10 best nutritious plants to grow in your garden

Growing nutritious plants in the back garden is becoming a popular past time with many folk these days. Daily, we see growing food prices and lower nutritional value of some fruit and vegetables in supermarkets. It’s becoming more important to know how and what types of vegetables to grow. Here I will list 10 of the most nutritious plants in my opinion, there are many of course but this will start you off. They are all easy to grow and you can plant them in different times of the year making your garden a year round treasure trove.

Please note, rather than repeating myself, all of these vegetables can be grown in pots. They may require some rich soil, mulch and plant food, easily accessible at the local nursery.

With each listing I’ll briefly touch on the nutritional value of each. The best time of year to grow them and other interesting information. Hopefully this article will spark you to action and begin your own survival garden.

1. Spinach

This vegetable is very easy to grow, especially high in Vitamin C, Iron and Calcium.

It grows just about all year around, so a good one to start with. Begin sowing in the cooler months in shade or partial shade. You can harvest the longer leaves continuously ensuring a fresh supply for 3-4 weeks. At which time plant again.

2. Sweet Potatoes

This beauty is high in Vitamin A, potassium and magnesium. Again, sweet potatoes are easy to grow but they don’t tolerate frost. So they can be grown all year round in warmer climates.

If you have extreme seasons they will grow just fine in summer. You’ll be surprised to know that that you can grow sweet potatoes from one you have at home. Here’s how, place the tip in water and watch the roots grow, usually takes a couple of weeks. After that place in the dirt and enjoy the harvest, approximately 90 – 160 days later. You’ll know when they are ready to pull out, when the leaves turn yellow.

3. Green Peas

Another veggie that’s loaded with vitamins. Interestingly has more protein with 3/4 cups of peas than 1/4 of a cup of almonds.

Best time to grow peas is first sign of spring, they love the sun but part shade will do. Full sun will produce the sweeter tasting peas. A little phosphorus and potassium does wonders. You could even harvest another crop before summer ends.

4. Kale

High in Vitamin K, vitamin C and fiber and contains anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidants.

This plant does well in the cooler months, if too cold though, use a cover. Kale is a fast growing plant and does well with continuous plant food. Begin picking leaves from the bottom and work your way up, always remember to leave at least 4 leaves from the top.

5. Brussel Spouts

Another great vegetable that’s high in vitamin K, C and fiber, great for bone health and helps with blood clotting.

Another vegetable that likes the cooler weather in full sun. Begin harvesting when they are 2-3 cm in diameter and begin picking from the bottom. After picking the sprouts store them without washing, just wash before use.

6. Broccoli

This vegetable is richer in protein than most vegetables and also rich in vitamins.

This prefers the cool season as well, best times are spring and fall with a full dose of sun. Keep the soil moist, it would help to add mulch which would help with the moisture. Time to harvest broccoli when you see the center crown full of tiny green buds.

7. Asparagus

Asparagus is high in protein and a good dose of Vitamin K and Helps improve digestion.

This is a winter vegetable and can be planted either by crown or seed. Once you establish an area for Asparagus they will continue to regenerate from the crown for up to 15 years. Before harvesting the first year let the asparagus grow without harvest for best results. SGA online give a detailed description of the harvest method which is well worth reading.

8. Red(Bell) Pepper

This vegetable is loaded with Vitamin C and anti-oxidants and one of the most nutritious plants. One whole pepper provides 169% of the Reference Daily Intake(RDI).

The pepper needs warmth and plenty of sunshine, preferably 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Some garden compost would certainly help and like most summer they hate frost. To stimulate more branches you should pinch out the top once the plant reaches around 30 cm’s.

9. Carrots

A great source of fiber and carbohydrates and one of my favorites.

Carrots are so easy to grow and surprisingly come in many different colors. Plant these early spring to summer. Begin lifting the carrots when they reach size, a guide is the length of the root. It’s a good idea to lift every second one to help the others grow a little bigger.

10. Beetroot.

Another awesomely nutritious plant and contains 3-5 grams of fiber per cup. Also loaded with magnessium, ptoassium, iron and Vitamin C.

You guessed it! Another easy to grow vegetable that’s so tasty and good to eat. They are not overly fussy about sun or shade but ensure that the soil is moist, rich and well drained. A good rule of thumb is to remove them when they are approximately 6 cm in width. You can establish the size by the crown of the beet.

Final Thoughts

I hope you have expanded your knowledge about the types of vegetables you could add to your existing or new garden. Having access to nutritious plants right in your backyard offers a sense of freedom and ‘can do’ attitude. Attaining the knowledge is simple, right now you have more than enough knowledge to start. Go ahead and throw some seeds in some cultivated dirt and make a start today. Improving you skills and becoming experienced will come later. The rewards and the self satisfaction you get from taking action is huge.