of that!
I'm a first time gardener (started gardening in August 2023) and I am so excited to see that I am growing 4 out of 6 of these (peas, potatoes, onions, and garlic). I'm hoping for a successful harvest!
I am new to gardening and this year will be my 2nd round at it. I am using the bucket/container method for growing because the dirt I have is more like sand and it's easier to use containers at this time. There are so many recommendations for plant food and growing techniques. I am confused. Last year, I grew tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, radishes, spinach and potatoes. I had a pretty good harvest. Instead of buying so many different products, can you narrow down the best products to use for seed starting mix, what to use to enrich recycled soil, best fertilizer to use. I think I have watched too many different gardeners and I am just flat out confused….. any guidance you can provide is greatly appreciated.