Ready to jump into gardening? It can be daunting at first, but gardening is an incredibly rewarding hobby to get into. Check out the top 10 Fruits & Vegetables to plant in Spring, it will help you to plan and grow your tastiest little garden ever. Find out how much water and soil each plant needs as well as the temperature and sun exposure they need to flourish, along with expert gardening tips too!
If you’ve never tasted garden-fresh fruit and vegetables, you are in for a treat! You will be amazed by the sweet, juicy flavors and vibrant textures. There’s absolutely nothing quite like fresh fruits and veggies, especially if you grow them yourself—which is totally possible! We have compiled a top 10 list of delicious fruits and vegetables to plant in the Spring time and will hopefully be able to eat in the Summer. Check out our list below and let us know how you did.
10 Fruits & Vegetables to Plant in Spring
1. Tomatoes
Nothing compares to the juicy taste of a red, ripe tomato straight out of the garden. These delectable fruits not only taste great but are quite easy to grow. Tomatoes are incredibly productive, versatile in the kitchen, and so delicious off the vine. They can grow in a variety of conditions with exception of extreme cold, and they don’t require a lot of space.
Water well throughout the growing season, about 2 inches per week during the summer. Water deeply for a strong root system. It is best to water in the early morning as this will give the plant the moisture it needs to make it through a hot day. Avoid watering late afternoon or evening.
The soil should consist of organic matter, usually in the form of compost, with sufficient amounts of fertilizer and moisture.
Once nighttime temperatures have risen above 55 F. /13 C. degrees and the frost is gone it’s the perfect time to think about tomato planting!
Tomatoes require areas with full sun and should have adequate protection from strong winds, so they can thrive.
If you take the time to plant a vegetable garden, it should reward you with a harvest to provide for the whole family.
Cherry tomatoes are extremely prolific. Though the fruit are small, plant one to four plants per person. This equals to four to 16 plants for a family of four.
2. Raspberries
Raspberries are filled with antioxidants and are perfect for a tasty treat in summer. You can east them on their own, toss them in salads, on a dessert or drink. They can be planted in the summer, but early spring yields the best tasting crops. With proper care, raspberries will fruit year after year. They can be harvested all the way from midsummer through to the first frost.
Whether you’re planting bare-root or potted plants, keep the crown of the plant 1 or 2 inches above the ground. Water one inch per week from spring until after harvest. Regular watering is better than infrequent deep soaking.
The berries are prone to root rot, so they do best well in a raised bed with rich soil that drains well. Manure or compost will help the fruit really flourish.
Raspberries won’t keep for long so enjoy them soon after picking! They can be kept refrigerated for about 5 days. Don’t wash the berries after picking, unless you’re going to eat them straight away. They will grow moldy and mushy if not kept dry in storage. If you do need to wash them, let them air dry completely before storing.
3. Bell Peppers
From omelets to tacos, to pasta dishes and salads, sweet bells provide a tasty crunch to so many popular meals without the spice and everyone knows that nothing beats the crunch of a freshly picked pepper!
Water one to two inches per week, but remember that peppers are extremely heat sensitive. If you live in a warm or desert climate, watering everyday may be necessary.
Soil should be well-draining and rich in organic matter. A soil consistency somewhere between sandy and loamy will ensure that the soil drains well and warms quickly. Make sure to maintain adequate moisture either with mulch or plastic covering.
Pepper plants require full sun to produce the largest and healthiest fruit, so pick an area that doesn’t get shade.
Once nighttime temperatures reach at least 60°F (16°C) the pepper plant can survive.
Fertilize after the first fruit set.
4. Cucumbers
No summer is complete without cucumbers. These low-calorie veggies contain many nutritional benefits, including hydrating properties and valuable nutrients.
Cucumbers are vigorous growers and therefore need between 1 and 2 inches of water per week, depending on the weather and type of soil. The key is to keep the soil slightly moist at all times. Water deeply about once or twice a week — and more often if you’re gardening in sandy soil.
When planting cucumbers, choose a site that has adequate drainage and fertile soil. Good soil will have plenty of organic matter, such as compost. Adding compost to the soil will help get your cucumbers off to a good start, and applying an organic fertilizer, such as manure, will help give the plants nutrients during growth.
Cucumber plants like warm, humid weather; loose, organic soil and need plenty of sunlight!
There are two types of cucumber plants: vining cucumbers and bush cucumbers.
Vining cucumbers grow on vigorous vines shaded by large leaves. The growth of these plants is fast, and the crop yield is abundant if you care for them properly. Vining varieties grow best when trained up a trellis or fence. They will be cleaner—versus those that grow directly atop soil—often more prolific, and easier to pick.
Bush Cucumbers, however, are nicely suited to containers and small gardens.
5. Potatoes
The potato is one of the world’s favorite foods, beloved for its versatility and adaptability for all types of potato recipes. The potato can be cooked in a variety of ways from boiled or baked, to steamed, roasted, microwaved or fried. Imagine the perfect potato salad with a great BBQ dinner. The recipe options are endless.
Provide enough water to a potato plant so that its soil is moist, but not saturated. The general rule is to provide it 1 to 2 inches of water per week, including rain fall. A consistent water schedule of once every four to five days is ideal for a young potato plant.
Potatoes like slightly acid soil with a pH of 6.0 – 6.8. Organic matter in the soil will improve your crop, but use well rotted compost or dig in a cover crop the previous fall. Avoid fresh manure.
Potatoes are tolerant of cool soils and moderate frosts. Minimum soil temperature at planting time should be 6°C (43°F). Plants will emerge about 2-3 weeks after planting. Potato plants thrive with full sun.
Beans, carrots, celery, corn, garlic, onions, and peas all do well planted near potatoes. Avoid planting potatoes near asparagus, cucumber, melons, parsnips, rutabaga, squash, sunflower, and turnips.
6. Beets
Beets are great for a healthy lifestyle. There are a ton of easy-to-make beet recipes that are absolutely delicious and healthy to boot!
Provide at least 1 inch of water every week. Mulching will help to keep the soil from drying out and getting too warm. Beets are not quite as cold tolerant as cool-season vegetables, like broccoli, but they can tolerate a light frost.
Beets grow best in loamy, acid soils (pH levels ranging between 6.0 and 7.5). If your soil is heavy clay, rocky, hard, or alkaline, mix in an inch or so of compost.
Beets will not produce roots if planted when the soil is too cold. Seeds will germinate in 5-12 days, depending on soil temperature. Optimal soil temperature: 10-26°C (50-80°F).
Sow the seeds in full sun for the best roots; if you don’t have a sunny spot in your garden, plant them anyway — beets still produce a lot of leafy greens in partial shade.
Start planting beet seeds directly into the garden about four weeks before your last expected spring frost and keep planting more seeds every two weeks all the way through the summer and early fall for a continual harvest.
7. Salad Leaves
Growing a salad garden is easier than you think. Most salad greens are quick growing and ready to harvest just 4 to 6 weeks from seeding. Lettuce is great on burgers, in wraps or a spring mixed salad.
Because most types of salad crops are shallow-rooted and fast-growing, they require an even supply of moisture.
Sprinkling mulch of straw or shredded leaves on top of the soil will help retain the moisture.
Salad greens grow best in fertile, moisture-retentive soil, so dig in some compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
Salad greens, such as lettuce, arugula, and spinach, do well with three to four hours of sun per day, and need protection from the harsh midday sun. Grow them in an area with full morning light and filtered afternoon light.
Salad leaves can be grown in garden beds or containers.
8. Peas
Peas are one of the first crop you can grow in Spring and are extremely easy! The taste of garden-grown peas is nothing compared to what you find in grocery stores. Homegrown peas are like nature’s candy off the vine.
Water sparsely unless the plants are wilting. If the weather is dry, water them periodically. Do not let plants dry out, or no pods will be produced.
Plant peas as soon as the ground thaws and can be worked in the spring, even if there is more snow on the way.
Plan to sow seeds outdoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost date, when soil temperatures reach at least 45°F (7°C). The soil must drain well.
Plant seeds 1 inch deep (slightly deeper if soil tends to dry out quickly) and about 2 inches apart.
Select a sunny location. While peas can grow in part shade, they won’t be as sweet or productive as those grown in full sun.
Keep the pea bed well weeded. When using weeding tools be careful because peas are shallow rooted. To avoid disturbing the fragile roots, gently remove unwanted weeds by hand.
9. Radishes
Radishes can be grown all season but they’re easiest when sown March/April and again August through October.
Radishes need water, but not too much. Radishes will thrive in a seedbed with proper drainage. Keep the soil evenly moist, but not soaked. Don’t allow the soil to completely dry out before watering.
Optimal soil temperature: 18-24°C (65-75°F). Seeds should sprout in 5-7 days. Sow seeds 5mm (¼”) deep, 25 seeds per 30cm (12″) in rows spaced 30-45cm (12-18″) apart, and thin to 6-12 plants per 30cm (12″).
Choose a gardening bed that gets at least six hours of sun a day.
Plant radishes near beans, beets, cucumber, lettuce, mint, parsnip, peas, spinach, squash, and tomatoes. Avoid planting near potatoes.
10. Carrots
Nothing tastes sweeter then a homegrown carrot! It is crunchy, tasty, and highly nutritious. Carrots are a particularly good source of beta carotene, fiber, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants.
Carrots need a minimum of 1 inch of water every week. If they cannot get an adequate supply from rainfall, you will need to water the soil. When you water your carrots, make sure to soak the soil completely. If you only wet the soil’s surface, the roots will not grow as deeply.
When you grow carrots, soil surfaces should be cleared of trash, rocks and sticks. Make sure the soil is tilled up to soften and aerate the ground to make it easier to grow carrots long and straight.
Heavy soils cause the carrots to mature slowly and the roots will end up unattractive and rough.
Carrots are a full-sun plant. While they tolerate partial shade, carrots require at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight during the day.
Sunlight is important to the vegetable’s development and carrots that do not receive the proper amount of sunlight produce poor crop yields.
When growing carrots in the garden, make sure to plant, per person, five to ten feet of row to have enough carrots for table use. You will get about one pound of carrots in a one foot row.
What is your favourite fruit or vegetable to plant? Do you have any tips and tricks that you would like to share?
Leave us a comment below!
Sources: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/planting-tomato-plants.htm; https://www.almanac.com/plant/tomatoes; https://homeguides.sfgate.com/many-tomato-plants-feed-family-4-63093.html; https://www.geico.com/living/home/food/12-fruits-and-veggies-to-plant-this-spring/; https://www.environmental-watch.com/2013/03/07/what-to-grow-in-spring/; https://www.thompson-morgan.com/top-10-easy-to-grow-vegetables; https://www.almanac.com/plant/bell-peppers; https://www.burpee.com/gardenadvicecenter/vegetables/cucumbers/all-about-cucumbers/article10230.html; www.westcoastweeds.com
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Great post! Thank you for the tips 🙂