Easy Vegetables to Grow in Your Garden

Beans

You can grow bush or pole beans. Bush beans stand erect without support. They yield well and require the least amount of work. Pole Beans take longer to grow and need support.

Direct sow in May. Try to plant during a warm, dry spell. Soil must be warm - if it is not warm enough, seeds will rot. Use a seed inoculant and sow seeds 1-2 inches deep and 2-3 apart. Space rows 18-24 apart.

Varieties that grow well in Calgary - Stringless Green Pod (Bush Bean), Blue Lake Bean (Pole Bean)

Beets

Beets are incredibly healthy for you. Both the roots and the leaves are an excellent source of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamin C.

Sow seeds directly in the garden one month before the last frost date. Sow 1 inch deep, and 3 inches apart. Space rows 12 inches apart. Beet seeds are actually compound seeds; several individual beet seeds are contained in one seed. When the plants are about three inches tall, thin the beets to one per every 3 inches.

Varieties that grow well in Calgary - Detroit Dark Red, Burpee's Golden, Early Wonder

Carrots

Carrots can be fussy to grow, but the taste of home grown carrots is worth the effort.

Sprinkle the seeds in rows on the soil surface. Carrot seeds are small, so sow thinly. Cover the seeds with ¼ inch of fine soil. Space rows 12 inches apart. It is very important to thin carrots in order to allow them room to grow. Thin young plants when they are 1 inch high leaving 1-2 inches between plants. As they grow, carrots push up, out of the soil, so hill soil up to prevent getting a green shoulder.

Varieties that grow well in Calgary - Scarlet Nantes, Red Cored Danvers

Kale

Kale is a cold weather plant and does well here in Calgary because of our cool spring weather.

Plant seeds once the soil can be worked. Sow ½ inch deep and approximately 3 inches apart. Space rows 10 inches apart. Thin plants to 12 inches apart when they are 4 to 5 inches tall.

Varieties that grow well in Calgary - Black Tuscan, Dwarf Curled Scotch

Lettuce

Lettuce is easy to grow and matures quickly. Do successive plantings every two weeks to space out your harvest. This allows you to have fresh lettuce throughout the growing season.

Sprinkle the seeds in rows on the soil surface. Leaf lettuce seeds are small, so sow thinly. Cover the seeds with ¼ inch of fine soil. Space rows 18 inches apart. Thin the lettuce once the seedlings have sprouted leaving 6 to 8 inches between each plant.

Varieties that grow well in Calgary - Prizehead (Leaf Lettuce), Cos or Romaine (Romaine Lettuce)

Peas

Nothing beats the taste of peas that are freshly picked.

Peas prefer cool weather. Plant as early in spring as the soil can be worked. Use a seed inoculant and sow seeds 1 inch deep and 1-3 inches apart. Space rows 24 inches apart. Plant most varieties along a trellis or fence for support as they climb.

Varieties that grow well in Calgary - Sugar Snap, Little Green

Radishes

Radishes are one of the easiest, quickest growing crops you can plant in your garden.

Sow seeds ½ inch deep and 1 to 2 inches apart. If you plant at this spacing, you won't have to worry about thinning. Space rows 8 inches apart. Radishes need more water than most other root crops. If they don't get enough water, the roots turn woody and tough. Make sure that they get at least one inch of water per week.

Varieties that grow well in Calgary - Cherry Belle (round), French Breakfast (tubular)

Spinach

Spinach is a cold weather plant and does well here in Calgary because of our cool spring weather. Spinach will bolt in warm weather so it is best planted as soon as the soil can be worked.

Sow spinach seeds 4 to 6 inches apart, ½ inch deep. Space rows 14 inches apart.

Varieties that grow well in Calgary - Bloomsdale Longstanding, Tyees

Swiss Chard

In addition to being an excellent source of vitamins A and C and several minerals, chard is also rich in vitamin K, making it a valuable food for maintaining strong bones.

Sow seeds ½ inch deep and 2 inches apart directly in the garden when the soil has warmed up.

Thin seedlings so they are 4 to 5 inches apart, or 8 to 10 inches apart if you plan to only harvest the outer leaves. Plant rows 12 inches apart.

Varieties that grow well in Calgary - Bright Lights (coloured stems), Fordhook Giant (white stems)

Zucchini

Zucchini is a great producer and grows very quickly.

Sow the seeds directly into the soil after the last frost date. Sow seeds 1 inch deep. Sow 3 seeds in each spot you want a plant to grow and thin to the strongest one. Space zucchinis 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 36 to 48 inches apart. Zucchini requires full sun and needs to be watered regularly once the plant is established.

Varieties that grow well in Calgary - Black Beauty, Elegance