With supermarket access limited and local CSAs not fully operational, many have turned to seed catalogs and garden centers to satisfy their craving for fresh food. Although growing your meals is not as convenient as a delivery app, it does provide a few benefits in these challenging times. First of all, if you're lucky enough to have the space, edible gardens can get the whole family outside and away from Netflix. You can commandeer the younger ones to do simple tasks and barter with your teens to do the heavy lifting. Even without kids or big yards, you can probably grow at least a few container crops so almost everyone, even beginners, can have a kitchen garden. If you start now, in just a few weeks or months, you can begin to supplement your pantry and take-out with tasty, nutritious veggies, straight from the backyard, no smartphone required!

TO EVERYTHING A SEASON

There are farms with year-round growing even on the East Coast but for our purposes it's easier to think in terms of two seasons—cool weather (spring and fall) and hot weather (summer) crops. We're already halfway through the first cool weather period so let's focus on what you can do late April through June.

There are two main ways to grow veggies—seeds or seedlings. The list below will show which method I prefer for which plant. Generally speaking, the larger the seed the easier it is to go directly into the soil (e.g. peas, beans, corn). Some plants will want more fertilization and require lots of space (cabbage family). Some may wilt or bolt in the summer sun (lettuce, arugula). If you're starting from seed, the seed packets will usually provide instructions about soil temperature, amount of sunlight, distance between plants, and planting depth. Seedlings may have an information tag or you can contact the nursery where they've been grown for more details. At minimum, these guidelines should tell you something about the amount of sun the plants require and any unusual requirements. Also, if you have the space, practice "succession planting" through the season: plant a portion of the crop each week so that you can have several weeks of harvest, not everything all at once which may be harder to manage.

Consider all these factors when choosing what, when and where to grow. Again, the seed packet instructions are your best guide but you can also search for information online about the particular variety you are growing.

QUICK GROWERS

Radish (seed)-- Very easy to grow. Good succession crop. Thin seedlings to get good size. Try refrigerator pickling them if you have too many.

Lettuce (seeds or seedling)-- Seeds are easy but you may want a tray or two of seedlings for an earlier harvest. Most leaf lettuces will tolerate the plucking of a few leaves at a time ("cut and come again") so you don't have to wait for the plant to come to full size before using.

Chives (seedling)-- Hardy perennial that cheers up the early spring garden by greening first, often the first usable crop. The flowers are edible and make a delicious garnish or vinegar.

READY SOON

Spinach (seedling)-- You can also plant seeds but seedlings will get you a crop sooner. Look for hardy varieties that extend across seasons. Young spinach leaves sweeter than long-growing types.

Peas (seeds or seedling)-- Their flowers really say spring but get ready for that harvest! Will keep flowering and producing pods until the end of the season. If you succession plant the seeds, you can stay on top of the output a little better. You will want some kind of trellis or cage to support the vines.

START NOW, HARVEST IN SUMMER

Cole crops—kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages (seedling)--These vegetables really need more fertilizer and space than most deck planters can provide. I use straw bales or composted raised beds for anything in the cabbage family. A crop cover to control moths is also useful.

Onions (seedlings)-- Need good soil but can be grown in planters. Seedlings will be easier to grow.

Carrots (seeds)-- Another veggie that you could grow in succession. Choose a variety that is appropriate for where you are planting-- shorter for deck planters, e.g. The shorter varieties will also be ready for harvest faster.

Beets (seeds or seedlings)-- Thin the seedlings to avoid overcrowding. Beets take longer to grow but you can harvest a few sooner and let others get bigger.

Swiss chard (seeds or seedlings)-- Beautiful plant that likes good soil for maximum growing potential.

START INSIDE, PLANT LATE SPRING/SUMMER

Tomatoes and Peppers (start seeds in pots or trays) or just wait for seedlings to be available at garden stores. The smaller the seedling the better; preferably one that has not started flowering as you want the root system to develop in its home soil. If you find a bargain with older, leggier plants, you can pinch off extra growth and restart the plant that way. Organic fertilizer is a good idea as well as a cage or trellis. Some varieties more appropriate than others for deck planters.

SMALL SPACE

Herbs (seedlings)-- keep mint or rosemary in separate pots as they will overrun the beds or planter. Parsley, tarragon, sage, savory, etc. are more manageable.

Potatoes in bags-- easy to grow if you get good seed potatoes (see Where to Buy below). One bag with 5 seeds can provide several pounds of potatoes. They will need regular water for best results. Trellises are useful to support the vines.

Tomatoes and Peppers (see above)

WHERE TO BUY

McArdle's in Greenwich offers free delivery and contactless shopping. Call other local garden supply stories in advance to find out what they have in stock and their shopping protocols. Online you can order seeds from Hudson Valley Seed Company and seed potatoes from Wood Prairie Farm in Maine. Johnny's Selected Seeds sells agriculture-rated crop covers. Supplies are limited and shipping slower than usual for all of these outlets.

OTHER RESOURCES

The Backyard Homestead, edited by Carleen Madigan, Storey Publishing, 2009.

The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times, Carol Deppe, Chelsea Green Publishing, 2009.

Lori Fontanes is a former member of Rye Sustainability and serves on the Conservation Commission/Advisory Council. All photos are from Lori’s garden.