Create A Pizza Garden | Jung Seed Gardening Blog

Happy National Pizza Day! Each year on February 9th, the United States celebrates our love of pizza. According to National Today’s pizza survey, over 57% of Americans love pizza and 30% eat pizza at least once a week. There are many ways to celebrate this delicious food including creating and growing your own pizza garden.

Select Your Favorite Pizza Toppings

Vegetables on a pizza that sits wooden board

Pizza preferences vary widely among individuals. While some delight in the savory combination of mushrooms and peppers, others find solace in the comforting familiarity of tomato and garlic.
The first step to creating a pizza garden begins with selecting the vegetables and herbs destined to adorn your perfect pie.

7 Popular Pizza Toppings To Grow

Tomato
Sweet Pepper
Onion
Garlic
Hot Pepper
Basil
Oregano

Choose A Location For Your Pizza Garden

Selecting the ideal location is crucial in crafting your pizza garden. Will you plant your garden in a spacious yard, or opt for the convenience of container gardening? Perhaps you’re navigating the confines of an apartment, necessitating indoor cultivation or maximizing patio space.

Purchase Your Pizza Garden Seeds, Plants, & Supplies

Young tomato seedlings in pots near a window

With your pizza garden’s location secured and your vegetable and herb selections finalized, the next step is acquiring the essential seeds and supplies. Look no further than Jung Seed Company, a family-owned and operated seed and garden company based in Wisconsin since 1907. For a delectable array of tomatoes and peppers, explore their affiliate company, Totally Tomatoes. If you’re starting from scratch, ensure you are equipped with the basics: seed trays and inserts, a dome, heat mat, and grow lights to kickstart your growing journey.

Growing Tips For A Successful Pizza Garden

Onion plants in the ground ready to be harvested

It is essential to familiarize yourself with the unique growing needs of each vegetable and herb earmarked for your pizza garden. A valuable starting point is the information nestled within your seed packet, often brimming with insights tailored to your chosen varieties. For additional guidance, Jung Seed offers a wealth of resources, including comprehensive growing guides and instructional videos. Below, you will find some basics for planting and caring for the seedlings you might grow in your pizza garden.

Produce	Spacing	Sunlight	Water	Companions
Tomato	Indeterminate: 2.5-3′ apart & 4′ between rows Determinate: 2-3′ apart & 3′ between rows	Full Sun	1 to 2 in. per week	Basil, Garlic, Onion, Oregano, Pepper
Sweet Pepper	18″ apart 2′ between rows	Full Sun	1 to 2 in. per week (wet heavily and let dry completely before watering again)	Basil, Garlic, Onion, Tomato
Onion	4-6″ apart 18-20″ between rows	Full Sun	1 to 2 in. per week	Garlic, Pepper, Tomato
Garlic	4-8″ apart 18-30″ between rows	Full Sun	½ to 1 in. per week	Basil, Pepper, Tomato
Hot Pepper	18″ apart 2′ between rows	Full Sun	1 to 2 in. per week (wet heavily and let dry completely before watering again)	Basil, Garlic, Onion, Tomato
Basil	9-16″	Full Sun	1 in. per week	Garlic, Onion, Oregano, Tomato
Oregano	10-12″	Full Sun	1 in. per week	Basil, Pepper, Tomato

Grow & Make Your Pizza Sauce

Expand your culinary skills beyond just growing toppings for your pizza—did you know you can cultivate and craft your own pizza sauce too? Optimal for this endeavor are paste tomatoes, renowned for their robust flavor and ideal texture for sauce-making.

Pizza Sauce Tomato Varieties

Amish Paste – is an heirloom tomato dating back to the early 1900s. It is one of the largest, meatiest, best-flavored paste tomatoes.
Mariana – is an extra large Roma type with top-notch flavoring perfect for making pizza sauce.
Opalka – has a much richer and sweeter taste compared to the other paste tomatoes. It is vigorous and high-yielding.
Plum Regal – has exceptional disease resistance which helps keep them producing in abundance. It is solid and meaty, with few seeds.
San Marzano – is considered a classic paste tomato and one of the best for sauces. It has thick flesh, few seeds, and holds well on the vine.

Explore pizza sauce recipes available online or within the pages of recipe books. Among our cherished favorites is a gem nestled within Jung’s Centennial Cookbook, a culinary treasure trove published in 2006. Brimming with recipes passed down through generations of Jung family members and dedicated employees, it offers a delightful journey into time-honored favorites.

Ken’s Tomato Sauce by Ken Zieman

24 large Tomatoes (peeled)
4 large Carrots
1 green Pepper
4 large Onions
2 stalks Celery
1 tsp. Parsley flakes
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Garlic Salt
2 T. Salt
3 T. Sugar

Cook till tender, put in a blender, and blend until smooth. Put in jars and process.

Grow & Make Your Pizza Crust

The rise of cauliflower pizza crust gained momentum towards the latter part of the 2000s, spurred by its appeal as a lower-calorie alternative and its compatibility with various dietary or health restrictions. Crafting this crust can be surprisingly simple with the appropriate recipe and fresh produce at hand, offering a flavorful and nutritious twist on traditional pizza bases.

Pizza Crust Cauliflower Varieties

Amazing – is a high-producing, vigorous, open-pollinated cauliflower. It tolerates both heat and cold stress.
Cheddar – is a uniquely colored cauliflower. It is the color of cheddar cheese due to beta-carotene. The flavor is excellent both fresh and cooked.
Snow Crown – is a 1975 AAS Winner full of delicious flavor and texture. Ideal for the home gardener.

Jung Seed’s Popular Pizza Garden Varieties

Red Onion and sliced onion on wooden cutting board.

Tomatoes

Celebrity – is a 1984 AAS winner. It has outstanding disease resistance and delicious flavor.
Better Boy – is always a top choice by professional growers and home gardeners. It is large, meaty, and packed with flavor.
Early Girl – one of the most popular early tomatoes. Produces a heavy crop bursting with flavor.

Sweet Peppers

Big Bertha – produces prolific yields of large peppers. It has thick, meaty walls perfect as a pizza topping choice.
Carmen – is a 2006 AAS Winner. It is one of the sweet peppers with excellent flavor both raw or cooked.
King Arthur – grows well almost anywhere. It has a sweet and crunchy flavor with exceptional yields.

Onion

Redwing – is a long-keep red onion. It is moderately pungent, very firm, and has good skin retention.
Walla Walla – is famous for its size and sweetness. It is a short-keeper so be sure to use them first.
Yellow Sweet Spanish – is a great multipurpose onion. It has a mild, sweet flavor and stores well.

Garlic

California White – is easy to grow and large. It adapts well to both northern and southern climates.
Italian Late – is a softneck artichoke garlic. It has a pleasing garlic flavor and is very productive.
Silver Rose – is a popular softneck garlic among gourmet cooks. It has an excellent flavor and stores well.

Hot Pepper

Hungarian Yellow Hot Wax – is also known as the Hot Banana. It has a spicy, sweet, medium-hot flavor.
Italian Pepperoncini – has thin walls and a sweet, mild heat. Allow them to ripen on the bush before harvesting for your pizza.
Trident Hybrid Poblano – is extra large with a mildly hot flavor. Usually continues to produce through an extended season.

Basil

Dolce Fresca – is a sweet basil. It is perfect for growing in containers or small spaces.
Everleaf Emerald Tower – is slower to flower than other basil plants. However, it is full of flavor and an excellent choice for growing in a container.
Italian Large Leaf – has a mild sweet flavor. It is a popular choice for Italian dishes including pizza.

Oregano

Greek – produces strongly aromatic leaves. It can be used fresh or dried making it an excellent addition to a pizza.

Indulge in the ultimate fusion of passion for pizza and the joys of gardening by crafting your very own pizza garden. With thoughtful planning and dedication, envision stepping into your garden to pluck vegetables and fragrant herbs, elevating your homemade pizza to perfection.

How To Create A Pizza Garden