If you’re just starting your journey into backyard vegetable gardening, you might be thinking: “What is the easiest vegetable to grow at home?”

Generally, tomatoes, carrots, peas, and squash are some of the easiest vegetables to grow. 

What makes these vegetables easier to grow? What else do you need to know before growing these vegetables? Let’s take a look….

Tomatoes

How Much Water Do I Give My Tomato Plant?

Tomato plants require a good amount of water, they are water guzzlers. I recommend watering about 3 times a week and it would probably be a good idea to use a cone spike that you can attach a re-used 2-liter bottle filled with water that will self-water the plant to ensure the plant always has enough water.

Do You Need To Add Fertilizer To My Tomato Plant?

Yes, it is important that you have enough nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) in your soil if you want to harvest big, healthy tomatoes.

If you have organic soil, your tomato plants will grow fine in there, however, you will still need to supplement your soil with organic amendments in order to ensure your plants will continuously have the food they need to grow, ensuring a bountiful harvest.

Here are some great organic amendments you can use to add more N, P, and/or K to your soil:

• Nitrogen (N) – Some great organic sources of nitrogen include steer or poultry manure, blood meal, fish emulsion, alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, etc.
• Phosphorus (P) – Bone meal is an excellent organic source of phosphorus.
• Potassium (K) – Kelp Meal or Greensand are the best choices for organic sources of potassium.

Be sure to check out the soil care and fertilizer resource page for some specific recommendations.

How Much Sun Do My Tomato Plants Need?

Tomato plants love to soak up the sun, however, their leaves have been known to burn in extreme heat. If you live in an area with hot summers, try cutting down on the intensity of the light and heat by using a shade cloth to protect your plants.

Check out the garden tools resource page to see the different types of shade cloths available.

Regardless, your tomato plants will definitely need at least 6-8 hours of full sunlight.

Carrots

Carrots are one of the easiest vegetables to grow because you literally just need to water them. No worrying about soil, fertilizers, or getting enough sunlight.

How Much Water Do You Give Carrot Plants?

There’s no magic formula to know how much water to give carrot plants. However, there are some key indicators to look out for that are signs that your plant might be thirsty. Here are a few:

• Dry Soil – Check the soil around the carrot plant (about 3-4 inches deep) and if the soil is dry, it’s time to water the plants.
• Wilted Leaves – One final warning sign is a wilted plant. It signifies your plant is dying of thirst, literally. Don’t panic though! As soon give them water, they will bounce right back in a matter of minutes. It’s sort of a cool thing to watch too!

Do You Need To Add Fertilizer To Carrot Plants?

As long as you grow your carrots in decent organic soil, you don’t have to worry about adding any additional fertilizers or amendments to the soil after you plant your carrots. Carrots grow well in many different soil conditions.

To be honest, I’ve grown carrots in some really crummy soil and they still produced a great harvest. It even broke down that soil a bit and made it more workable over time. It’s a big reason for it being #1 on the list of easy to grow vegetables.

How Much Sun Do My Carrot Plants Need?

Although most hardy plants require 6+ hours of sunlight per day, carrots can tolerate being in shady areas and much less hours of sunlight. Another great reason to have it in the #1 spot.

Peas

Pea are also some of the easiest vegetables to grow. So easy, even elementary school kids can grow them. You might recall that you probably did too when you were in school. If not, sorry, I’m old.

Anyway, the reason schools have kids grow peas is because not only are they easy to grow but they grow FAST, can grow with a small amount of sunlight, and take up very little space! Perfect vegetable to grow in a classroom, or even an apartment balcony. For these reasons, these yummy snacks take the #2 spot.

How Much Water Do You Give Pea plants?

As long as the plants are in a shady area (as they should be) you only need to water about 1-2 times a week to ensure that the soil stays moist.

Do You Need To Add Fertilizer To Pea Plants?

Pea plants are another plant that do not really require heavy fertilizing. In fact, these plants are actually called “nitrogen fixers” because they help add nitrogen to the soil, which is a beneficial and important nutrient for plants.

How Much Sun Do My Pea Plants Need?

Peas require low energy to grow, therefore can grow well in shade and little sunlight. However, for larger yields they are best planted in areas with full sun (6+hrs). 

Zucchini Squash

Zucchini is one on the list that might make some avid gardeners scratching their heads in confusion. Hear me out.

Although some squash varieties might be a bit more difficult for a beginner to grow, there is one variety of squash that deserves some recognition in this category of easy to grow veggies and that’s the Zucchini squash!

Zucchini squash is one of the most prolific plants out there. If you’re looking to start a garden and feed your family, you won’t be disappointed with growing this variety. Although it can present some challenges (see our tips below), it’s bountiful rewards are worth the extra work. Trust me.

How Much Water Do I Give My Zucchini Plant?

Zucchini plants require a lot water to grow, but once it is big enough, its huge leaves provide substantial shade for the ground, to keep the soil moist. I would recommend watering anywhere from 3-5 times a day but most importantly is checking the soil every other day just to ensure it remains moist.

Do You Need To Add Fertilizer To My Zucchini Plant?

Zucchini squash doesn’t require a lot of fertilization but having an adequate amount of nitrogen in the soil will surely guarantee a more productive harvests because you will have healthier plants.

How Much Sun Do My Zucchini Plants Need?

Zucchini and most other squash varieties enjoy the shade a lot more than they enjoy the hot sun  on a hot summer day. I have literally seen leaves wilt in agony from the intensity of the sun beating down on them from improperly placing them in a full-sun area. You live and you learn. Hopefully these tips can save you some time by not making these types of mistakes.

Sunflowers (Sunflower Seeds)

Now I know what you’re thinking. Sunflowers? Really? Why are they on this list?

Although the actual sunflower itself might not be completely edible, those giant seeds that make up their large heads are! And they’re delicious and super easy to grow, that’s why it made #5 on the list!

Sunflowers are really low-maintence flowers. Once the sunflowers are about two or three feet off the ground, they require much less watering or care.

How Much Water Do I Give My Sunflowers?

Until your sunflowers reach a good height of about 2-3 feet, you should water them every other day. Once the plant is well established, you can start cut back your watering to twice a week.

Do You Need To Add Fertilizer To My Sunflowers?

Sunflowers grow very well in a variety of different soil conditions and I personally wouldn’t recommend adding any additional amendments to the soil for this reason.

How Much Sun Do My Sunflowers Need?

They’re called SUNflowers! They need TONS of sunlight, they love it, they soak it up, they even follow the sun. No, seriously, their giant heads literally turn to follow the sun move across the sky. It is such a beautiful and amazing thing to witness! The bonus being that you get to eat the delicious seeds after the plant dies off.