DIY Network

Easy Veggies These three veggies are bound to get your garden growing. From "The Dirt On..." episode DTDO-124

If you've never tried growing vegetables before, it can be a little intimidating. There's nothing like a failed crop to force you back into the produce aisle. Here are a few easy-to-grow vegetables to get you going.

advertisement

Figure A

Peas

Peas are big producers without much work. Garden peas are the kind you find in the freezer aisle – shelled from the pod, which is discarded. Snow peas are flat and often eaten in stir-fry meals; you eat both the peas and the pods from these. Snap peas are similar to snow peas but they're plump.

Plant your peas when the weather becomes mild in early spring (peas can withstand some frost but they don't like hot weather, pretty much ceasing growth when the temperatures rise above 80 degrees). Dig up the soil when it's not wet, and work in some compost. Plant your seedlings a couple of inches apart and give them a boost with a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer.

Most peas will need something to climb on. You can set branches or bamboo stakes (whatever you have handy) between your rows so they'll grow up both sides (figure A).

Keep them moist and you'll have a healthy wall of peas in about 50-70 days.

Figure B

Radishes

Radishes are very gratifying because they're ready to harvest in under a month. The round, red variety you most often eat is called 'Cherry Belle.' Plant this with a few different varieties so you can try something new. 'Easter Egg' radishes are red, purple and white and will add a little whimsy to your dinner plate. 'French Breakfast' radishes have a cylinder shape and a mild, sweet taste.

This is one veggie that's easy to grow from seed. Plant them as early as you can work the soil in the spring. They like full sun and light, sandy soil but will grow well in almost any good soil. Plant the seeds a half-inch deep and an inch apart. To hedge your bets, drop in three or four seeds in each hole (figure B). You can always thin them later. You don't have to fertilize, just cover them back up with soil.

Keep an eye on your radishes. If you wait too long to harvest they'll start to split open and become hot – not too tasty.

	Figure C
	Figure D

Peppers

If your soil is keeping you from growing veggies, the excuses stop here. You can grow peppers no matter how bad your soil is because they're perfect for containers (figure C). You can plant sweet peppers if you're not a fan of the heat, but if you do like the spicy stuff, plant the hottest pepper you'll actually eat.

Transplant your seedlings into a container after the last frost. They don't like cold weather. Give them plenty of sun and a well-drained, fertile potting mix. Add a starter fertilizer to get them going and keep them well watered. Dry spells will bring on problems.

When you're ready to harvest, cut the peppers from the plant (figure D)instead of pulling them off to prevent damaging your plant. Enjoy!