Gardening is a lesson in patience, but it’s natural to want to enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor as soon as possible. Fast-growing vegetables are a great way to do just that and are perfect for eager beginner gardeners.
Many greens and some root vegetables will be ready to harvest in just 30 days or less after seeding, so you can enjoy crunchy salads and fragrant soups in no time. Ready to add some of these varieties to your garden? We asked three experts about their favorite fast-growing vegetables, along with some care tips to ensure a bountiful harvest.
Radishes
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Radishes are both a cruciferous and root vegetable—yet unlike many other vegeatables in these categories, they grow very quickly from seed.
“Radishes can handle the cold weather of early spring, and take only 30 days from seed to harvest,” says Marie-Helene Attwood, founder of Edible Petals. “My favorite way to eat them is with sourdough bread, butter, and salt.”
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Care Requirements: Well-drained soil; full sun
- Size: 6 to 8 inches tall; 1 inch diameter
- Time to Harvest: 3 to 5 weeks
Tuscan Kale
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Tuscan kale, also called dinosaur kale for its bumpy leaves, is easy to start from seed—and has one of the longest harvest seasons.
“You can start the seeds a week or two before the last frost, and they will produce all the way until snow falls,” says Attwood. “You can eat the young leaves in salad, add them to roasts or soups, or massage them with a bit of olive oil and bake them into kale chips in 20 minutes.”
- Zones: 7 to 9
- Care Requirements: Well-drained soil; partial to full sun
- Size: 1 to 2 feet tall, 1 to 2 wide
- Time to Harvest: 25 to 30 days
Hakurei Salad Turnips
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Salad turnips are similar to traditional turnips but have a slightly faster growing time—and some more unique uses.
“[They are] great sliced or wedged into salads, or you can cut them up and use them in soup, and they taste similar to potatoes,” says Paul Dysinger, co-founder and CEO of Seedtime.
- Zones: 3 to 11
- Care Requirements: Well-drained soil; full sun
- Size: 12 to 18 inches tall; 2 inch diameter
- Time to Harvest: 35 to 40 days
Leaf Lettuce
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Leaf lettuce is another great fast-grower in the greens category and is typically ready in just 30 days.
“By using the cut-and-come-again method, you can often get multiple harvests from the same plant, prolonging the season,” says Quilenthia Wingfield-Accime, founder of Dearest Garden. “I love using it in homemade salad mixes and on sandwiches.”
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Care Requirements: Well-drained soil; partial to full sun
- Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x 6 to 12 inches wide
- Time to Harvest: 30 days
Cherry Tomatoes
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Cherry tomatoes can take longer to harvest than many greens. However, you can expedite the process under the right conditions.
Attwood suggests starting them from seeds in mid-April with a cover or in a greenhouse and uncovering them in mid-May since they prefer tropical temperatures.
“I like Black Cherry or Midnight Snack [varieties]—very tasty, very productive, and the skin has a lovely dark red color,” she says. “They grow with so much abundance, and they’re easy to pick and eat as a snack.”
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Care Requirements: Well-drained soil; full sun
- Size: 4 to 6 feet tall; 1 to 3 feet wide
- Time to Harvest: 50 to 65 days
Microgreens
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Attwood finds that the fastest way to grow and eat cruciferous vegetables is to eat them as microgreens.
“You can seed a mix of kale, broccoli, radish, and mustard greens and eat them right as they sprout,” she says. “Use scissors and give them a haircut to add to salads, sandwiches, or as a garnish for any meal.”
- Zones: Depends on the variety
- Care Requirements: Depends on the variety
- Size: 1 to 3 inches tall
- Time to Harvest: 8 to 21 days
Baby Greens
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Baby greens, like baby spinach, are not quite the same as microgreens—they have a milder flavor and are more leafy.
“[They] are awesome and harvest in 21 to 30 days,” says Dysinger. He recommends direct seeding them in in rows that are a few inches apart.
“Sow thickly with around three to six seeds per inch,” he adds. “Harvest using scissors, and if the weather is good they can regrow for a second harvest within another couple weeks. They’re super tender and delightful to eat!”
- Zones: Depends on the variety
- Care Requirements: Depends on the variety
- Size: 4 to 6 inches tall
- Time to Harvest: 20 to 30 days
Beets
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Beets can take seven to eight weeks to harvest, but they are one of the faster growers when it comes to root vegetables.
“I start them from seeds about two to three weeks before the last frost, in mid-March. About a month later, two weeks after the last frost, I overseed them with nasturtium and marigold to keep the cabbage moths away,” says Attwood. “It makes for a beautiful container [of] green leaves and orange flowers, which are also edible.”
- Zones: 2 to 10
- Care Requirements: Well-drained soil; partial to full sun
- Size: 1 to 2 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wide
- Time to Harvest: 50 to 70 days
Mustard Greens
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Mustard greens can be ready to enjoy in 20 days or less, says Wingfield-Accime. It’s recommended to harvest them when they’re young and tender. However, if you’re sautéing them, you can let them grow to their full size. Like many other greens, the leaves will regrow after you cut them.
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Care Requirements: Well-drained soil; full sun
- Size: 3 feet tall
- Time to Harvest: 45 to 50 days (for full maturity)
Arugula
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“Arugula is another quick grower, ready in 21 to 28 days,” says Wingfield-Accime. The crop handles both cold and warm temperatures well. However, it doesn’t regrow as well as other greens after being cut, so you’ll have to replant it for successive harvests.
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Care Requirements: Well-drained soil; partial to full sun
- Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 1.5 feet wide
- Time to Harvest: 20 to 50 days