Guide to Planting a Vegetable Garden in Western Pennsylvania

Gardening can be a relaxing and rewarding hobby. It is one that I have recently discovered and am enjoying very much. Because of the volatile weather, the best time to start a Pennsylvania garden is in late April to early May. Here are some gardening tips for those wishing to create a vegetable garden in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Gardening Guide: Starting from Seed

Starting a garden from seeds is less expensive than buying plants. I have had success with my Pennsylvania vegetable garden when starting with seeds. The best time to begin is in April. Tomato, pepper and bean seeds should be started indoors and then transferred outdoors. Pennsylvania gardeners need to be careful, when transferring tomato and pepper plants outdoors that they wait until there is no longer a great chance for frost. If there is a frost warning, you should be sure to cover outdoor plants like tomatoes and peppers to protect them from the frost. Recently, I lost several young tomato plants because I planted them too early. In Pennsylvania, it is still possible to have frosts in May.

Pennsylvania Gardening Guide: Lettuce, Beans and Onions Can be Planted Early

Onions are one of the first plants that can be planted in your Pennsylvania vegetable garden. My onion bulbs were planted in Mid April. Lettuce and radishes soon followed. Lettuce and radish seeds can be sown directly in the ground. I planted mine towards the end of April and both are doing well. I was able to start picking lettuce the first week of May, and expect to have my first radishes by late May. Beans and snap peas are two other plants that don't mind the cold and can be planted in mid to late April in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Gardening Guide: Add Herbs to your Vegetable Garden

Herbs are easy to plant and many are perennials, which will come back each year. Chives, sage, lavender and rosemary grow well in a Pennsylvania garden and all four plants come back each year. Basil and cilantro grow as annuals in Pennsylvania. The trick to growing basil is to continuously cut the new growth from the top so that the plant grows in width rather than in height.

Many vegetables grow well in Pennsylvania gardens. I have found that onions, lettuce, radishes and many herbs are the easiest plants for the novice gardener. Tomatoes and peppers are also easy to grow in Pennsylvania; you just need to be careful of frost.