7 vegetables you can easily grow at home

The more variety of vegetables you grow, the more creative you can get with dishes made from your own backyard. Here are some classic suggestions:

• Mushrooms are not technically vegetables. They're actually a fungus that must have the correct environment to grow successfully.
• They're best grown from a kit, which contains the necessary treated growing medium and spores.
• Kits come in several mushroom varieties and are virtually foolproof.
• Each kit contains pasteurized compost onto which the spores are sprinkled.

• Although not as common as other vegetables, okra is a worthwhile crop for those who enjoy cooking exotic dishes.
• The seed should be soaked overnight to assist germination, then sown directly where the plant is to grow.
• Add plenty of organic matter to the soil. Avoid fertilizers high in nitrogen, which will produce foliage at the expense of flowers and seed pods.

• Onions need a rich, well-drained soil. Add some lime to create a pH balance of between 6.0 and 6.3.
• The seeds are generally planted in shallow drills 30 centimetres (12 inches) apart, then later thinned to a distance of 15 centimetres (six inches) between plants.
• Some gardeners prefer to raise them in a seed tray to seedling stage, transplanting later into the garden bed.
• Eliminating weeds is a problem, especially while the seedlings are young, because they compete for nutrients and moisture.

• Unlike most other root crops, parsnips prefer a soil that's been enriched with plenty of well-rotted manure before planting.
• Ideally, the ground should be deep and well-drained.
• Sow when the soil is workable in the spring. Harvest after a few weeks of winter cold, or even the following spring.

• Peas require a rich, moist soil.
• A pH balance of approximately 6.5 is also needed, so add some lime if this hasn't been done the previous season.
• The plants will need some support in the form of a trellis or wigwam.

• Although they can survive being cultivated in quite poor soils and conditions, potatoes prefer a rich, moist, well-drained soil.
• They can be used for breaking up uncultivated soil, although some organic matter should be added prior to planting.
• Don't use lime, as potatoes prefer a slightly acid pH level.
• Potatoes are grown from tubers, called seed potatoes, which are potatoes from a previous season's crop that sprouted a green shoot.
• In cool climates, don't plant out until the soil has warmed and the danger of frost has passed.

• Pumpkins are a worthwhile summer crop, although they need a temperate to hot climate to provide sufficient time for ripening.
• Some small varieties can be grown successfully in cool regions because their growing time is much shorter.
• Moderately rich soil is required, so incorporate plenty of well-rotted manure and compost before planting.
• Seeds are sown after danger of frost has passed.
• Create a mound of soil with a small indentation in the centre and plant three seeds, thinning to the most vigorous seedling after germination.
• Carefully weed around the base of young plants with care, then mulch to suppress further weed growth.

Depending on your region and climate, you can grow all kinds of delicious vegetables at home. It save you money, and it can be a fun, rewarding experience for the whole family.