Preparing your first veggie crop? Take steps to limit growing pain

Q I am new to gardening and very much a raw rookie. I cannot tell you how great it was to find your column and be able to ask you for help! My wife and I would like to lessen our carbon footprint by growing our own vegetables this year. What are the easiest vegetables to grow from seed? I would like to start off with something easy so I don't scare myself away from the project by trying to grow something that is very involved. A Welcome to the gardening community. I'm sure if you ask 100 veteran gardeners what are the easiest vegetables to grow, you will get 100 different answers. For our purposes, let's look at the list of easy veggies published by the Home Garden Seed Association. According to the HGSA, the top six easy-to-grow vegetables are:

1. Beans

2. Cucumbers

3. Lettuce

4. Peas

5. Radishes

6. Squash (for example, zucchini)

I think the list is pretty accurate. These will get you off to a flying start with very little effort.

However, consider the following suggestions to improve your harvest:

■ Prepare the soil. Add lots of organic matter and work it in well. Properly preparing the bed will mean healthier plants with a better yield.

■ Make sure the garden gets at least six hours of sun a day and more if possible. Many new gardeners get frustrated trying to grow plants that need a lot of sun in shady conditions.

■ Read the seed packets carefully when planting. The packets will tell you how deep to plant, how long it takes to germinate, how long until harvest and what exposure is best. If buying bedding plants, read the tags that come with the plants for the same information.

■ Water regularly, especially during hot weather. Watering is far more important than fertilizing. This is especially true if you have added organic matter to the beds already. Water can make the difference between a plant producing poorly or producing very well. If growing tomatoes, water can help prevent blossom end rot when the fruit is forming.

■ Have fun with your new hobby.

Too many gardeners get hung up on the perfect way to do things and don't take the time to enjoy what they are doing, which is growing their own food. Enjoy!

IAN KUCERAK Before planting vegetables in your garden, add lots of organic matter to your soil for better yields, Gerald Filipski writes. Ensure your plot is exposed to at least six hours of sun per day, and be sure to water often.