5 Easiest Foods To Grow For Beginner Gardeners

When it comes to a beginner gardener I think it is important to get a few wins under your belt. The easiest way to get a win is by starting off with some of the easiest of all food plants. Once you have a few successes you can move on to other food crops with a bit more confidence so that's why I have compiled this list of, in my opinion, the 5 easiest foods to grow for beginner gardeners.If you try to start your gardening journey with a really difficult food crop and it fails, you might lose your confidence and be more likely to give up.I've chosen these five foods because they can all be grown in pots and containers, grown indoors or in small backyards and apartment balconies. I have grown all of these foods at home in pots in a very small area and continue to do so as I write this article.

1. Herbs

Herbs including basil, sage, oregano, thyme, chives, coriander, parsley and even mint are great for growing in pots indoors on a windowsill or on a small apartment balcony. These are super easy to grow all year round and are excellent for adding extra flavours to your meals. The awesome thing about all these herbs is you can grow them from seed and they will quickly grow into useful plants. If you prefer you can skip this step completely and purchase already established plants.

2. Chillies

I'm a huge fan of chillies and fortunately, they are super simple to grow in pots. Chillies come in a number of different varieties ranging in the colour and the heat of the fruits, some are mild and some are extremely hot. Chillies just like herbs can be grown in pots and containers indoors in a sunny position or on your apartment balcony. It is important to choose a variety that suits your taste, your conditions and size limitations. Just like herbs, chillies are really easily grown from seeds. To grow from seed you can use the seeds from a store-bought chilli or you can buy seed packets from your local nursery. You can also buy already established chilli plants if you prefer.

3. Strawberries

I have had great success growing strawberries in pots. It did take the plants quite a while to grow strawberries and when they did they were small but absolutely delicious. Strawberries are a great fruit/berry that can be used on your desserts, in your smoothies or just eaten on their own. Growing strawberries from seed is really simple but buy already established plants, or even crowns if you prefer. There are many different varieties of strawberries to choose from and all of them are delicious. Strawberries love the sun so place them in a sunny position on a balcony or windowsill.

4. Tiny tomatoes

Tomatoes are probably the most used food in my kitchen at home, we use them for a large portion of the dishes we eat. Tiny tomatoes are perfect for snacking on, placing on sandwiches or using in salads. Just like all the other foods on this list there are so many varieties of tiny tomatoes to choose from. These are all high yielding and easy to grow in sunny positions in pots. Buy seeds online, from your local nursery or small established plants.

5. Red and green mixed lettuce

Finally, the last thing that can be easily grown is mixed lettuces. You can buy seed packets containing both red and green mixed lettuces. I have found that these grow really well in shallow pots, containers and trays and can be harvested in about 30 -40 days, all year round. The great thing about these mixed lettuces is you can cut the leaves off when you need them and the plant will continue to grow and produce more. These lettuces are perfect for summer salads or on your sandwiches.I hope this list of the 5 Easiest Foods To Grow For Beginner Gardeners was helpful. Good luck with these crops and let me know how you go. I would also love to know if you think there are any other food crops that are easier than these ones.