If you’re a newcomer to the world of gardening, setting yourself up for success is important. Knowing which plants are easiest to care for when you’re starting out will make your hobby far easier. Understanding the hardest vegetables to grow in your garden is equally essential. Here are some seeds you should avoid purchasing if you’re a rookie.
Sweet Corn
Sweet corn requires a lot of space to grow properly, so this is not a plant for smaller plots. It also must be planted in square shapes to take advantage of wind pollination. Lastly, different species of corn planted in close proximity may cross-pollinate, tainting the taste of the produce. These factors combined make sweet corn a difficult option for newbies.
Onion
Onions aren’t the most difficult vegetables to grow, but they do require some background knowledge to grow successfully. There’s a wide range of onion seeds to pick from, and each species has different sunlight, water, soil, and temperature requirements. If you don’t cater your garden to these specific demands, your onion seeds won’t produce a solid yield. As such, researching all the needs of the onion seeds you purchase is essential.
Sweet Potato
The main challenge with growing sweet potatoes is the vegetable’s strict requirements for optimal weather conditions. Originally tropical plants, sweet potatoes absolutely need at least 100 days of hot temperatures per year. They don’t thrive in cold soil or regions where warmth is absent at night. If you don’t live in a more temperate climate, you must plant this veggie in raised beds and provide proper coverage, which can prove difficult for newbies and experts alike.
Eggplant
Eggplant is another finicky plant that needs certain climate conditions. Specifically, the plant doesn’t respond well to changes in the weather, even slight ones. Additionally, common garden pests known as flea beetles love to eat at the leaves and roots of eggplants, hindering their growth and the success of your other plants. If you don’t like using pesticides, keeping these flea beetles out of the garden can be challenging.
These vegetables might be the hardest to grow in your garden, but they’re still excellent produce options for any green-thumbed individual. Simply start with more popular vegetables and work your way up to more challenging seeds such as onions and eggplants; this method is the best way to become the most successful gardener.
