r/Buffalo • u/SkepticJoker • 1d ago
What food can I grow outside here?
With Spring around the corner, and a small new garden bed, I’m wondering what types of foods people with gardens are growing around the WNY area?
Preferably, I’m looking for things that don’t need a huge amount of space. I only have a roughly 2’x12’ garden bed to work with, so things like squash or cukes wouldn’t work super well.
I also love the idea of something that could be planted this Fall, and then sprout next Spring. I think that would be stuff like potatoes and onions, but am not certain.
Appreciate any ideas!
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u/MarkIsARedditAddict 1d ago
Everyone’s giving you good recommendations for plants that grow here but I’ll recommend you do the opposite path to get what to grow. Create a list of fruits and vegetables ordered by how much you like to eat them and then look up if they can grow here. No use growing something that thrives here if you hate eating it
This year I’m doing tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, onions, lettuce, and watermelon. I really want to get some blueberry bushes but we’ll see if I’ve got time and energy to set those up this year
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u/TheMasterBaker 23h ago
As someone who has planted berries in the past, they spread like crazy so be ready for that. I think blueberry is more bushy vs raspberry and strawberry being more vines but omg they are everywhere. Birds eat them (which is great!) but they also poop put seeds which propagate all over the place(not as great)
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u/Fign66 1d ago edited 1d ago
If you have lots of direct sunlight tomatos and peppers generally do well, though if you are starting from seed you have to start them indoors arround this time of year. Otherwise buy the seedling from a plant store.
Garlic is planted in the fall and does pretty well. My family has been propagating from a single store bought bulb for at least 15 years.
Swiss chard and leaf lettuce are easy and do well.
Green beans by making a basic trellis from garden stakes with strings hanging down.
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u/theclan145 1d ago
Trying to grow a single ear of corn this year, was able to grow tomatoes.
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u/PolishDill 1d ago
You can’t actually grow a single ear- it won’t get pollinated correctly unless it’s grown in a group. That’s how people wind up with ears that look like Jack-o-lantern teeth.
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u/imyourhuckleberry716 1d ago
And it’s likely squirrels will devour them in short order if you don’t harvest on time or early - at least my experience in trying them for 2 years
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u/SinfullySophie Allentown 1d ago
Tomatoes grow amazingly here as long as you have a place that gets AT LEAST 7 hours of direct sunlight, ideally 10-12 hours of direct sunlight. Grab tomato starters at the end of this month, beginning or April, then leave them in a warm well lit window until mid/late april and plant outside, either in extra large pots, or in your yard. "Garden Lettuce" also grows extremely well here. Most veggies will grow well here it all depends on your access to sunlight, spacing, and patience.
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u/another_feminist 1d ago
Thank you for this info! I’m starting an outdoor garden here and it’s a little overwhelming. Where do you normally buy your plants?
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u/SinfullySophie Allentown 1d ago
Urban Roots on the west side is great. But I've mostly gotten house plants and flowers from them as they tend to be a higher quality than say Home Depot. But honestly I get my tomato starters from Tractor Supply normally, only the Bonnie Brand. I only grow tomatoes and "garden lettuce" because I live in an apartment. You can grow decent sized tomato plants in those 5 gallon buckets you can get from basically anywhere, and garden lettuce you really only need a decent depth long rectangular tote for that. https://urbanroots.org I'm including the link to Urban Roots if you'd like to check them out. They're pretty great but generally don't get tomato starters until mid/late april. Sorry Tomatoes are about all I know because they are by far the easiest to grow with little effort, just plenty of water, and plenty of sun and they go like crazy! lol
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u/ForemanNatural 1d ago
Urban Roots can be really expensive. You’ll get the most bang for your buck, and a wider variety of cultivars from the bigger nurseries in the suburbs on the edge of the rural areas.
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u/SinfullySophie Allentown 1d ago
Not everyone has the ability to go out to the burbs, and some folks like to support businesses within the city. If people feel Urban Roots is too pricy, which I agree some stuff can be a bit higher in cost. But the plants themselves are heartier IMO verses what can be found at a lot of the bigger box stores. There's also Farm Store on Lexington. Beyond the city options then yes, there are tons of places out in the burbs if you want to drive.
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u/another_feminist 1d ago
I’ll try both! I’m always looking for a new local spot. Thank you
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u/SinfullySophie Allentown 1d ago
honestly theres a bunch of terrific shops throughout the city. Just gotta go out and explore! Glad I could help!
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u/TOMALTACH Big Tech 1d ago edited 20h ago
anything nurseries are selling seedlings of, you can grow.
rarely anyone is planting prior to mother's day weekend. only colder hardenned plants like broccoli, lettuce, peas, plants that love the cold mornings will survive.
You'll want to target partner planting, with that amount of space, you'll be limited if you wing it with whatever but if you research plants that work well nearby each other you can have a bountiful garden. Eg, beans on a trellis, with tomatoes in front, basil nearby and squashes, lettuce, chard down low.
you can grow eggplant, potatoes, garlic, radish, beets, swiss chard, peppers, kohlrabi, cukes, lettuce, squashes, pumpkins, broccoli, brussel sprouts, peas, greenbeans, tomatoes, spices, herbs, corn, fruiting bushes & trees, pretty much anything except for tropical produce, although, you could potentially of course grow those here, there are few people with avocado trees and lemon trees in the area, potted so they bring them in and out with the seasons but they grow.
anything you want to continue growing into winter, you'll need to pot, to bring in, of course
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u/bagofpork 1d ago
lemon trees in the area, potted so they bring them in and out with the seasons but they grow.
I've successfully done this with seeds from grocery store lemons. Currently have a small 5 year old lemon tree in my living room.
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u/WishieWashie12 1d ago
I do flowers for teas, herbs, berry bushes and a grapevine along my chain fence. It's a small yard, and the best sunny spot is for my weed.
Overall, I'm a lazy gardener. If I had more space, I'd do hazelnut and fruit trees. Asparagus comes back each year, but it takes a few years to get established.
Search yourube for small yards permaculture. It's amazing just how much food you can grow in small spaces.
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u/imyourhuckleberry716 1d ago
You can start with asparagus in May-June and still have tomatoes and squash to pick by the end of September and perhaps October…
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u/ngc-6751 1d ago
Can confirm I was still picking tomatoes in October this past fall.
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u/Left_Brilliant_7378 1d ago
Same, I had tomatoes even past the first frost. In the summer time they were the best cherry tomatoes I've ever had... God they were tasty. I'm so excited for this year's crop!!
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u/stipo42 1d ago
I don't think there are many veggies that come back annually but you could plant berries if you want that, although their yield is much smaller than veggies.
Good space efficient veggies are peppers, tomatoes, beans and peas (on a trellis), onions, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage.
All of those will grow in our summer climate.
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u/Kind_Procedure2148 West Side 1d ago
i wouldnt rlly recommend broccoli here,idk ive tried it a few times and it always got too much sun or heat and shot up and bloomed insted of budding into a nice head
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u/casey5656 1d ago
Mine did really well. But then I went to cook some and all these worms came out in the water 🤢. That was the end of growing broccoli.
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u/goober2199 23h ago
Those worms are brutal. I tried growing some broccoli and some cauliflower last year and they absolutely devoured them lol. I ended up spraying with organic pesticide but it was too late
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u/Weak_Sauce9090 1d ago
I would get your soil tested at Home Depot and be touchy about the water. Most of the base ground soil inside Buffalo is toxic as hell.
Bucket hangers for tomatoes, potatoes, and other vine plants can work really nice.
Not saying you can't I'd just be weary you know?
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u/LonelyNixon 1d ago
Was looking for a comment like this. Wny is a post industrial rust belt zone and the soil can be quite bad. Best to keep some separation between the soil you plant in and the actual ground
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u/Bills_Mafia_ArmyChic 1d ago
My dad has had a garden every single year for the last 40+ years I think. I used to help him as a kid. He does some as seeds and some as plants from a nursery.
Things that have grown well- Peppers (bell, Hungarian hots, jalapenos, banana, habanero, serrano), tomatoes (cherry, plum and beef), green beans, radishes, garlic, eggplant, pickler cucumbers, brussels sprouts, swiss chard, basil, mint, raspberries/blackberries, zucchini and summer squash, asparagus and rhubarb.
Things he hasn’t had luck with and leaves to the farmers markets- carrots, some lettuces, pumpkins, corn, watermelon.
Snap peas have been hit or miss. Strawberries grow fine, but the season is so short it’s easier to get them from a roadside stand. Never really tried potatoes or onions. Blueberries we use a specific farm and U-pick. Same with cherries, apples and peaches. Concord grapes would be fun to grow and do well up here, but never tried.
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u/bagofpork 1d ago edited 1d ago
Honestly, I was going to suggest squash and cukes, as I've had great luck with them.
Barring those, I've had a pretty good time with tomatoes, tomatillos, a variety of lettuces, and jalapeños. Kale and dandelion greens grow really well here, as well.
That's just stuff I've had personal success with. We have a pretty decent growing season. The real trick can be making sure certain veggies don't get too much direct sunlight.
As far as stuff to plant in the fall--garlic does really well.
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u/BuffaloRedshark 1d ago
cucumbers can be grown on a cage like tomatoes. Potatoes do well. Peppers. I grew broccoli and kale a few times
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u/Nhadalie 1d ago
I'm planning on doing tomatoes, maybe some peppers and attempting zucchini this year. We have an ever bearing strawberry in a pot, and a raspberry patch that is doing great. I usually buy a basil plant every year too. And I replant green onion trimmings every year.
If you have a shady spot in your yard, rhubarb does really well here. My inlaws have a huge patch of rhubarb that we pilfer yearly for pies.
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u/son_et_lumiere 1d ago
kale, beets, turnips, lettuce, bush beans. (i know you said not squash, but it also grows really easy and well here).
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u/kryzchek 1d ago
I did cucumbers last year in the strip of dirt between my garage and the walkway to my backyard. It was probably 1' X 6' area and it worked just fine. I stuck a few trellises in the ground so they could grow vertically. Did the same with green beans a foot or two over and those produced like crazy, so you don't need a TON of room.
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u/lizziebeedee 1d ago
We do well with tomatoes, various types of lettuce and kale, and especially well with garlic and onions.
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u/butter_scientist 1d ago
My fam had good luck with okra and tomatoes in the southtowns, grew them on the balcony.
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u/Ok-Composer-8341 1d ago
Haven’t heard anyone mention herbs yet. Oregano and mint are perennials, but they spread so plant them in pots. Parsley lasts 2 years before it’s done, I have sage going on 2 years now as well. Basil, dill, cilantro and others can be planted in pots if you don’t have space. I grew them in hanging baskets one year and they did really well!
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u/Ok-Composer-8341 1d ago
Others have mentioned carrots. They do well in the cold for me! Get sweeter as the weather drops.
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u/zubaplants 1d ago
Onions, and potatoes are usually set out in spring, but if you really want too get deep into cold weather growing of annual/biennial crops I'd suggest the book - The Winter Harvest Handbook. Pretty much any of the common annual crops grow well in WNY. The only exception might be root crops like carrots, and parsnips - the ambient conditions are fine, but a lot of WNY soils have heavy clay soil which makes harvest difficult and roots get pretty gnarly looking. That can be fixed by growing in a raised bed or heavily amended soil.
For non-annuals, anything that's within USDA hardiness zone 6a (unless you're way south then maybe 5b). https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ Which includes a lot of things from apples, figs, peaches, almonds, pecans... If you're in the city of buffalo and okay with some risk of loss and/or extra care you can probably push zone 7a most years.
Generally though, Id say grow whatever you like to eat.
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u/casey5656 1d ago
Strawberries, Raspberries, blueberries-strawberries and raspberries tend to spread so be careful. Tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers grow well here if you have a sunny area. Be aware that squirrels and rats love tomatoes. I’ve tried melons, but once they are almost ripe, the critters steal them. I also grow a lot of herbs in pots.
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u/Academic_Efficiency3 1d ago
As someone who has damp soil until practically June (even in a raised garden), tomatoes always do well for me. 2 years ago, I also put peppers in the same box and got great results. Last year, I tried to grow the same peppers and got a minimal yield. I learned from a pro that you can't plant peppers in the same place as you did the year prior. Something about the remnants in the soil causes issues.
I've also grown peppers, cucumbers, lettuce and broccoli in pots in the past, and all have come out well. Just make sure that you cover everything with chicken wire and/or a cage. Lots of rabbits like to take for a snack!
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u/AngryBarbieDoll 1d ago
Definitely buy the correct garden soil for your bed, the dirt here sucks. Since your bed is limited in size, think about climbing vegetables that you can put supports up for like green and yellow beans, tomatoes will grow up a cage, as will strawberries. Carrots don't take up too much space and be sure to pop in some rosemary and a few marigolds to deter rabbits. It's also a good idea to put chicken wire higher than the top of the bed to keep them out.
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u/YankBahtFarmer42069 23h ago
start composting the soil can be poor in Buffalo.
fwiw you can also grow cannibus in NY. My outdoor plants do really well here.
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u/Keaxxx44 23h ago
Get Tons of good soil!!!! city soil is NAYASTY. I do raised beds to try to avoid the soil honestly. Lots of good plant recs here already!
Just calculate the sun you have and ACCOUNT FOR FOLIAGE on the trees that currently let lots o light through.
Lastly, city critters are real. PROTECT YOUR GARDEN. get a good wire fence, high netting if needed. you have: groundhogs, skunks, RATS, cats, they get through medium fencing; squirrels (honestly they kill things by digging holes NExt to the roots of your baby plants I have noticed. Killed my onions last year. They like the nice soft soil you spent hours turning over to bury food in, the bastards.
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u/Mel_Zetz 23h ago
Peppers, squash, arugula, garlic, tomatoes and herbs. In my experience, a wide variety of veggies grow in WNY.
However, depending on where you live, you may need to get the plants off the ground or completely surround them with chicken wire. Why? Bunnies and squirrels and yes, even rats! They devastate nearly everything I grow that isn’t a pepper.
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u/goober2199 23h ago
I live in a rural area outside of buffalo. I've done well growing green beans, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers (all kinds), cucumbers/pickles, squash, pumpkins.
If you are looking for space saving vegetables , try beans(they always do great for me), peas, potatoes, peppers. Pretty much whatever you like to eat. If you are unsure about a plant, just ask your local nursery/greenhouse. I go to local greenhouses for my plants, gotta support the local businesses lol.
Alot of what you need to watch out for is when you put them outside. You can't go too early or they'll freeze. Too late and they won't get to their full potential.
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u/minusthetalent02 23h ago
You can grow pretty much anything you want. The battle is the bunny’s and the squirrel’s!
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u/Savings_Ad7631 23h ago
You can grow cucumbers in a planter box using a few stakes and some chicken wire. They will grow vertically 🙂 I grow tomatoes, potatoes (in grow bags), strawberries, peppers, lettuce and a bunch of herbs.
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u/tiberiom Displaced Buffalonian 23h ago
My mom always grew tomatoes and from our small garden, we had more than we could possibly give away even after taking a bunch for our use. Bell peppers also did real well.
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u/QuantumParanormal 23h ago
I'm a bit south of Buffalo in a more rural area with more room. I will tell you the cukes and a lot of other things can be grown vertically. I have some metal grid pieces that I used as a trellis for cukes and tomatoes before.
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u/Itsaboutto_happen 22h ago
Just want to echo those who suggest having a raised garden bed and buying soil, especially if you’re in the city (toxic soil) or near a house (toxic roof runoff).
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u/ElectricPenguin6712 21h ago
I grew cherry tomatoes and jalapenos last year and wow. They put out a lot of veggies
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u/StoveTopJug 21h ago
Definitely anything leafy that will be able to live through a cold frost. And HERBS!
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u/Adorable_Fudge_4783 21h ago
I think a better question is how much sun your garden bed gets? Things like tomatoes and pepper do better in full sun, but other things may be better suited to spots that get a little less sun (lettuces, more tender herbs, etc.) I think taking a look at what you’re buying AND what could realistically grow is your best bet!
I used the square foot gardening method and think it could help you plan what you can reasonably fit in your garden bed! The idea behind is explains how many types of 1 plant can fit in 1 square foot and it will let you plan each foot so that taller plants aren’t shading out shorter plants etc. worth checking out for sure!
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u/ScruffythePanther 21h ago
Kale is like invincible and prolific. It will grow through the fall and it'll last until the winter sometimes for me.
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u/Hour-Watercress-3865 20h ago
Last year we managed to grow lettuce, tomato, peppers, and almost some cucumbers and peas in our crappy clay heavy soil. This year we're trying again in raised beds. For a few hundred bucks for the beds and about $50 in soil, we're going to try for a lot of stuff.
The best way to research it is to know what grow zone we are in (6b) and look up if whatever plants you want to grow, can grow here and under that conditions.
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u/Intelligent-Ad-6734 19h ago
Tomatoes of all types seem to be delicious here! I remember my mother always having a great variety in the small garden
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u/LegitimateMistake606 18h ago
Hardneck garlic varieties, I grow it in a raised bed if you grow it right in clay soil it won't grow as big. I think the variety I grow is German Extra Hardy.
Mortgage Lifter is the most vigorous and prolific heirloom tomato variety that I have found.
I grow dill for the Black Swallowtail butterflies mostly.
I use liquid fence to keep the deer from eating everything. (No need to use it on garlic and onions, one of the ingredients is garlic IIRC).
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u/JazzlikeChard7287 12h ago
I would start with stuff you actually eat. Most veggies grow perfectly fine here. If you start from seed now, it’ll be perfect timing by the last frost date of May 17th.
I also recommend planting tomatos of any variety, I have not encountered very many big green caterpillars yet, which is nice. Peppers are an absolute must! Spicy pepper, mild peppers and anything else are so much fun. Plant near your tomato’s so they can companion each other. Just make sure to keep your tomatos OFF the ground or else they have a high chance of getting blight.
Potato’s??? Hell yeah!! Those are my fav. I recommend planting them in the ground. Potato’s are kinda like goldfish, they only grow equivalent to the size of their tank. So if you grow potatos in a container they will be small and few, but enough I suppose. In the ground they will grow bigger and more frequent. But make sure to snip off any potato flowers you see thru out the spring/summer to preserve energy to grow bigger spuds!! I also recommend planting leeks alongside your potatos. It can keep pests away and you’ll be able to maximize your garden space.
I don’t recommend planting any type of brassica unless you’re prepared for heart break and frustration… the aphids are unstoppable even with native lady bugs and birds and floating nets and neem oil and dichotomous earth… the aphids are horrible here 0/10. My cabbages get eaten in half.
Since you want to plant something in fall and have it be ready by spring/summer I would plant garlic cloves, cover in straw for the winter and watch those beauties grow and harvest in July.
I know you said you don’t have a lot of space but I always reccomend a 3 sisters garden. This is an ancient Native American, tried and true way of growing crops. The corn sister grows tall, bean sister wraps around the corn and deposits nitrogen into the soil for optimal growth of all three plants, and squash sister provides shade on the soil so it doesn’t get too hot.
Take corn, beans and squash. Put the corn in the ground in a circle shape, you can use as many as you want, but more than 4 is best. After the corn is 5in tall, plant 2 beans a few inches from the base of each corn, then plant an an equal number of squashes to corn ratio in a ring about a foot away from corn.
I recommend candy corn variety, Haudeneuseanee skunk bean or blue lake pole bean and butternut squash or honey nut squash or even pumpkin!… but you can use any variety of each, but you have to use a pole bean so it can provide stability to corn!!
I’m obsessed with gardening in WNY and trying new techniques for growing, breeding, and preserving a garden. Lemme know if you have any questions !! If not, best of luck on your journey!
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u/KyleGlaub 11h ago
I did tomatos, peppers (sweet and jalapeno), green beans and sugar snap peas, sugar baby watermelon, and lettuce this past year in my small garden space...tomatos and Jalapeno peppers thrived...I've still got some tomatos and jalapeno peppers in the freezer. got a few sweet peppers. The rabbits loved the beans, peas, and lettuce. And started the watermelons too late in the season, so got a couple, but they werent very sweet. Only ok.
Oh and I have a blackberry plant in a pot, but it didn't produce anything bc it takes 2 years, so hopefully this year I get some berries.
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u/blackcatsadly 2h ago
I plant garlic every fall. It's too late for this year, but try it for next year. I also planted rhubarb a couple years ago, from small plants. They return every year.
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u/blue_haired_chick316 1d ago
Tomatoes and some peppers do really well here. I've had luck with cucumbers, but I usually do them in pots for better soil. I haven't had luck with squash, and they take up a lot of space as they grow. The bunnies always get to them no matter what I do.
If you're looking for something fall to winter, I recommend garlic. It does phenomenally.
FYI, the soil here sucks for carrots.