There are plenty of delicious fast-growing vegetables you can grow in the cooler months of spring and fall. Most of the suggestions on this list grow from seed to harvest in just six weeks or less. For a variety of leafy greens to carrots, beets, radishes, and peas, grab some seeds and start sowing.
If you are new to food growing, How to Grow Your First Vegetable Garden (Right Now) walks through everything you need to get started.
Vegetables That Grow Fast
Spring and fall are the perfect time to grow some cool-tolerant, fast-growing vegetables. Use the tips below to choose your seeds and get started.
Contents
Getting Started
Most fast-growing vegetables all have something in common and once you know this simple tip, it’s easy to know which vegetables to grow. The quickest growers are generally cool-tolerant and do not need to flower or fruit before we eat them.
The vegetables we grow can be divided into two basic botanical groups. You can read more on which vegetables need help from pollinators here.
1) Fruits and berries with seeds.
These generally prefer warmer temperatures and require pollination.
Examples include beans, squashes, tomatoes, and eggplant.
2) Vegetable leaves, stems, roots, and immature flowers.
These generally prefer cooler temperatures and do not require pollination.
Examples include beets, leafy greens, pea shoots, and radishes.
It’s this second group that contains a lot of quick-growing options ideal for sowing in spring or late summer.
They are also excellent choices for succession planting where we start new crops as soon as others are finishing up, or underplanting where we tuck in some extra selections below the canopy of other slow-growing plants.
The beautiful thing about these fast-growing crops is you do not have to wait for flowering or fruiting. All of them can be eaten from the moment they sprout as seedlings onward. This is something often overlooked by many gardeners.
We get ‘days to maturity’ in our heads and somehow think that we need to wait that entire length of time before harvesting. And yes, waiting often means you get more food for your efforts, but harvesting earlier can bring its own taste rewards.
A good example is broccoli. You can grow the seeds just for the shoots and they are ready within a week or two. Wait a bit longer and you’ve got tender, flavorful stems and leaves. And yes, the leaves taste just like the florets! Traditionally, we hold off until the plant starts to bud. That “head” of broccoli we buy at the grocery store is really countless immature florets, picked and consumed before it fully flowers. That’s a lot of harvesting options throughout the growth cycle.
Other crops like leafy greens are also edible at any stage prior to flowering. Plus, many of them are “cut-and-come-again” meaning you can harvest some individual leaves (by snipping them near the base with scissors) for your salads and the plant will continue growing, providing more. Sometimes it’s hard to decide between larger spinach leaves and those smaller but oh-so-tender baby greens, but there is no reason why you can’t enjoy some of each.
This has ideas for vegetables to forage throughout the growing season.
When Should I Sow?
The ideal times are spring and late-summer so long as you have the right growing conditions.
The best time to sow varies with each plant, but very generally, if your soil temperature is consistently between 50 to 68 °F (10 to 20° C) many cool-tolerant, fast-growing crops will germinate.
Where I live here in Ontario, Canada, our summers get hot and humid and these cool-tolerant crops tend to bolt (prematurely produce seed and become inedible) during the summer months. Because of this, I like to grow the quick-growers in spring or late-summer or early fall when temperatures are more reasonable.
Here, summer is the time for warmth-loving crops like tomatoes and eggplants to flower—and attract the pollinators needed to produce fruit. The slow-growing vegetables like winter squashes also need this time for pollinators to find them.
The quick-growing ones will be ready in no time if you can avoid the heat.
If you would a complete sowing plan, see my week-by-week vegetable seed sowing plan here.
Can I Grow Quick-Growing Vegetables in Containers?
Yes! Every one of these vegetables can grow in containers. I grow most of mine in pots and the advantage is you can move them around as needed.
Choose pots at least 8-inches deep and be sure they have adequate drainage. Use organic potting mix intended for vegetables and keep everything watered. These fast-growers can get really thirsty.
If you want to add in some fast-growing flowering annuals, there are plenty of options.
20 Quick-Growing Vegetables
I’ve provided general information here but please also check your seed packets for specific growing instructions, expected germination rates, and days to maturity. With so many varieties available, there can be lots of variations.
As mentioned, everything is edible from seedling stage onward. The seed to harvest days tell you when you’re reaching the end of the growth cycle.
You can buy sets of quick-growing vegetables from the seed shop here.
1Arugula | Rocket
Arugula | Rocket
Full Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
40-53°F (4-12°C)
Seed to Harvest
20-40 days
Notes
A favorite slightly spicy salad green. The hotter the weather, the spicier and tougher the leaves become.
2Beets
Beets
Part-Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
50-80°F (10-26°C)
Seed to Harvest
40-70 days
Notes
Everything is edible including tops and roots.
Look for ‘leaf beets’ for best tops.
Soak seeds in warm water for one hour prior to sowing.
3Broccoli Raab | Rapini | Rabi
Broccoli | Raab
Full Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
50-85°F (10-30°C)
Seed to Harvest
40-60 days
Notes
Everything is edible including leaves, tops, and florets.
4Carrots
Carrots
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
45-85°F (7-30°C)
Seed to Harvest
55 days
Notes
Everything is edible including tops and roots.
Baby types are fast-growers including Amsterdam, Adelaide, and Paris Market Atlas.
5Endive | Chicory | Radicchio
Endive | Chicory | Radicchio
Full or Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
50-72°F (10-22°C)
Seed to Harvest
35-50 days
Notes
Endive or chicory is the name for a group of leafy vegetables that includes radicchio, known for their somewhat bitter flavor. They come in all sorts of colors including white, green, red, and purple.
6Kale
Kale
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
50-85°F (10-30°C)
Seed to Harvest
30-65 days
Notes
If you’re not a big fan of kale, try harvesting early when the leaves are still tender. You may change your mind! They are also delicious any time in soups.
7Kolhrabi
Kohlrabi
Full Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
50-85°F (10-30°C)
Seed to Harvest
40-50 days
Notes
Kohlrabi is related to cabbage but tastes slightly sweeter. Works nicely in coleslaw. Leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.
8Leaf Lettuce
Leaf Lettuce
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
50-72°F (10-22°C)
Seed to Harvest
40-60 days
Notes
What you get under the name ‘leaf lettuce’ will vary with each seed seller. Try several to find your favorites.
9Mâche/ Corn salad
Mache | Corn Salad
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
45-65°F (5-18°C)
Seed to Harvest
45-50 days
Notes
Yet another delicious salad green. I put frost cloths over mine to keep them going in the winter.
10Mesclun Mix
Mesclun Mix
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
50-72°F (10-22°C)
Seed to Harvest
30-45 days
Notes
Mesclun mix is a name used for salad greens sold with a variety of seeds in each pack. Each seed seller has their own unique combinations. This is the easiest way to grow salad greens in one container.
11Microgreens
Microgreens
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
Depends on what you’re growing.
Seed to Harvest
2 to 4 weeks
Notes
Microgreens are the edible seedlings of herbs and vegetables. Choose any favorite seeds and give it a try. You simply sow more densely and harvest early.
12Mizuna
Mizuna
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
50-72°F (10-22°C)
Seed to Harvest
35-45 days
Notes
This one is a mustard green with a slightly zippy flavor. Mizuna is often found in mesclun mixes. The interesting leaf shape stands out in a salad.
13Mustard Greens
Full or Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
70°F (21°C)
Seed to Harvest
21-45 days
Notes
There are lots of different mustard greens, each with unique leaf sizes, colors, textures, and flavors.
14Onion Greens | Scallions
Scallions | Green Onion
Full Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
70-75°F (21-25°C)
Seed to Harvest
40-50 days
Notes
Grow micro-onion greens, baby bulbs, or onion stalks. Everything is edible at every stage.
15Pak Choi | Bok Choy
Pak Choy
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
50-85°F (10-30°C)
Seed to Harvest
40-55 days
Notes
It’s mild in flavor and has lots of uses, raw or cooked, from microgreen stage onward.
16Peas & Pea Shoots
Pea Shoots
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
50-70°F (10-20°C)
Seed to Harvest
50-60 days (peas)
Notes
If you’ve never tried pea shoots and leaves you’re in for a treat. The ender parts are sweet like peas and pods. And you can have both. Harvest some shoots while allowing the plant to also flower and fruit.
17Radish
Radish
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
65-75°F (18-24°C)
Seed to Harvest
21-30 days
Notes
Radish microgreens are good in sandwiches. Radish tops are mild and add nice flavor to salads. And for all you radish sandwich fans, your harvest is ready in just one month.
18Spinach
Spinach
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
45-70°F (5-20°C)
Seed to Harvest
30-55 days
Notes
There are so many fabulous varieties of spinach. Choose ones that suit your climate. And be sure to harvest some early for sweet, baby greens.
19Sunflower Shoots
Sunflower Shoots
Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
70-75°F (21-25°C)
Seed to Harvest
14 days
Notes
These seeds like a little more warmth to germinate but you can fast-track it by placing cloches over top to help warm the soil. If you enjoy sunflowers seeds, you will love sunflower shoots. They have that same nutty taste.
20Swiss Chard
Chard
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
50-85°F (10-30°C)
Seed to Harvest
30-60 days
Notes
There are lots of varieties of Swiss chard in all sorts of colors. It’s my favorite vegetable to stir fry.
21Tatsoi | Tah Tsai
Tatsoi
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
50-85°F (10-30°C)
Seed to Harvest
21-45 days
Notes
Tatsoi tastes similar to Pak Choi (Bok Choy). Works in salads and stir fries.
22Turnips
Turnip
Part Sun
Optimal Soil Temperature
65-70°F (18-21°C)
Seed to Harvest
35-50 days
Notes
This is another crop where we tend to the wait for the roots but the leaves are also edible at any time. If you avoided turnips as a child, time to try them again with the right recipe.
Resources
Seed Sowing Tips
- Order your seeds right away to you have them right when needed. Timing is important.
- Read all of the seed packets for sowing tips. Note any special sowing instructions (e.g. pea seeds can be pre-soaked in water to encourage germination).
- In fall, sow at least six weeks before first expected frost.
- In spring, for outdoor sowing, start when the garden soil temperature is favorable (this has more on soil temperatures).
- Cool-tolerant veggie seeds (generally) need soil temperatures of 50 to 68 °F (10 to 20° C) to germinate.
- If there is risk of frost or near-freezing temperatures, have covers on hand to protect your seedlings. Options include frost cloths (floating row covers), cloches, mulch including straw, or growing in cold frames or polytunnels.
- For continuous harvests, sow new batches of the fastest-growing crops like leafy greens every two weeks.
- Keep notes in your garden journal tracking sowing dates, conditions, best/worst crops, recommendations for next time, save seed packets, and take photos.
- If you love cool weather gardening, consider growing your veggies right through the winter. This list of 10 Vegetables to Grow in Winter will get you started.
Seed Shop
If you’re looking for easy seed selections, these sets from Botanical Interests have good variety of fast-growers for the cool seasons along with the traditional slower growing varieties.
- Baby Greens Sampler Collection (5 Varieties)
- Basic Bounty Vegetable Collection (7 reliable veggies)
- Container Vegetable Collection (10 selections)
- Chef’s Herb Garden Collection (9 herbs)
Want to find a local seed seller? Use the listings in the links below to find ones in your area.
Happy gardening,
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛