If you’re eager to enjoy fresh veggies without waiting months, you’re in luck, I’ve spent years discovering vegetables that sprout, grow, and land on your plate quickly!
Quick-growing veggies are perfect for gardeners who crave immediate rewards or beginners who love visible progress.
Below, I’ll share my favorite speedy growers, providing essential care advice, harvesting tips, and a few gardening secrets to help you grow each successfully.
#1. Radishes (20-25 days)
Radishes are gardening’s fastest veggies. Within three weeks, crunchy red or white bulbs are ready.
Plant seeds directly into loose, moist soil and full sun or partial shade. Radishes add spice and crunch to salads or tacos.
Harvest them young for the best taste, older radishes become woody or overly spicy. Keep planting weekly for constant harvesting throughout spring and fall.
#2. Arugula (25-30 days)
Arugula offers peppery, flavorful greens ready in under a month. Grow it directly in garden beds or containers with well-draining soil and regular watering.
Arugula prefers cool weather, growing best in spring or fall. Harvest young leaves often for salads and pizza toppings.
For continual production, trim outer leaves frequently, leaving the inner leaves to mature.
#3. Leaf Lettuce (30 days)
Leaf lettuce varieties like Romaine or Buttercrunch produce tender leaves quickly. Plant seeds in moist, nutrient-rich soil with partial sun, as lettuce prefers cooler temperatures.
I practice the “cut-and-come-again” method, cut leaves as you need them, allowing new ones to grow.
Perfect in salads or sandwiches, these tasty greens regrow rapidly, ensuring continuous fresh harvests for weeks.
#4. Spinach (30 days)
Spinach grows incredibly fast, preferring cool climates with plenty of water and nutrient-rich soil. I plant spinach directly in shaded or partly sunny spots.
Harvest baby spinach leaves around 3-4 inches tall for delicate flavor and soft texture.
Rich in iron and vitamins, spinach tastes delicious raw in salads, sautéed with garlic, or blended into nutrient-packed smoothies.
#5. Green Onions (20-30 days)
Green onions, or scallions, offer speedy garden satisfaction. Plant seeds or bulbs directly into garden soil, ensuring it stays consistently moist.
Green onions thrive in sunny locations but handle partial shade well. You can snip off the green tops repeatedly for cooking, garnishing, or salads.
Keep bulbs in the soil to regrow quickly, providing an almost endless harvest!
#6. Mustard Greens (30 days)
Mustard greens provide spicy, vibrant foliage ready in just a month. They prefer slightly cooler temperatures and consistently moist soil rich in organic matter.
Harvest tender young leaves for raw salads or allow them to mature for stronger-flavored cooked dishes.
A quick tip: mustard greens naturally repel pests, making them excellent companion plants for carrots or lettuce.
#7. Baby Carrots (30-40 days)
Baby carrots mature quickly because they’re harvested young. Choose short varieties like “Little Finger” or “Thumbelina” for rapid results.
Plant in deeply loosened soil, watering consistently. Harvest carrots early for sweet, tender, bite-sized treats.
Delicious raw, roasted, or steamed, they’re especially kid-friendly and ideal for snacking straight from the garden.
#8. Kale (baby leaves, 25-30 days)
Kale thrives quickly, particularly baby leaves harvested within a month. Ideal for container gardening or garden beds, it loves moist soil, full sun, or partial shade.
Regularly harvesting young leaves encourages continuous growth.
Tender baby kale is ideal in salads, smoothies, or lightly sautéed, offering an abundance of vitamins and minerals from a tiny patch of garden space.
#9. Swiss Chard (30-40 days)
Swiss chard rapidly produces colorful, nutrient-rich leaves. Plant seeds in fertile, moist soil and partial sunlight.
Chard tolerates warmer weather better than spinach, making it versatile for multiple planting seasons.
Harvest outer leaves frequently, letting inner leaves mature. Sautéed, steamed, or added raw to salads, chard provides excellent nutrition and visual appeal to any garden and meal.
#10. Turnips (30-40 days)
Turnips, especially small varieties like “Hakurei,” mature swiftly, providing crisp, mildly sweet roots and edible greens. Grow them directly from seed in loose, fertile soil, watering regularly.
Harvest when roots reach golf-ball size for maximum tenderness.
Both greens and roots taste delicious roasted, steamed, or tossed fresh into salads, offering dual crops from a single planting.
#11. Mizuna (30 days)
Mizuna, an Asian green, offers mildly spicy, feathery leaves within a month.
Plant in fertile, moist soil with partial shade or filtered sunlight, as it thrives in cooler climates. Harvest young leaves frequently to encourage more growth.
Mizuna adds vibrant texture and flavor to fresh salads or stir-fries, and is remarkably resistant to pests compared to other greens.
#12. Bok Choy (30-40 days)
Bok choy produces crunchy, tender leaves quickly in cool weather.
Grow from seed in rich, consistently moist soil with partial shade or gentle sun exposure. Harvest young plants whole or pluck outer leaves individually.
Bok choy tastes delightful steamed or stir-fried, adding Asian flair and healthy nutrients like vitamins A and C to any quick meal.
#13. Beet Greens (25 days)
While full beetroots take time, beet greens are harvestable early.
Plant in nutrient-rich, consistently moist soil and partial sun for best leaf growth. Harvest young leaves sparingly to keep plants growing strong.
Beet greens are nutritious and delicious sautéed with garlic, tossed into fresh salads, or blended into smoothies for a vitamin-rich health boost.
#14. Zucchini (45-55 days)
Zucchini plants grow exceptionally fast, offering abundant harvests. Plant seeds directly in fertile soil under full sun, providing ample watering.
Harvest zucchini regularly when young and tender (6-8 inches long) to encourage continuous fruiting.
Delicious grilled, sautéed, or baked, zucchini quickly becomes your garden’s most prolific crop, perfect for sharing or preserving.
#15. Bush Beans (45-50 days)
Bush beans mature quicker than pole beans, ideal for compact spaces or containers.
Plant seeds in well-drained soil with regular watering and full sun. Harvest pods young and tender for the best flavor and texture.
Bush beans are tasty steamed, sautéed with garlic butter, or enjoyed fresh as crunchy snacks, perfect veggies to share with kids due to their sweet taste.
#16. Garden Cress (15-20 days)
Garden cress germinates instantly, offering spicy, peppery sprouts rapidly.
Ideal for container planting, sow in shallow trays or pots with consistently moist soil in partial sun. Harvest young sprouts frequently to promote new growth.
Fresh garden cress adds zesty flavor to salads, sandwiches, soups, and garnishes, providing a nutritional punch in tiny packages.
#17. Collard Greens (baby leaves, 30 days)
Collard greens harvested young are surprisingly tender and mild.
Plant seeds directly in fertile, moist soil under partial sun or filtered light. Harvest baby leaves often to encourage constant regrowth.
Use collard greens fresh in salads, steamed lightly, or stir-fried, providing essential vitamins and minerals alongside great flavor, especially when harvested young.
#18. Cucumbers (bush varieties, 50 days)
Bush cucumbers produce fruit quickly, suitable for small gardens or containers.
Plant seeds in fertile, consistently watered soil under full sunlight. Harvest cucumbers young for crispy freshness and to encourage continuous fruiting.
Perfectly suited for fresh salads, sandwiches, or pickling, these quick-growing cucumbers will delight you throughout summer, offering crunchy satisfaction straight from the vine.
#19. Microgreens (7-14 days)
Microgreens grow faster than any other veggie, ready to harvest in mere days.
Plant densely in shallow trays with nutrient-rich soil, keeping consistently moist. Harvest microgreens when they’re 1-2 inches tall, snipping just above soil level.
Use nutrient-dense microgreens like broccoli, radish, or sunflower sprouts fresh in salads, sandwiches, smoothies, or as garnishes, boosting taste and nutrition.
#20. Snow Peas (50-60 days)
Snow peas, though slightly slower, still mature impressively quickly.
Plant seeds directly near a trellis in fertile soil, offering consistent moisture and plenty of sun. Harvest pods young and flat for sweetest taste and texture.
Eat fresh, sauté quickly in stir-fries, or steam lightly to retain crispness, making snow peas a crunchy, nutritious addition to many meals.
