When starting a garden, it’s important to know how the weather might affect it, and if you anticipate shade, but also heat, lettuce might be the right crop for you. Lettuce handles shade well, especially during any extremely hot weather in the spring and summer. It will grow slowly in the shade and be slower to go to seed, which actually means it can be harvested for longer, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.

This is an easy vegetable for beginners at gardening. Just be sure to have the correct soil when growing potatoes. It should not be heavy or wet because the potatoes will rot, but if the soil is too dry then it will grow slowly. When planting, ensure there is 1 foot between seeds. The space between each potato allows the tubers to grow larger.

Radishes and carrots are companions. so these are two vegetables that can be grown together. Radishes sprout very quickly and will push up through the soil and break it up for the carrots that usually sprout later.

When growing cucumbers, it is important that you prepare ahead of time. The soil should be fertilized with substances high in nitrogen and potassium to support the plants. If possible, grow them near a fence that can act as support for climbing. There are other household items you can use to upcycle your garden.

There are not many issues that arise when growing peppers in your garden. They should be planted in your sunniest area or grown in containers placed in full sun.

Beets will start to grow quickly in loose soil. Before you start planting, make sure to remove any stones and clumps to make sure that the soil stays loose.

Ideally, peas should be planted two weeks before the last spring frost in your region or area. To harvest a continuous supply of peas during the summer, simultaneously sow varieties with different maturity dates. Then sow more seeds about 2 weeks later.

For beginners growing carrots, make sure that you have soft soil that drains very well. Mixing in some sand will help the soil to loosen up. You may have to thin out your carrot crop to ensure they grow properly.

This vegetable is most notably used for decoration during Halloween but it is easy to grow. It’s important to grow pumpkins in soil that is rich in compost and to water them often. Make sure to give each seed a lot of room when planting them.

The soil for spinach should not be warmer than 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Spinach, like many vegetables on this list, should be planted in an area with full sun and well-drained soil. It is recommended by the Farmers’ Almanac that you start your spinach seeds outside because transferring them can be difficult. However, if you would rather start them inside, here are some indoor gardening tips.

To properly grow yellow summer squash, it is important to water often and always at the soil level and not the leaves. Similar to pumpkins, summer squash needs to be in soil that is rich in compost and also needs space between seeds to grow.

Although it is typically planted in the fall or early winter, garlic can also be planted in the early spring. Like most vegetables, garlic should be in a sunny spot where it can get ample exposure. Unlike some of the other vegetables on the list, garlic needs to be separated by only a couple of inches when planting.

Kale can be grown from any time between early spring and early summer and it will continue to grow until it gets too hot. Kale also gets sweeter as it goes through a couple of frosts.

Basil is one of the best plants for rookie gardeners. It is an herb that needs six to eight hours of sunlight while in well-drained and moist soil. Tomatoes are a great vegetable to grow next to basil. Each seedling should be separated by 1 foot.

There is minimal care that needs to be taken for mint to grow healthily. If planting outdoors, use a light mulch that will keep the soil moist and the leaves clean. If you are growing it inside, be sure to water it regularly.

The soil for growing celery should be loose and mixed with aged compost, and should have plenty of moisture on it and be almost wet. Before you plant seedlings, it is recommended that you soak them in warm water overnight to speed germination. During hot and dry weather, make sure to water often.

While it is typically grown during the colder months of the year, chard is tolerant of the hotter temperatures. As a result, it will grow slower but can still turn into a great salad green. Because chard is mainly grown for its leaves, thinning is not as important as it is with other vegetables. But, when chard is crowded, it tends to grow smaller leaves.

Due to their small size, lentils are best grown in large quantities and should get plenty of sun and moist soil. If you intend to start them inside, leave them indoors for up to four weeks before putting them outside. When they are first planted, they do not require a lot of space, so they can be planted 1 to 2 inches apart. As they grow more, they should be given 5 inches of space.

Although this vegetable plant is easy to grow, it has many weed-like tendencies and as a result, can grow in almost any area of your garden. Purslane does not do well in the cold, so it is perfect for the spring and summer seasons. Unlike other vegetables on this list, it grows best in dry soil.

Asparagus is one of the first plants to come up in the spring and is a perennial, according to The Farmers’ Almanac, but growing asparagus is playing the long game. It is not recommended that you harvest asparagus for consumption in your first few years. It will need full sun and well-drained soil that is rich in nutrients. Make sure that before you start planting, the soil is as weed-free as possible. Asparagus is a great heart-healthy food you should add to your diet.

Artichokes need plenty of space to grow — 3 to 5 feet of space between each one — and require plenty of water, but they can grow in a variety of soil types. If growing even these veggies sounds too complicated or time-consuming, here’s a list of in-season spring produce you can pick up at a store or market.

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