Grow Your Own Food

Stake or cage plants for better airflow and yield. Prune suckers on indeterminate varieties.

Great for containers. Prolific producers — one plant can yield 200+ fruits.

Remove runners in year one to build strong crowns. Mulch with straw to keep berries clean.

Succession plant every 2 weeks for continuous harvest. Bolts in heat — grow in spring/fall.

Cut outer leaves for continuous harvest (cut-and-come-again method).

Cool weather crop. Plant in early spring or fall. Bolts quickly in summer heat.

Frost actually sweetens kale. One of the most cold-hardy garden crops.

Trellis for straight fruits and better airflow. Pick regularly to encourage more production.

One plant produces abundantly — 2-3 plants feed a family. Harvest at 6-8 inches for best flavor.

Green peppers are unripe — leave on plant longer for red, yellow, or orange.

Needs loose, rock-free soil for straight roots. Keep soil moist during germination (10-14 days).

Fastest vegetable to harvest — great for impatient gardeners and kids.

Bush beans are easier; pole beans produce longer. Don't handle wet plants to avoid disease.

Can grow indoors year-round on a windowsill. Cut above the lowest leaf for regrowth.

Provide a trellis or netting. Peas fix nitrogen — great for soil health.

Hill soil around stems as they grow. Harvest after tops die back. Cure in dark for 2 weeks.

Start slips from a sweet potato in water 6 weeks before planting. Needs warm soil (65°F+).

Choose short-day varieties in the South, long-day in the North. Stop watering when tops fall over.

Plant cloves in fall, harvest following summer. Cure for 2 weeks in a dry, shaded area.

Pinch off flower buds to keep leaves coming. Companion plant with tomatoes.

Bolts fast in heat. Succession plant every 3 weeks. Let some bolt to harvest coriander seeds.

Extremely invasive — always grow in containers. Spreads aggressively via underground runners.

Drought-tolerant once established. Bring indoors in zones below 7. Lives for years as a perennial.

Hardy perennial that thrives in poor, well-drained soil. Great ground cover.

Harvest main head before flowers open. Side shoots continue producing for weeks after.

Blanch white varieties by tying leaves over the head. More finicky than broccoli.

Needs warm soil (70°F+). Harvest when skin is glossy — dull skin means overripe.

Plant in blocks (not rows) for wind pollination. Each stalk produces 1-2 ears.

Space-hungry vines. Place cardboard under developing fruit to prevent rot.

Cure in sun for 10 days after harvest. Stores for months in a cool, dry place.

Harvest young for best texture. Check daily — summer squash grows fast.

Eat both roots and greens. Each seed cluster produces multiple plants — thin to strongest.

Heat and cold tolerant — one of the longest-producing garden greens. Cut outer leaves first.

Fast-growing and peppery. Bolts in heat — best as a spring/fall crop.

Needs acidic soil (pH 4.5-5.5). Produces for 20+ years once established. Net against birds.

Summer-bearing vs. ever-bearing — prune differently. Spreads via underground runners.

Thorny and thornless varieties available. Produces on second-year canes (floricanes).

Needs lots of space and heat. Thump test: ripe melons sound hollow.

Ripe when stem slips off easily with gentle pressure. Reduce water near harvest for sweeter fruit.

Loves heat. Harvest pods at 2-3 inches — gets tough if left too long. Wear gloves (spiny).

Don't harvest for 2-3 years while crowns establish. Then produces for 15-20 years.