Confidence-boosting veggies that’ll grow whatever your skill level!

When I first imagined growing plants to eat, my brain conjured an abundance of cucumbers, carrots, aubergines, peas, kumara.

When I chatted my vision thru with my lovely friend Lozza, she said “A veggie garden? First of all, yay you! Secondly” she continued, “keep it simple.”

Thank goodness for Lozza’s wise words: my brain repeats them often!

In creating our beginner-friendly edible garden, green leafy veggies are totally where the party’s at. Why?

• Leafy veggies can be harvested in as little as 4-6 weeks
• Most aren’t fussy about soil or conditions, as long as you keep them watered
• They’re full of the good stuff your body thanks you for
• Pick a few leaves and they keep on producing! They’re the gift that keeps on giving
• Green leafy veggies are the overachievers of the veggie world - ready to thrive even if you don’t know what you’re doing

Our leafy wins

Our top three go-to greens that have worked well in our first season of gardening

Kale

Kale is my low-maintenance BFF. It’s a quiet superstar that just keeps on producing blue-green leaves packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K and beta-carotene.

Kale isn’t fussy where it grows, keeps going year round and makes you feel fancy every time you eat it. Kale chips, anyone?

Or how about a delicious vegan Palek paneer recipe →

Our MVP | Kale has been my go-to leafy green of the season

Lettuce

Lettuce is the ultimate low-commitment crop. It doesn’t need much space and thrives in cooler weather. Little gem and Red Leaf varieties have thrived for us this summer and made for a steady supply of crunchy goodness

TOP TIP: Plant new lettuces every couple of weeks so you’re not drowning in lettuce one month and staring at empty beds the next.

Rocket

Rocket’s a speedy grower that brings a peppery kick and gourmet touch to any dish. It thrives in almost any garden.

I’ve tried growing rocket in three locations: our garden beds (that’s full sun), our mini greenhouse (that’s full sun, plus hot, hot, hot) and on the shady side of our house in a trough (that’s cooler, wetter & shadier).

Our best rocket location? The shady side. Everywhere else, our rocket bolted (AKA: grew straight up & flowered, rather than growing leaves)

Leafy losses

Our top of the flops

Spinach

This year, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY SEVEN SPINACH PLANTS bolted. I only got a handful of tender baby leaves from each plant, even though they grew like skyscrapers.

Pak choi

Our pak choi didn’t thrive this season. We got a few baby leaves, then they shot up and produced bright yellow flowers and all the leaves turned yellow. (Google tells me this is a nitrogen deficiency, but, right now, understanding the chemistry of my soil is a little above my pay grade).

Cabbages

Just like our pak choi, our baby cabbages haven’t developed into layered orbs of deliciousness. They’ve sat in the ground, slowly growing in size, but not in leafy abundance.

What the pros say about growing great greens

Keep ‘em hydrated: Greens are thirsty little puppies. In hot weather, they may extra need watering in the AM and the PM.

Feed the soil: Add compost or organic fertiliser to give your plants the best start. As I’m learning healthy soil = happy greens.

Harvest often: Picking leaves regularly encourages growth and stops the plants from going to seed too quickly.

Final leafy thoughts

Green leafy veggies are a great starting point for any edible adventure. They’re easy, productive and satisfying to grow. Plus, there’s nothing quite like eating a salad made with leaves you grew yourself - it’s a victory for all novice gardeners.

So go on, plant those seeds, nurture those seedlings and get going on your own leafy adventure.

By Sal at Sally Grows - 28th December 2024

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TO MULCH OR NOT TO MULCH? → | Sally Grows: a paddock to plate adventure