Crispy crust slathered in homemade sauce, topped with gooey cheese, and piled with all of your toppings is always a winner. Whether it’s a classic cheese or more creative homemade pies, pizza is perfect for any occasion: Serve yours for weeknight dinner, at a holiday party, or during a family get-together, and everyone will leave the table satisfied (after a few slices, of course!).
After establishing P-Town Pizza in her hometown of Pawhuska, Ree Drummond adores pizza in all different shapes and sizes. “Let’s face it: I have a list of favorite pizzas so long, it stretches out the front door and well into our north pasture,” she jokes. Her all-time favorite pizza, though, is loaded with vegetables like tender eggplant and juicy grape tomatoes. If you, like Ree, love veggie-loaded pies, you can actually plant all your go-to pizza toppings right outside your house. But for fans of meat lovers pizza, you can still grow the basics like tomatoes and oregano in your backyard.
If you’re wondering how to start a pizza garden, it’s much easier than you’d expect! To help you launch this outdoor culinary venture, we’ve accumulated a guide to growing the best produce and herbs for the freshest homemade pies. Below, you’ll also find step-by-step instructions to begin and care for your gardening project. So, if you’re craving endless slices of saucy, cheesy goodness, follow this beginner-friendly guide!
What to Grow in Your Pizza Garden
The first step to starting a pizza garden? Deciding what to grow. If you love vegetarian pizzas, you’ll probably want to plant plenty of vegetables in your yard. If hearty pies piled high with meat are more up your alley, you might stick to the basics. Whatever your preferences, these ingredients will get your garden started off strong:
Tomatoes
No pizza garden is complete without tomatoes! This red, juicy crop is the key ingredient in pizza sauce, and it’s also a must-have topping on Margherita pizza and other vegetable-filled pies. For flavorful sauces, grow paste tomatoes in your pizza garden. But if you’re looking for glorious garnishes, try cherry or slicer varieties. Whatever you choose, be sure to give your plants plenty of sunshine, water, and support.
Oregano
Since oregano gives pizza sauce its signature flavor, your garden will benefit from including this herb. While fresh oregano tastes bright and peppery, dried leaves are even more flavorful, which means you can enjoy the fruits of your labor even after the plant’s growing season. To help oregano thrive, place the crop in a sunny spot. Once it’s established, it won’t need much maintenance.
Bell Peppers
Sweet, crunchy, and colorful, bell peppers are another tasty topping that’ll upgrade your homemade pizzas. While green peppers have a slightly bitter flavor, red, yellow, and orange peppers will sweeten your slices. With warm temperatures, full sun, and regular watering, these crisp crops will thrive.
Onions
Onions are another staple pizza topping. Topping your pie with cooked onions will add a sweet and savory flair to your slices, whereas raw onions will offer a sharp punch. Onions are easy to grow, but they take several months to mature. If you’re in a pinch, you can always harvest young green onions early to finish off your pizza.
Basil
Whether you stir it into the sauce, blend it into a pesto, or toss it on top, basil is an aromatic ingredient perfect for a pizza garden. In warm weather and bright sunlight, basil grows relatively quickly. By regularly harvesting this fresh herb, you’ll help the plant produce more leaves throughout the season.
Arugula
Whenever you’re craving a gourmet pizza, adding a handful of arugula will finish off a fresh-out-of-the-oven pie with a peppery contrast. Since this green prefers cooler weather, plant it in early spring or late summer. With well-draining, nutrient-rich soil and full to partial sun, arugula will grow fast.
How to Start a Pizza Garden
After you’ve narrowed down your ingredient list, it’s time to get growing! To seamlessly start your pizza garden, follow these simple steps:
Seek Out the Best Spot
Most pizza garden staples like tomatoes, peppers, and oregano require full sun to flourish. To meet this basic need, carve out an area in your garden that receives at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight every day. If space isn’t on your side, raised beds or large containers also work.
Prepare the Soil
Nutrient-rich, well-draining soil is another necessity for your pizza garden. Before planting, mix compost into the soil to boost its nutrient content and improve its drainage ability. For container gardens, using a high-quality potting mix will give you the best results.
Plan Your Layout
Whether you’re sowing seeds or planting seedlings, a thoughtful layout will help your crops grow big and strong. After checking the seed packets or plant tags for spacing recommendations, place taller vegetables like tomatoes in the back and shorter herbs like oregano and basil in the front, so each one will receive ample sunlight. For frequently harvested crops like arugula, make your job easier by slotting them in an easily accessible spot.
Prioritze the Season
While some pizza garden ingredients like arugula and onions love cool temperatures, others like tomatoes and peppers thrive in warmer weather. That’s why paying attention to the calendar will set you up for success. For warm-season crops, wait until the last frost has passed to plant them. As for cool-season crops, either plant them in early spring or late summer.
How to Maintain a Pizza Garden
Once you’ve established your pizza garden, consistently nurturing your crops will make your at-home creations taste fresher than ever. Keep these maintenance tips in mind when tending to your plot:
Hydrate Them Consistently
Like most crops, pizza garden components need consistent moisture to thrive. Instead of lightly hydrating your plants on a daily basis, prioritize deep watering (about an inch of water per week). Tomatoes, in particular, crack and rot when moisture levels fluctuate, so aim for evenly moist soil, too.
Feed Them Regularly
Adding a balanced fertilizer during growing season—especially when tomatoes and peppers start flowering—will give your plants a boost of much-needed nutrients. Closely follow the instructions when applying the product, and your pizza garden ingredients will be flourishing in no time.
Harvest Them Often
For many herbs and vegetables, harvesting them regularly will keep them coming back fuller and more plentiful all season long. Frequently picking basil will promote bushier growth, while gathering ripe tomatoes every few days will lead to new fruit later on.
Watch Out for Pests
If pests reach your pizza garden, they can quickly sabotage all your hard work. To prevent insects from damaging or contaminating your crops, scan your plants for signs of pests on a regular basis. If you spot a visible bug, a chewed hole, or sticky leaves, tackle the situation before it becomes a bigger problem.
Lilly Blomquist is the associate editor at The Pioneer Woman, where she writes lifestyle stories across a wide range of topics—including news, entertainment, holidays, food, and more.
