One of the reasons that stop people from starting a garden is the thought of waiting several weeks for harvest. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way. There are fast-growing vegetables that you can harvest in just a few weeks after sowing. There is even one in this article that you can harvest within a week.
So, if you want a quick harvest for one reason or another, fast-growing vegetables are the answer. And in this article, we will introduce you to a few. As a matter of fact, we will introduce you to the fastest-growing vegetables in the UK.
If that is not enough to get your running to your gardening tools, we’d like to add that these vegetables don’t just guarantee a speedy harvest. They are also easy to grow and care for.
Baby carrots
Carrots take about 50 days to be ready for harvest. However, you can harvest slightly earlier. Those that are harvested before full maturity are called baby carrots. They are smaller and more tender but no less tasty.
In the UK, the best time to sow carrots is between March and June. However, you can start early batches in February. Sow in fertile soil and add compost.
Beans
Fast-growing varieties of beans can mature as quickly as 45 days. However, most need at least 50 days from sowing to harvesting. So, we recommend looking at those fast-growing varieties such as dwarf green and bush beans.
Summer is the best time to sow. Once again, use fertile soil or potting mix and allow a spacing of 25cm to 40cm.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a leafy green, one of many on this list. More importantly, it only needs 40 to 60 days to provide a fresh harvest for your salad bowl.
We recommend sowing from March to June and using fertile soil with a neutral PH.
Cress
By a long shot, cress is the fastest-growing vegetable on this list. You can harvest within a week, specifically in 5 to 7 days. Sow from March to August in nutrient-rich and moist soil.
To sow, just sprinkle a few seeds along a row for as many rows as you’d like. Finally, plant your cress plants in partial shade, water frequently and take other measures to protect them from heat.
Kale
Kale needs about 55 to 75 days to mature but you can harvest as early as 30 days after sowing. These immature and younger leaves are called baby kale. They are much tenderer and there is no significant loss in nutritional value.
Sow from March to June.
Lettuce
Lettuce is as fast-growing as they come. It only needs 21 days to mature. That means you can have a fresh harvest just three weeks after sowing. Some varieties may need at least 30 days, but that’s still pretty fast.
Sow lettuce between March and late July. Ensure that the soil is nutrient-rich, moist and well-drained. Finally, plant where your lettuce will get moderate to high levels of sunlight.
Mustard greens
Mustard greens need 40 to 60 days to reach full maturity. However, you can harvest the baby leaves from Day 21 to Day 30. Sow in late summer.
Peas
Peas can reach full maturity in 60 days. Fast-growing varieties like the Bush Sugarsnap only need 56 days. You can also hasten growth by pre-soaking the seeds before planting. This will cause the seeds to germinate faster.
Sow between March and early June. Sow in rows and space the seeds by 10cm. Then prepare to install support for the growing vines to climb.
Radishes
Fast-growing radishes only need 22 to 30 days to reach maturity. However, some varieties may require up to 6 weeks. You can sow radishes from February to August. Do this in a nutrient-rich growing medium with a spacing of 2.5cm.
Rocket
Rocket reaches maturity in 40 to 60 days. All it needs is moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil and partial shade. Sow from April to September.
Spinach
You can harvest spinach in 28 to 30 days. Sow from March to August with a spacing of 2.5cm. Then provide partial shade to ensure an ideal growing condition.
Turnips
Turnips also need just 30 days to reach full maturity. They require slightly acidic soil and full shade. You can sow from March to mid-August.
Essential tips for growing fast-growing vegetables
We provided you with all sorts of fast-growing vegetables, including leafy greens, legumes, and root crops. That is more than enough to get started. But before you go, here are some tips for ensuring quick and ample harvests.
- Choose fast-growing varieties: Most vegetables (and plants) have varieties with relatively fast growth rates. Go for those. You can confirm the growth time on the seed packet.
- Reduce growth time by starting with seedlings instead of seeds: It removes the need for germination time.
- Harvest slightly early: You can harvest before your vegetables reach full maturity. As stated earlier, this doesn’t have much effect on nutritional value.
- Sow in batches: This will ensure continuous harvest because your vegetables will mature in batches instead of at the same time.
- Plant multiple crops simultaneously: This will ensure you have all sorts of vegetables to harvest. For example, instead of planting cress alone because of the fast growth rate, you can also plant kale, radishes, peas, etc., simultaneously.
Conclusion
Please note that growing conditions will affect both growth time and yield. If the conditions are not ideal, the growth of your vegetables will be slower and the harvest will be smaller. That is why we keep mentioning tips like ideal growing medium, sun requirements etc. It’s also why we recommend learning more about a vegetable before planting.
For now, we hope we’ve helped you figure out some of the fastest-growing vegetables