For Beginners In The UK, The Easiest Vegetables To Grow Are Those That Tolerate Cooler, Wetter Conditions, Have Few Pests, And Don’t Need Too Much Maintenance.
Here are some of the best options:
Perennial Veg Crops such as rhubarb, perennial kale, Jerusalem artichoke are idea as once planted they crop year after year with minimal attention
Lettuce and salad leaves Fast-growing and can be harvested within weeks. You can grow them in pots or direct in the soil, and though best grown in full sun they tolerate partial shade. Lettuce are something I know a good bit about as I used to grow half a million a year and harvested every month of the year from indoor and greenhouse crops. For more on lettuce click the link.
Radishes One of the quickest crops—ready in about four weeks. They grow well in most soils and don’t need much space.
Spring onions Low maintenance and perfect for growing direct in the soil or containers. They grow in most soils and can be sown all year around with crops being ready for harvest every month.
Onion & Shallot Setts
These are grown from setts (think of them as baby onions) which are planted in the soil in Autumn or spring and produce a crops that is easy to manage.
Carrots Easy to grow from seed in lighter soils. Choose shorter varieties if your soil is heavy. Ignore the myth about them needing to be grown in sand, they just need lighter soils.
Peas They thrive in the UK’s mild climate. You can sow them early in spring and right through until autumn. they can be grown for pea shoots on a kitchen window sill or as mange tout or podded peas.
Broad beans Hardy and simple to grow; you can even sow them in autumn for an early summer crop, or in early spring. They can also be grown as a green manure.
Potatoes Great for beginners because they’re forgiving and improve soil structure. They can be grown in bags, tubs, or direct in the ground. There are early, second early and main crop varieties which you can learn more about by following the link. Early crops are less likely to get potato blight.
Courgettes, pumpkins and gourds All are productive plants that can yield heavily. You only need a couple of plants for a steady supply through summer. Pumpkins, marrows and gourds can be stored for many months.
Beetroot Low effort and fast-growing. You can harvest both roots and leaves.
Spinach and chard These leafy greens thrive in cooler weather and can be cut repeatedly for new growth.
The Golden Rule
Whether you decide to go down the traditional dig or no-dig route the golden rule is to keep the crops weed free. Weeds compete with your crops for light, moisture and nutrients. Your crops stand a much better chance of kept relatively weed free.
