Growing vegetable gardens in Indiana can be a fun and flavorful. Here's how to get started

The arrival of spring in Indiana means thousands of Hoosiers — from those with green thumbs to novices — are growing eager to plant vegetable plots.

Indiana is a great place to grow some of your own food because the climate can sustain a wide variety of vegetables. With increasing food prices, even more Hoosiers may want to try growing their own this year.

But before you start, there’s a lot to consider: What to plant, when and how to get seeds or nursery plants in the ground, and where to situate garden beds or growing containers to maximize your chances of a successful harvest. Another key consideration is what kind of time commitment you're willing to make for fresh greens, crisp cucumbers or juicy vine-ripened tomatoes.

National Weather Service data shows the typical last spring freeze date falls in mid- to late-April for much of the state, which means vegetables planted outside after that period are normally safe from the cold weather stress.

Raising vegetables doesn’t require a large area. In fact, many vegetables can be planted in grow bags and 5-gallon buckets, allowing gardeners to produce fresh produce even if they only have access to a balcony or other small space.

To help you get started on a successful garden this year, we talked to Tyler Gough, director of Indy Urban Acres, and Karen Mitchell, a consumer horticulture extension specialist at Purdue University, who offered a variety of tips and tricks for every level of gardeners.

Indy Urban Acres, an initiative of the Parks Alliance of Indianapolis, donates 100% of its vegetables to food pantries and other community programs, while Purdue Consumer Horticulture provides information to gardeners across the Midwest.

Beginning guide to growing vegetables

Growing vegetables may seem like a daunting task for newbies with little or no gardening experience, but the basics are easy to grasp — and the results can be rewarding, delicious and healthy.

Mitchell said the most important first step is planning, which you should do before you rush out to a garden center or hardware store for supplies. Planning will help determine what tools and accessories you'll actually need to match your gardening aspirations. And that can vary widely depending how big of a garden you want, and the time commitment you're willing to make to the monthslong DIY project.

Basic tools such as trowels, shovels and gloves are a good start for any beginner, Mitchell said, but your supply list really depends on what your soil is like and what you want to grow.

“Start with just looking at what you have available and looking at your space,” Mitchell said.

Growing veggies in a raised bed or container will require different tools than seedlings planted directly in the ground. If you're growing a few plants on a balcony, for instance, you probably won't need a full-sized shovel. But if you're considering digging up part of your yard, or planting raised beds, a good shovel is critical for heavy-duty dirt work.

By planning these things first, Mitchell said, your less likely to waste money and time.

What vegetables grow best in Indiana

New gardeners often start with grand plans, but you might want to reel in your ambitions for the first growing season. Mitchell suggests starting small and growing what you already like to eat.

Some plants, like Brussel sprouts, are a bit more difficult to grow for beginners as they have a longer growing season, but for the most part green beans, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, herbs, zucchini and leafy greens are all good options.

Gardening to save money

Planting and growing your own veggies can save some money, but for many people a garden can also be a source of relaxation and provide a feeling of accomplishment.

Still, Gough said, a well-tended tomato plant can provide a gardener with several pounds of fruit. So a $6 seedling likely represents a chance at saving a few buck, he said.

But if you want to grow broccoli or cauliflower, a single plant will only provide one harvest and a gardener may not realize any savings.

"If you're trying to feed your family, you would go after those high-yield, multiple producing plants," Gough said.

Seeds or seedlings, where to start

Some gardeners enjoy the idea of growing vegetables from seeds, while others prefer to jumpstart their garden using plants propagated in a nursery. There are benefits and drawbacks to both options.

Starting plants from seeds allows you to get the exact variety of plant you want. Some nurseries may not be selling the particular heirloom tomato variety you're looking for, so finding a packet of specific seeds may be a better option. But if you just want a basic tomato plant, seedlings are fine and a bit easier.

The timing of your garden planting can also be a factor in choosing between seeds or seedlings, Mitchell said. Peppers, tomatoes and some other vegetables need to be started early and indoors if you want to grow them from seed, so that may not be the right choice for someone with limited indoor space.

Gough said some plants, like peppers, need warm soil to germinate, so buying seedlings is much easier for home gardeners. Greenhouses like those at Indy Urban Acres help keep soil temperatures warm so seedlings will grow, allowing Hoosiers to buy the already growing pepper plants when outdoor temperatures are just right.

Growing seeds inside also requires more of an investment because you'll need proper lighting and containers and such. It also requires a more attentive gardener to prevent seeds from staying too damp, which is a perfect way to attract fungal infections that can stop a garden in its tracks.

Container gardening

Gardeners with limited space may want to put plants in buckets or felt bags to grow vegetables. These are easy to use and can be emptied and stored in the winter.

Gough said it's important to pay attention to where the containers are placed so sunlight hits the plants. Southern facing balconies would be a good spot for containers, but a northern facing one may not provide enough light for some plants.

Fabric grow bags allow excess water to drain from the soil, but large plastic buckets will need holes drilled in the bottom so the water can escape. Six or eight pencil-size holes should be enough to allow for proper drainage, Mitchell said.

Regardless which option you choose, it’s best to elevate the buckets or bags so that water does not pool up underneath and cause problems. Use a couple of bricks or other similar items to keep the off the ground.

Raised beds and growing vegetables

Soil quality is a key ingredient in a healthy garden, and a raised bed is one way to ensure your soil has the right nutrients and pH levels for the plants you want to grow. Raised beds can be built directly on top of the ground or in boxes elevated on short legs.

Typical raised beds require about 12 inches of soil, which provides plenty of room for the roots of plants that are only growing for a few months. Potatoes or something more root-based, like beets or turnips, will need a little more room, so beds can go deeper if needed.

Choosing the right size bed for your garden is also important.

“When I am building a raised bed for a kid’s garden," Mitchell said, "it’s only going to be 12 inches high and two feet wide so they can reach across the whole thing."

Adult gardeners may consider doubling the width to a maximum of four feet. Anything larger than that, Mitchell, explained, will create an area in the middle that is difficult to reach.

“I made that mistake early on in my career where I built a five-foot wide bed because the 10-foot boards were on sale, and there was about a foot in the middle that I couldn’t quite reach,” Mitchell said. “You want to be able to reach the whole garden space without climbing in.”

Tending to the soil

After deciding between planting your garden in the ground, a container or a raised bed, the soil needs to provide a healthy growing environment.

The amount of soil you need you'll need — for containers or to augment the dirt in your yard — will factor into how much the garden will cost and should be carefully considered. The quality of the soil is a big factor in how the growing season will go.

“Unfortunately, especially in Indianapolis, a lot of our good fertile topsoil has been scraped away so we can build, which means that nice, fluffy black soil is often removed in the construction process,” Mitchell said.

Gardeners living in urban areas will likely find their property full of rock-hard clay soil, so a raised bed composed of loose topsoil would be the best bet, Mitchell said.

Soil testing is a critical step before adding any type of fertilizer. Years ago, experts would tell gardeners to get a balanced fertilizer, Mitchell said, but due to fertilizer runoff there is more than enough phosphorus and potassium in most soils already.

Fertilizer bags typically will have three numbers on them, such as 10-10-10, each representing what percentage of each different nutrient the bag contains. The first number is the percentage of nitrogen, the second represents phosphorous and the third is potassium.

However, it's best to test a garden's soil before buying one of these bags to ensure excess nutrients aren't washed away into nearby waterways.

Testing the soil also will help you avoid nutrient overload and make sure your vegetables get what they need to grow and thrive.

Attracting nature’s best gardening friends

While flowering plants don’t necessarily produce food, they can be very beneficial for gardens and increase crop yields.

Planting some flowers with or near your vegetables will increase the number of pollinators hovering around the garden, and many garden plants rely on them to produce food.

But it's best to check gardening books or online before you plant because some varieties of flowers and vegetable don't mix well.

Preventing disease and pests away

Fungus is the main problem for Indiana vegetable growers, and there are different ways to manage different pests. Some flowers varieties also can help deter insects that can get to your vegetables before you have a chance to enjoy them.

Mitchell recommends an integrated approach to pest control, which includes regular monitoring for problem signs and addressing them quickly and appropriately before they devastate your garden.

Other common issues in Indiana include aphids, certain beetles, squash bugs and stinkbugs.

Individual pests will require individual treatment, so you should avoid randomly spraying some insecticides that could also kill many beneficial insects.

“Knowing exactly what the problem is and then seeing if there’s any modifications that you can do to your production methods can alleviate the problem before reaching for a chemical,” Mitchell said.

For more gardening tips, check out The Purdue Extension's online resources for gardeners. The webpage covers everything from plant and pest diagnosis to food safety for vegetable gardeners.

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on BlueSky @karlstartswithk.bsky.social