8 Vegetables You Can Ignore—and They'll Still Thrive, According to Experts

Vegetable gardening requires a healthy dose of dedication and commitment, but it also comes with a great reward: Your own home-grown food. However, not all crops demand equal attention. Some vegetables are so easy to grow that you can essentially ignore them.

So if you don’t have as much time to spend in the garden, then it’s worth considering these low-maintenance varieties. Here are some expert picks for vegetables that will keep growing even when you ignore them.

Meet Our Expert

Angela Judd, certified master gardener, author of How to Grow Your Own Food, and founder of Growing in the Garden

Related: 15 Shade-Loving Vegetables That Flourish With Little to No Sun

01 of 08

Radishes Credit: Trudie Davidson / Getty Images

Credit: Trudie Davidson / Getty Images

When you place those tiny radish seeds under a ¼-inch dusting of soil, it’s hard to imagine they’ll develop into anything at all. But grow they do—and rapidly.

“Plant the seed, water, and harvest in a month, then repeat. Radishes are that simple,” says gardening coach Jennifer Holston. Raphanus sativus isn’t particularly fussy about soil, either. Not everyone loves their spicy flavor, but this is one of the simplest vegetables to grow.

Mature size: 6 to 8 inches tall x 1 to 2 feet wide

Care requirements: Full sun; loamy, sandy, moist, well-drained soil

02 of 08

Garlic (hardneck) Credit: kiran nagare / Getty Images

Credit: kiran nagare / Getty Images

Few vegetables are planted in the fall, but that’s certainly the case with hardneck garlic (Allium sativum). “Plant garlic six weeks before the first frost, then walk away,” says Holston. “By summer, you’ll harvest a bounty of bulbs to satisfy your garlic bread cravings, with extras to store.” The cloves are commonly used, of course, but you can also enjoy the scapes.

Mature size: About 36 inches tall x 12 inches wide

Care requirements: Full sun, well-drained soil

Related: You Don’t Need a Garden to Grow Garlic—Here’s How to Do It Indoors

03 of 08

Lettuce Credit: alvarez / Getty Images

Credit: alvarez / Getty Images

“Lettuce is so simple that there are no holes to dig. Sprinkle the seeds, press them into the soil, and water,” says Holston.

Plus, there are many different varieties of lettuce to experiment with growing—like looseleaf, crisphead, butterhead, romaine—so you can grow a few different types each season. You’ll need to keep weeds and slugs at bay, but Lactuca sativa truly just wants to grow and requires minimal effort.

Zones: 4 to 9; some varieties can even handle colder zones

Mature size: 6 inches tall x 6 inches wide

Care requirements: Partial sun; loose soil

04 of 08

Asparagus Credit: Tatiana Sviridova / Getty Images

Credit: Tatiana Sviridova / Getty Images

Most common vegetables are grown as annuals, but asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a perennial, and once you get it going, it can provide food each year. “The hardest part of planting asparagus is the wait,” says Holston. “Plant the crowns in a weed-free garden bed, keep it moist, and watch those beautiful ferns sprout.”

Mature size: About 4 feet tall or more; though the edible spears are harvested much shorter than that

Care requirements: Full sun, well-drained sandy soil, and don’t disturb the established roots!

05 of 08

Carrots Credit: Sergii Kolesnikov / Getty Images

Credit: Sergii Kolesnikov / Getty Images

If carrots require any hard work, it happens before you plant. Your whole harvest depends on the success of these vegetables forming below ground, so you’ll want good soil without any rocks that could interfere with your carrot growth.

Tiny carrot seeds are a little tricky to plant and might need a little thinning, but once these steps are completed, it’s all downhill to the finish line—and Daucus carota can get by with minimal attention on your part.

Zones: 3 to 10; in warm climates they can be grown year-round

Mature size: The carrots themselves can be 2 to 12 inches long depending on variety; plants are 12 inches tall

Care requirements: Light and sandy soil (no rocks); full sun

Related: How to Grow Carrots in Containers for a Delicious Harvest Almost Anywhere

06 of 08

Peas Credit: HUIZENG HU / Getty Images

Credit: HUIZENG HU / Getty Images

One of the most delightful early season crops, peas (Pisum sativum or Lathyrus oleraceus) begin producing while other vegetables are seemingly just getting started. “Give them cool weather, well-draining soil, and something to climb, and they grow easily and produce for weeks,” says master gardener Angela Judd. “Choose an edible pod variety like Super Sugar Snap.”

Mature size: 12 to 18 inches tall x 6 to 12 inches wide

Care requirements: Full sun; fertile, well-draining soil

07 of 08

Okra Credit: JalpaMalam / Getty Images

Credit: JalpaMalam / Getty Images

If you live in a warmer climate, chances are you have okra in your garden. “Once the weather warms, it handles heat well and continues producing as long as the pods are harvested regularly,” says Judd. Be sure to choose a full sun location so your Abelmoschus esculentus can thrive.

Mature size: 6 to 8 feet tall x 3 feet wide

Care requirements: Full sun, well-draining soil

08 of 08

Bush Beans Credit: Sergii Vasylchenko / Getty Images

Credit: Sergii Vasylchenko / Getty Images

Pole beans make a lovely addition to any garden, but bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) really shine in the production department—and they’re extremely easy to grow.

“They grow quickly from seed and don’t need a trellis,” says Judd. “They also require less fertilizer than many vegetables.” The main job, she notes, is harvesting regularly once they begin producing.

Mature size: Depends on variety

Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil

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