Many people love to garden for the tangible benefits and sense of accomplishment it brings. People enjoy seeing plants grow and thrive from seedlings or plantlets to mature vegetation with a harvestable product. Gardening requires patience, however, and not everyone wants to invest the time and effort for months on end to have fresh produce.
Growing vegetables doesn’t need to be an exercise in patience; these 5 fast- growing plants are ready to harvest in about a month.
Spinach
Green leafy vegetables rank high on the list of quick growers, providing harvestable produce in a short amount of time with little effort. Sow seeds directly into well-amended garden soil or high-quality soil if using containers; harvest when leaves reach the desired size. Avoid growing spinach in the hottest part of summer because it will bolt and go to seed.
Kale
With its ever-growing popularity, kale is becoming a staple vegetable grown in many gardens and even windowsills. Baby greens are ready to pick when they are about 2 inches tall; avoid harvesting the central growing point of the plant to maintain continuous growth throughout the growing season.
Radishes
Gardeners love to plant radishes for their peppery flavor and rapid growth. They grow well in either containers or soil that has been worked well. Radishes thrive in ambient temperatures between 50 and 65 degrees, making them good spring and fall crops. They can be harvested in as quickly as three weeks.
Baby carrots
Baby carrots grown in the garden taste leaps and bounds better than anything purchased at the market. Look specifically for baby carrot varieties that grow quicker than traditional varieties. If planting in containers, choose ones at least 6 to 8 inches deep, allowing the room needed for proper growth and development.
Arugula
This perennial plant adds a peppery twist to salads and comes back in the garden year after year. Plant seeds in two-week successions as soon as the garden soil is workable in the spring for a continuous harvest.