How To Grow Your Vegetables? All The Gardening Secrets In One Guide.
Growing vegetables is both an art and a science.
First, you have to know when and how to plant each vegetable ...
... but you also have to think about the pests that can attack the vegetables in your garden ...
... and of course, you have to know the best time to harvest the vegetables!
Fortunately, here is the essential guide that brings together all the secrets to growing vegetables easily.
Here you will discover the best tips for knowing where to plant your vegetables and how to take care of them.
Ready for great harvests each season ? Look :
To easily print this guide in PDF, click here.
THE GUIDE TO GROWING YOUR VEGETABLES
Vegetables to grow in a flower bed
Here are the vegetables you can grow in a flower bed:
- Beet
- Borlotti bean (Roman bean)
- Beans *
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Courgette*
- Cucumber *
- Green bean *
- Kale cabbage
- Leek
- Lettuce
- Snow peas
- Onion
- Parsnip
- Spinach
- Potato*
- Radish
- Green onion
- Squash *
- But sweet*
- Swiss chard
- Tomato *
- Turnip
Vegetables to grow in pots
Here are the easiest vegetables to grow in pots:
- Beet
- Carrot
- Courgette*
- Cucumber *
- Green bean *
- Lettuce
- Snow peas
- Spinach
- Radish
- Green onion
- Swiss chard
- Tomato *
* For these varieties, use seed cups (like this germination kit) BEFORE putting the plants in the ground.
PLANTING, MAINTENANCE AND HARVESTING
Beet
- Seed spacing: 2 to 5 cm
- Germination: in full light
- Seed spacing: thin out too tight seedlings 5 to 10 cm between each plant
- Days before germination: 7-10 days
- Days before maturation: 55-65 days
- Plant the seeds in: April, May, June, July
- Harvest in: June, July, August, September
Borlotti bean
- Seeding bucket: germinate seeds in sowing cups before planting
- Germination: in full light
- Days before germination: 9 to 12 days
- Days before maturation: 50 to 70 days
- Pests to watch out for: slugs
- Plant the seeds in: April May June
- Harvest in: July, August, September, October
Beans
- Seeding bucket: germinate seeds in seedling cups before planting
- Germination: in full light
- Pot size: 1 month after planting the seeds, transfer the seedlings to a flower bed or a 30 cm pot
- Days before germination: 7 to 14 days
- Days before maturation: 80 to 100 days
- Pests to watch out for: flies and mice
- Plant the seeds in: February, March, April, October, November
- Harvest in: July, August, September, October
Broccoli
- Seed spacing: 2 to 5 cm
- Germination: in full light
- Days before germination: 3 to 10 days
- Days before maturation: 60 to 80 days
- Pests to watch out for: caterpillars
- Plant the seeds in: April May
- Harvest in: July August September
Brussels sprouts
- Seed spacing: 2 to 5 cm
- Germination: in bright light or in a greenhouse
- Pot size: 1 month after planting the seeds, transfer the seedlings to a flower bed or a 1 to 2 m pot
- Days before germination: 3 to 10 days
- Days before maturation: 80 to 90 days
- Pests to watch out for: slugs
- Plant the seeds in: March April
- Harvest in: August, September, October, November, December, January
Cabbage
- Seed spacing: 7 cm
- Germination: in full light
- Pot size: 1 month after planting the seeds, transfer the seedlings to a flower bed or a 1 to 2 m pot
- Days before germination: 4 to 10 days
- Days before maturation: 65 to 95 days
- Pests to watch out for: caterpillars and slugs
- Plant the seeds in: March April
- Harvest in: July August September
Carrot
- Seed spacing: 1 to 2 cm
- Germination: in full light
- Seed spacing: thin out 2 to 5 cm between each plant
- Days before germination: 10 to 17 days
- Days before maturation: 60 to 80 days
- Pests to watch out for: flies
- Plant the seeds in: April, May, June, July
- Harvest in: July, August, September, October
Courgette
- Seeding bucket: germinate seeds in sowing cups before planting
- Germination: in bright light or in a greenhouse
- Pot size: 1 month after planting the seeds, transfer the seedlings to a bed or a 50 cm pot
- Days before germination: 4 to 8 days
- Days before maturation: 45 to 60 days
- Plant the seeds in: April May
- Harvest in: July, August, September, October
Cucumber
- Seed spacing: 3 to 4 seeds per cup
- Seeding bucket: germinate seeds in seedling cups before planting
- Germination: in greenhouse
- Pot size: 1 month after planting the seeds, transfer the seedlings to a flower bed or a 30 cm pot
- Days before germination: 6 to 10 days
- Days before maturation: 55-65 days
- Plant the seeds in: April May
- Harvest in: July August September
Green bean
- Seed spacing: 20 cm
- Seeding bucket: germinate seeds in sowing cups before planting
- Days before germination: 7 to 14 days
- Days before maturation: 80 to 100 days
- Pests to watch out for: snails, slugs
- Plant the seeds in: may June July
- Harvest in: August, September, October
Kale cabbage
- Seed spacing: 5 cm
- Germination: in full light
- Pot size: 1 month after planting the seeds, transfer the seedlings to a flower bed or a larger pot
- Days before germination: 3 to 10 days
- Days before maturation: 55 to 80 days
- Pests to watch out for: caterpillars
- Plant the seeds in: may June
- Harvest in: August September October November December
Leek
- Seed spacing: 1 cm
- Germination: in full light
- Pot size: 1 month after planting the seeds, transfer the seedlings to a flower bed or a 15 cm pot
- Days before germination: 7 to 12 days
- Days before maturation: 80 to 90 days
- Pests to watch out for: slugs
- Plant the seeds in: April
- Harvest in: September October November December
Lettuce
- Seed spacing: 1 to 2 cm
- Germination: in full light
- Seed spacing: thin out 20 cm between each plant
- Days before germination: 4 to 10 days
- Days before maturation: 55 to 80 days
- Pests to watch out for: mouse
- Plant the seeds in: April, May, June, July
- Harvest in: June, July, August, September, October, November
Snow peas
- Seed spacing: 5 cm
- Germination: in full light
- Pot size: 1 month after planting the seeds, transfer the seedlings to a flower bed or a larger pot
- Days before germination: 7-10 days
- Days before maturation: 80 to 100 days
- Pests to watch out for: mouse
- Plant the seeds in: March, April, May, June
- Harvest in: June, July, August, September, October
Onion
- Germination: in full light
- Days before germination: 7 to 12 days
- Days before maturation: 100 to 155 days
- Plant the seeds in: March April
- Harvest in: August, September, October
Parsnip
- Seed spacing: 1 cm
- Germination: in full light
- Seed spacing: thin out 7 cm between each plant
- Days before germination: 15 to 25 days
- Days before maturation: 100 to 120 days
- Plant the seeds in: April May June
- Harvest in: October, November, December, January, February
Spinach
- Seed spacing: 2 cm
- Germination: in full light
- Seed spacing: thin to 15 to 20 cm between each plant
- Days before germination: 5 to 15 days
- Days before maturation: 37 to 45 days
- Pests to watch out for: slugs
- Plant the seeds in: April, May, June, July
- Harvest in: July, August, September, October, November, December
Potato
- Seed spacing: 1 to 2 m
- Seeding bucket: germinate seeds in sowing cups before planting
- Days before germination: 8 to 16 days
- Days before maturation: 90 to 105 days
- Plant the seeds in: may
- Harvest in: August September
To discover : 4 Simple Steps To Grow 45 kg of Potatoes in a Barrel!
Radish
- Seed spacing: 1 cm
- Germination: in full light
- Seed spacing: thin out 2 to 5 cm between each plant
- Days before germination: 3 to 10 days
- Days before maturation: 20 to 50 days
- Pests to watch out for: scarabs
- Plant the seeds in: April, May, June, July, August
- Harvest in: May, June, July, August, September, October
Green onion
- Seed spacing: 1 cm
- Germination: in full light
- Days before germination: 14 to 21 days
- Days before maturation: 50 to 80 days
- Plant the seeds in: March, April, May, June, July
- Harvest in: May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Squash
- Seeding bucket: germinate seeds in seedling cups before planting
- Germination: in bright light or in a greenhouse
- Days before germination: 3 to 12 days (summer) and 6 to 10 days (winter)
- Days before maturation: 50 to 60 days (summer) and 85 to 120 days (winter)
- Plant the seeds in: April May
- Harvest in: September October
But sweet
- Seeding bucket: germinate seeds in sowing cups before planting
- Germination: in bright light or in a greenhouse
- Pot size: 1 month after planting the seeds, transfer the seedlings to a bed or a 30 cm pot
- Days before germination: 6 to 10 days
- Days before maturation: 60 to 90 days
- Plant the seeds in: April May
- Harvest in: July, August, September, October
Chard
- Seed spacing: 2 cm
- Seeding bucket: germinate seeds in sowing cups before planting
- Germination: in bright light or in a greenhouse
- Seed spacing: thin out 30 cm between each plant
- Days before germination: 7-10 days
- Days before maturation: 55-65 days
- Plant the seeds in: April, May, June, July
- Harvest in: July, August, September, October, November, December
Tomato
- Seeding bucket: germinate seeds in sowing cups before planting
- Germination: in greenhouse
- Pot size: 1 month after planting the seeds, transfer the seedlings to a flower bed or a 1 to 2 m pot
- Days before germination: 6 to 14 days
- Days before maturation: 55 to 90 days
- Plant the seeds in: March April
- Harvest in: July, August, September, October
To discover : 13 Tips For Growing More, Bigger, and Tastier Tomatoes.
Turnip
- Germination: in full light
- Pot size: 1 month after planting the seeds, transfer the seedlings to a bed or a 5-7 cm pot
- Seed spacing: thin out 5 to 10 cm between each plant
- Days before germination: 3 to 10 days
- Days before maturation: 45 to 60 days
- Plant the seeds in: April, May, June, July, August
- Harvest in: June, July, August, September, October, November
PLANT ASSOCIATIONS
This is the companion technique: here are the vegetables to combine to optimize your space and keep pests away.
Beet : Pair well with broccoli, onion, chard, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
Cabbage : Pair well with tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, chard, kale and Brussels sprouts.
Carrot : Pair well with cabbage, leek, radish, snow peas, onion and lettuce.
Potato : Pairs well with cabbage, snow peas, squash, beans and corn.
Tomato: Pairs well with onion, carrot and cabbage.
Onion : Pairs well with parsnips, lettuce, beets, cabbage and carrots.
Radish: Pairs well with snow peas, carrots, parsnips, lettuce, cucumber and spinach.
Swiss chard: Pairs well with onion, cabbage and beets.
Snow peas: Pair well with carrot, parsnip, cucumber, radish, corn and beans.
Cucumber: Pairs well with cabbage, radish, beans and corn.
Lettuce: Pairs well with carrots, beets, parsnips and radishes.
Parsnip: Pairs well with onion, radish and lettuce.
GOOD TO KNOW
- The tomato repels caterpillars that attack cabbage leaves.
- Onion repels most pests.
- Radish repels striped cucumber beetles.
- Onion and radish keep flies away from carrots.
- The radish attracts leaf miners to its leaves (without damaging it), thus protecting the spinach leaves from these larvae.
- Lettuce makes radishes more tender in summer.
And there you have it, now you know all the gardener's secrets to have fruitful harvests in your vegetable garden :-)
For the curious, know that this practical guide comes from Good to Be Home, a UK based site.
If you live in the southern hemisphere, that means the seasons don't match. However, all other advice remains 100% valid!
I also recommend this great book on the best methods to grow your garden fruits and vegetables: The practical guide to the vegetable garden in squares: everything to plan and cultivate.
Have a good harvest!
Your turn...
Did you use this guide to grow your vegetables in your vegetable garden? Tell us in the comments if it worked for you. We can't wait to hear from you!
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Also to discover:
The 5 Secrets of Effortless Gardening.
The Practical Guide For Combining Vegetables From Your Garden.
