The Best Plants For New Gardeners (Based On Experience)
Howdy Folks! Welcome to my ultimate guide to the best plants for new gardeners. It wasn’t that long ago that I, too, was a beginner. But I was by no means a stranger to gardening. You see, we moved into our daily home almost 3 decades ago with a lot of yard space. Given that my father has green fingers, he turned our empty land into a respectable garden that wrapped around our home.
Naturally, I took an interest in it since I spent the majority of my childhood playing in the garden. This was the start of my own journey into gardening, and it has become an addiction for me.
There aren’t many activities that are therapeutic, calming, and enjoyable to me except gardening and sports. Any chance I get, I spend it learning about plants and flowers or caring for my own.
With that being said, I wanted to compile a list of plants I grew during my early days of gardening. I just want to make it super easy for beginners to fall in love with the process of gardening, which is why I am sharing this article with you.
The following are what I consider to be the best plants for beginners based on my own experience growing them because they’re easily available, affordable, and can provide ongoing harvests due to their structure and makeup.
Grow These Plants If You Are A Beginner At Gardening
1. Lettuce
A staple in every kitchen, lettuce is one of the easiest and quickest plants to grow. Also known as lactuca sativa, lettuce is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae. It can be grown directly in the ground or in pots, containers, boxes, and even gutters. Most varieties of lettuce can reach full growth within 4 to 8 weeks, especially in a warm climate. This is the perfect plant for beginners who enjoy a fresh, green, leafy salad. Iceberg, butterhead, summer crisp, red leaf, and romaine are the most popular types of lettuce to grow.
2. Tomatoes
Most food recipes and salads taste best with tomatoes. Imagine that you could make a fresh tomato sauce pasta with tomatoes from your own garden. It would be absolutely delicious! This nightshade vegetable is readily available in most nurseries at an affordable price because of how quickly it grows and how adaptable it is. The two most popular varieties of tomato plants are cherry and jam tomatoes. Personally, I have found cherry tomato plants to be the quickest nightshade plant to grow as a beginner, taking about 6 to 8 weeks to grow and reach harvest.
3. Radishes
If you’re looking for a root vegetable to grow that can be harvested and consumed as a sprout, full plant, or vegetable, consider growing radishes. They offer a strong, spicy, and crunchy flavor to all salads and are among the healthiest plants to consume. Garden radish (red), turnip, and daikon are among the most popular types of radishes to grow and eat. But they require a lot of soil and moisture to reach full maturity since these root vegetables grow underneath the ground. Once sprouted and upon sight of the first set of true leaves, radish plants take about 4 to 6 weeks to reach full growth for harvesting.
4. Strawberries
Of all the berries you can grow, strawberries are the easiest and quickest of them all. I’ve grown them in pots, containers, boxes, and in the ground with massive success. Strawberries usually require some space for additional plants to spread and grow. They love sunlight and are easily pollinated by bees and other insects. As long as you can water them regularly, within two to three months at most, you should be able to harvest a full batch of strawberries. Because they are self-pollinating, you can expect them to regrow after each harvest without any intervention from you.
5. Beans
I absolutely love all forms of beans and it is pleasantly surprising how well they grow in most climates. If you have space and can use sticks or string to create a structure for them to climb or crawl as they grow, you should be able to grow a large amount of beans as a beginner. Green beans, lima beans, snap beans, and edamame beans are the best types to grow at home. They take between 45 and 60 days to reach full harvest, depending on the environment and climate conditions.
6. Mint
Let me tell you something: mint grows insanely fast and well. It spreads like wildfire if you allow it to and can withstand most environmental conditions, provided that it receives adequate moisture and sunlight. This herb can be grown indoors and outdoors in all types of containers and boxes. Once harvested, mint can be used in salads, as a garnish for meals, in teas, and as a natural perfume. Mint might be my number-one selection for beginner gardeners.
7. Kale
About a decade ago, I decided to change my entire diet from the Standard American Diet (SAD) to something more natural, whole, and clean. This was when I introduced all sorts of cruciferous vegetables onto my plate and kale became a favorite. It is one of the most antioxidant and polyphenol-rich foods on the planet and can be easily grown at home. That’s right, kale is a wonderful green leafy plant that any beginner can grow without needing much technical knowledge on soil and temperature. So long as kale receives adequate sunlight and moisture, it will grow. The only issue you may face is with aphids and other bugs which love to consume kale leaves. A natural pesticide or repellant is all you need to protect and nurture your kale plants.
8. Chillies
I have grown all sorts of chilies with barely any issues. One plant can produce a dozen or more chillies per harvest and they are some of the more resilient plants on this list. Habanero, long green and red chillies, bird’s eye chili, and jalapeno are the best to grow at home. Some chili plants can reach harvest within 2 months, while others may take 3 to 4 months.
9. Chives
These little herbs can be grown indoors with a small container of soil. They are used to garnish food and require minimal sunlight and moisture to grow. Typically, chives are ready within 60 days of planting from seeds.
10. Coriander
One of the very first plants I ever grew myself was coriander. My first batch failed because I didn’t cover them with enough potting soil and the seeds hadn’t soaked in water overnight. The next batch of seeds sprouted a dozen coriander plants because I learned from my mistake, and since then, it has been one of the easiest herbs to grow. Usually, I can grow an entire plant from seed to harvest within 8 to 10 weeks, if not sooner, depending on the season and quality of the soil.
11. Swiss Chard
Not too dissimilar to kale, swiss chard is another fantastic cruciferous vegetable for new gardeners to grow. They grow a thick stalk with leaves that are large, dark green, and crunchy. They’re more resilient to bugs than kale and they are absolutely essential for a hearty soup or stew. In most cases, Swiss chard needs to grow outdoors because it requires a ton of sunlight but can be ready for harvesting within 2 months of planting.
I hope that this article inspires you to pursue gardening as a hobby or passion. It has truly transformed my life in more ways than one. It’s a relaxing activity that gets me away from technology while also being a source of motivation to live healthier. I hope that it can do the same for you! If you have any questions, feel free to let me know in the comment section below, and I’ll do my best to help you.
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