Nik’s Picks: Best Vegetables for San Francisco
Artichoke (and Cardoon): This giant perennial thistle is adapted to cool, coastal climates. Doesn’t need much care or attention. But it does need a lot of room (4’x4’). Not the best for a small garden. In San Francisco they have a short dormant period in the winter when they die back to the ground briefly. This perennial crop will produce more and more food every year! If grown in containers or raised beds, give at least 5 gallons of soil or 24” of depth.(Note: Cardoons will give you a lot more food for the real estate. You eat the blanched leaf stalks of these artichoke relatives. DELICIOUS!! And you get to see them flower!!)
Varieties: Violetto produces tons of small, tasty chokes!
Arugula: Add a little spice to your salad, or make some delicious pesto, with this easy to grow brassica green. It matures quickly and produces heavily year round. Will do best in well-amended soil in sun or part shade. (Note: Try to find the perennial wild arugula. It is a little spicier, but will continue to produce even after it flowers. And you don’t need to replant it season after season! Just cut it back when it gets woody and watch it come back fresh from the ground.) If you let either the annual or perennial varieties go to seed they will self sow like mad!! Can grow in shallow beds or containers just fine.
Carrots: Everyone loves carrots!! They are slow to mature and are a bit more finicky about soil and nutrients (need deep, well drained, rich soil) than many of the crops here, but home-grown carrots are SOOO much better than anything you can buy in the market. The sugars start deteriorating as soon as they are picked, so the fresher the carrot the sweeter it is! Seed them densely in early spring or late summer, be patient while they germinate and thin them as they get big.
Varieties: Purple Haze, Danvers, Tondo di Parigi
Chard: This is a beautiful leaf crop that grows really well here. It needs some nutrition and may be slow to start, but in some gardens chard seems to be the happiest plant. It will produce large, colorful leaves for at least two seasons before going to seed. You are almost certain to get leaf miners infesting your leaves in the summer and fall. So try planting it in late summer/early fall so it can get established in the winter before this pest becomes prevalent. Needs at least 5g of soil per plant or 18” deep bed.
Varieties: Bright Lights all the way!! Mix of colors. Why would you grow any other variety?
Cilantro: Cilantro is notorious for flowering almost as soon as you put it in the ground. But our cool climate will slow it down and allow us to enjoy at least a month of harvest. Give it a little extra nitrogen, keep it watered and it will produce even better for longer. The flowers and seeds (yep, that’s coriander) are also edible. So let it do its full cycle thang! Can be grown year round from seed or start. Doesn’t need a deep container or bed.
Varieties: Slo Bolt
Fava Beans: Often thought of as a cover crop or obscure Italian delicacy, this is one bean that loves San Francisco’s consistently mild temperatures. It will even grow well in part sun. It may need to be staked when it starts producing beans, but other than that is totally maintenance free. Plant from seed any time of the year. And it’s not just the beans that are delicious, the leaves make a great addition to salad or braising mixes. Would prefer a 12” deep container or bed.
Kale: This incredibly nutritious brassica green will grow well year round here. It doesn’t need a particularly rich soil and will grow in part sun. Produces a huge amount of food in a small area. Plant from seed or start. Each plant will grow and produce for at least two seasons. Needs at least 18” of soil in a bed or container.
Varieties: Portuguese is my favorite, if you can find it. But any kind of Dino and Russian are great too.
Leeks: Leeks are a great crop to sneak in throughout the garden year round since they don’t take much room and grow slowly (reallllly slowly!) They will grow in full or part sun. They would prefer a rich, well drained soil, but I have found that they will limp along in pretty much any garden and they NEVER get any pests or diseases. Harvesting a big ole’, pearly white leek after that long (sometimes up to 150 day) wait is pretty exciting!! Plant from seed or start. Needs at least 12” of soil in containers or beds.
Varieties: Lincoln
Lettuce: We are truly blessed to be able to grow lettuce year round! In many areas it gets too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. Don’t have to worry about too much summer heat here. Make sure you amend the soil well and provide protection from slugs and snails. Plant from seed or starts.
Varieties: Tom Thumb, Little Gem, Speckles, Butter Oak. There are sooo many great varieties! Experiment and find your own favorite.
Mustard: If you like mustard on your hot dog, then you should definitely try to grow this robust green in your garden. It is easy to grow year round in sun or part shade, with few pests or specific nutrient needs. Make sure you give the larger varieties plenty of room. Plant from seed or start. Small varieties (such as Ruby Streaks and Golden Streaks) can be grown in shallow containers or beds. Larger varieties (like the Southern Giant) need at least 12”.
Varieties: I love Ruby Streaks in a salad! Southern Giant will get bigger than an elephant ear!! Try them both!
Peas: Since they grow vertically, peas are the perfect crop for gardeners who want to make the most of a small space. Grow them in little pots and trellis them up your fire escape. Plant them along the fence behind the rest of your veggies. Snow peas, sugar snap peas and shelling peas all climb. Just makes sure you don’t plant bush peas. They are best planted early-mid spring or late summer here. Aren’t too picky, but prefer a well drained, rich soil. Can be grown from seed or starts, but be sure to protect diligently from slugs and snails either way. Don’t need a deep bed or large container.
Varieties: Mangiatutto Carouby has a gorgeous flower and great flavor. Oregon Giant is VERY productive!
Sunchokes(AKA Jerusalem artichoke): This sunflower relative produces incredible amounts of tasty, nutty, sweet, creamy tubers. I love them roasted! Buy a few tubers from the farmers market and plant them in the spring in well drained, well amended soil. Will do best if you feed them with nitrogen regularly. You may even get some flowers if you plant them early enough or the summer is long enough. Harvest when they start to die back to the ground. This crop definitely needs a large 7g + container or a deep bed.
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