If you are planning your garden this spring, you might be wondering which vegetables are the easiest to grow from seed. Many times, you can buy plants that are already close to producing vegetables, but often, it’s more rewarding to grow your plants from seed.

Thankfully, there are many vegetable plants that are not only easy to grow from seed, but also easy to find. Most, if not are, are available from your local garden store, but you can also find them online.

Let’s take a look at the 15 easiest vegetables to grow from seed, and get your garden started!

The 15 Easiest Vegetables to Grow from Seed

1. Lettuce

Lettuce certainly has to appear on the list. This crunchy, tasty veggie grows very quickly compared to others, and you can plant them early if you live in a northern climate, as the seeds actually do better in weather that is cold.

One thing to keep in mind about lettuce is that you should plant them directly into the soil in your garden. For other plants, you can start indoors, but start lettuce as soon as it starts to warm up.

2. Peas

Like lettuce, peas are very easy to grow from seed, too, and like lettuce, peas love cooler weather. So, as soon as the ground has thawed out, feel free to sow your peas directly into the garden.

3. Beans

Most people who have a garden love to grow beans, and you should, too! Beans are easy to grow from seed, and there are many types to choose from.

Some beans need a pole or stake to grow on, so keep that in mind, too, if you grow beans. Also, you want to wait to grow beans from seed until the threat of frost is over.

4. Squash

If you like squash, you are in luck! This vegetable family is very simple to grow from seeds. Wait about two weeks following your last frost to be safe, and then put your squash seeds directly into the garden.

Zucchini and butternut squash are some of the easiest, but really, you don’t have to worry too much about any squash you choose! They are all easy to grow from seed.

5. Radishes

Do you like radishes? If so, you are in luck! You can easily plant them right in your garden and growing them is very simple. You can plant radish seeds directly into the garden, too, and it’s safe to do so as soon as your last frost date has passed.

6. Beets

Like radishes, you want to start beets early, as soon as the threat of frost has passed. In fact, in areas that are too warm, beets simply won’t grow. They really like cooler weather, better, so don’t worry about planting them if it’s still getting cold at night.

7. Pumpkins

Like their cousins, the squash, pumpkins are also easy to grow from seed in the garden. Pumpkins don’t like it too cold, though, so it’s best to wait a week or two after the final frost in your area.

Keep in mind, when you choose to grow pumpkins, that they need a lot of room. Some pumpkins are also much bigger than others, so if you don’t have a lot of space, choose a smaller pumpkin variety.

8. Peppers

Peppers are really common to find in gardens, but a lot of people don’t plant peppers as seed. Instead, they buy the small pepper plants and then put them directly in the garden. However, that’s not totally necessary!

You can easily plant peppers from seed, but you have to start them indoors. The best way to do this is in a small peat pot or other safe seedling space. Once ready to go outside, you can simply transplant from indoors to outside!

9. Eggplant

If you like eggplant, you will be happy to know that they are easy to grow from seeds. In fact, you don’t even need a garden to grow eggplants, because you can also plant these seeds directly into a pot.

Whether you grow your eggplant in a pot or in a garden, like peppers, you have to plant them about 8 to 12 weeks before you will put them outside. They probably won’t survive if you plant the seeds directly in the garden, especially if you live in a cool climate.

10. Kale

Looking to boost your health? Kale is a great choice, and it’s extremely easy to plant in the garden from seed. Like other veggies on our list, you can grow kale as soon as the ground thaws and the threat of frost has passed.

All you have to do to grow kale is to sow it directly into the garden and make sure it has sun and water. You can also grow kale in containers.

11. Okra

You can also easily grow okra from seed! With okra, though, it’s going to be in your best interest to start it indoors about 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost is set to occur. You can grow them in peat or soil.

Once the last frost has passed, and the seedlings have grown, you can put the okra directly in your garden and watch it grow!

12. Arugula

If you are a person who likes to eat a lot of salad, you certainly will want to add arugula to your garden. Thankfully, it’s also extremely easy to grow!

Arugula is another veggie that you can start outside fairly early, as this leafy green likes the cool weather, too.

13. Swiss Chard

Another leafy green that is easy to grow from seed for you salad lovers is swiss chard. It likes the cold weather, too, and since it grows so easily from seed, it’s perfect for people who are looking for an easy-to-grow veggie who live in a colder climate.

14. Turnips

Turnips have a lot of health benefits, which is great if you are looking for an easy-to-grow veggie for your garden.

You can plant turnip seeds directly into your garden as soon as the soil is free from frost. Make sure you plant your turnips early in the spring, because they love the cool weather.

15. Carrots

Finally, if you are looking for a delicious, yet an easy-to-grow vegetable option, carrots are the way to go! They are so tasty, and they come in a ton of different varieties, so you are sure to find the perfect carrot for you.

Unlike other veggies here, carrots really don’t like to be transplanted, so as soon as you can plant them directly into the ground you should!

9 Tips on Growing Vegetables from Seed

It doesn’t matter what type of easy-to-grow veggie seeds you place in your garden; you probably want to make sure you are doing it right. Here are nine tips on growing vegetables from seed:

1. Buy Your Seeds from a Good Source

One of the most important things to remember is that high-quality seeds create high-quality plants. So, make sure you are buying seeds from a brand or source you can trust.

Keep in mind that this might or might not be from your local garden shop. It might be best to do some research before you purchase your seeds.

2. Choose the Right Soil

Another thing to remember is that you want to choose the correct soil for the seeds you are growing. For instance, some seeds will do very well in seed-starting soil, which is available from garden shops or online.

However, there are also special soils out there that are specifically formulated for certain plants, i.e. “leafy green soil” would be good for arugula, swiss chard, or lettuce.

3. Put the Seeds at the Correct Depth

Every seed packet you buy will recommend a soil depth. For instance, it might say “Plant 1-inch into the soil”. This is important information. Planting the seeds too deep could cause the seedling to never appear and planting too shallow could make for a tasty treat for a bird.

4. Ensure Your Soil has Drainage

Another important thing to keep in mind is that the container you choose, if you are planting indoors, has good drainage. You always have to water your seeds, but if there is too much water, it could kill the plants off before they even have time to turn into a seedling.

5. Use a Seedling Mat

If you are starting your seeds indoors, you might want to make a small investment into a seedling mat. This keeps the bottom of your container warm, which creates an ideal growing condition for seeds to turn into sprouts.

6. Know How to Care for Your Seeds

Different seeds have different care requirements. For instance, some seeds might need to be soaked for 24-48 hours before planting for best results. Other seeds can be placed directly into the soil with water, and you will see a sprout in a couple of days.

Either way, growing these seeds is easy, you simply want to make sure you are doing it in the correct way.

7. When Seedlings Appear, Give Them Light

You don’t have to worry too much about light as soon as you plant your seeds, but as soon as you see a sprout, you need to get light out and shining on them. That’s how they get food and grow.

You can find a grow light online or at your local garden store, but of course, you can also simply put your sprouts out in the sun or use a lamp that you already have at home.

8. Fertilize Your Seeds

It’s also a great idea to give your seeds some fertilizer, at least once a week. Again, you can find seedling fertilizer at your local garden center or online. This also helps the roots to develop and grow, and it makes the seedlings stronger.

9. Know When to Thin and Plant

Finally, you want to know when it’s time to thin out the seedlings and plant in the ground. Seedlings that look strong and green should be saved, and others should be thinned out. You will find that not every seed will grow, and some will be weaker than others.

Remove any weak-looking sprouts before you get ready to plant, and when you are ready to plant, ensure that you are planting in the correct spot.

Conclusion

Starting a garden is one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself or your family. It is a great summer project, and even the kids can get involved.

You will receive a bounty thanks to your hard work, and most plants can be jarred, canned, or frozen, which means you can eat your vegetables all year. No one wants to spend hours and hours in the garden, this summer, so choose these easy-to-grow veggies, instead.