10 Vegetables That Are Surprisingly Difficult to Grow (and 6 to Try Instead!)

6 Vegetables That Are Easier to Grow

Some vegetable crops are a little more forgiving to grow because they have fewer days to maturity, require less tending, or have a reduced chance of failure.

Baby Leaf Lettuce

Baby leaf lettuce can be grown in as little as 30 days and can be harvested with the cut-and-come-again method, Kasper says. This is done by cutting the plant down to 1 inch from the soil to regrow three or four times.

Beets or Carrots

Kasper adds that beets or carrots can produce well in most climates with little effort, so long as they have consistent moisture to germinate. Also the seedlings must be thinned to provide proper spacing.

Bush Beans

Bush beans are a beginner-friendly crop, Kasper says.

“The large seeds are easy to handle and the plant produces abundantly with little work, so long as they are planted when soil temperatures are warm in early summer,” she says.

Cabbage

Cabbage is an easy-to-grow alternative to growing its trickier relative, Brussels sprouts, Barrios says.

“Cabbage can be harvested 60 to 100 days after planting and grows a large single head that is much easier to maintain,” she says.

Cabbage can be prepared in a similar way to Brussels sprouts and has a similar flavor.

Peas

Instead of wrestling with corn, Barrios suggests growing peas.

“If you like the taste of sweet corn, peas are a good option,” she says. “You can grow peas from seed easily. During the spring and fall seasons, you can plant peas in succession to increase your yield.”

Potatoes

“Potatoes are a great starchy staple crop, and they can be grown easily in the ground, in raised beds, or even in deep containers,” Barrios says.

She adds that potatoes are very easy to harvest: “Once the plant fully dies back, you will know the potatoes are mature and ready to be dug up.”