Beginner Vegetable Garden Plan: 10 Easy Crops to Start With
Quick Answer
Start with these 10 foolproof vegetables: tomatoes, zucchini, lettuce, green beans, cucumbers, radishes, peppers, herbs (basil), carrots, and kale. A 4x8 raised bed is enough space. Expect to spend $50-100 on supplies and 2-3 hours per week maintaining your garden.
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The 10 Best Vegetables for Beginners
1. Tomatoes
Why they're easy: Forgiving, productive, and rewarding. One plant produces 10-20 lbs of fruit.
- Space needed: 2-3 sq ft per plant
- Days to harvest: 60-80 days
- Best varieties: Cherry tomatoes (most forgiving), Roma, Early Girl
Beginner tip: Start with transplants, not seeds. Stake or cage them early.
2. Zucchini
Why they're easy: Grows fast, produces heavily, hard to kill.
- Space needed: 4 sq ft per plant
- Days to harvest: 45-55 days
- Best varieties: Black Beauty, Costata Romanesco
Beginner tip: Pick when 6-8 inches long. They grow fast—check daily.
3. Lettuce
Why it's easy: Quick harvest, grows in partial shade, cut-and-come-again.
- Space needed: 1 sq ft per plant (or scatter seeds)
- Days to harvest: 30-45 days
- Best varieties: Butterhead, Romaine, loose-leaf mix
Beginner tip: Plant in spring or fall. Bolts (goes bitter) in summer heat.
4. Green Beans
Why they're easy: Direct sow, no transplanting needed, reliable producers.
- Space needed: 9 plants per sq ft (bush) or trellis (pole)
- Days to harvest: 50-60 days
- Best varieties: Provider (bush), Blue Lake (pole)
Beginner tip: Bush beans are easier. Pole beans produce longer but need support.
5. Cucumbers
Why they're easy: Fast growing, heavy producers, love summer heat.
- Space needed: 2 sq ft per plant (with trellis)
- Days to harvest: 50-70 days
- Best varieties: Marketmore, Spacemaster (compact)
Beginner tip: Grow vertically to save space and prevent disease.
6. Radishes
Why they're easy: Fastest vegetable to harvest. Great confidence builder.
- Space needed: 16 per sq ft
- Days to harvest: 25-30 days
- Best varieties: Cherry Belle, French Breakfast
Beginner tip: Plant every 2 weeks for continuous harvest.
7. Peppers
Why they're easy: Compact plants, long harvest window, few pest problems.
- Space needed: 1 sq ft per plant
- Days to harvest: 60-90 days
- Best varieties: Bell peppers, Jalapeño, Shishito
Beginner tip: Start with transplants. They need warm soil (wait until after last frost).
8. Basil
Why it's easy: Grows fast, smells amazing, pairs with tomatoes.
- Space needed: 1 sq ft per plant
- Days to harvest: 30-45 days (continuous)
- Best varieties: Genovese, Sweet Basil
Beginner tip: Pinch off flower buds to keep leaves coming.
9. Carrots
Why they're easy: Direct sow, minimal care, store well.
- Space needed: 16 per sq ft
- Days to harvest: 70-80 days
- Best varieties: Nantes, Danvers (shorter, good for heavy soil)
Beginner tip: Keep soil moist until germination (can take 2-3 weeks).
10. Kale
Why it's easy: Cold tolerant, pest resistant, harvest leaves all season.
- Space needed: 1 sq ft per plant
- Days to harvest: 55-75 days
- Best varieties: Lacinato (Dinosaur), Curly
Beginner tip: Tastes sweeter after frost. Great for fall gardens.
How Much Space Do You Need?
| Garden Size | What You Can Grow |
|---|---|
| 4x4 ft (16 sq ft) | 4-6 crops, feeds 1 person |
| 4x8 ft (32 sq ft) | 8-10 crops, feeds 1-2 people |
| 4x12 ft (48 sq ft) | 10-12 crops, feeds 2-3 people |
Recommendation: Start with a 4x8 raised bed. Big enough to be productive, small enough to manage.
Beginner Garden Layout (4x8 Raised Bed)
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Tomato │ Tomato │ Pepper │ Pepper │
│ 🍅 │ 🍅 │ 🫑 │ 🫑 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼─────────┤
│ Zucchini │ Cucumber │
│ 🥒 │ 🥒 │
├────────┬────────┼────────┬─────────┤
│ Basil │ Basil │ Lettuce│ Lettuce │
│ 🌿 │ 🌿 │ 🥬 │ 🥬 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼─────────┤
│ Beans │ Beans │Carrots │ Radish │
│ 🫘 │ 🫘 │ 🥕 │ 🔴 │
└────────┴────────┴────────┴─────────┘
What You'll Need (Starter Budget)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Raised bed or containers | $30-100 |
| Soil (2 cu ft per sq ft) | $20-40 |
| Transplants (6-pack) | $3-5 each |
| Seeds | $2-4 per packet |
| Basic tools (trowel, watering can) | $15-25 |
| Total | $70-180 |
Save money: Start from seeds, use free compost, repurpose containers.
Weekly Time Commitment
| Task | Time |
|---|---|
| Watering (if no rain) | 10-15 min/day |
| Weeding | 15-30 min/week |
| Harvesting | 15-30 min/week |
| Pest check | 5-10 min/week |
| Total | 2-3 hours/week |
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Planting too early — Wait until after your last frost date
- Overwatering — Soil should be moist, not soggy
- Planting too close — Follow spacing guidelines
- Ignoring pests — Check plants weekly, act early
- Giving up after one failure — Every gardener loses plants. It's normal.
Get Your Custom Garden Plan
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Related Guides
- Companion Planting Chart: Complete Guide
- When to Start Seeds Indoors (By Zone)
- Raised Bed Vegetable Garden Layout Ideas