12 quick-growing vegetables to plant when the stores are empty!

When there is panic in the air and you find grocery store shelves empty, these 12 quick-growing vegetables will help put food on the table in 30 to 60 days.

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I’m writing this article in the middle of the Corona Virus scare.  After our state’s governor came out with some pretty strict recommendations on public events many community events and even some businesses closed down.  This started a minor panic, nothing too serious, but people rushed to the grocery stores!

Seeing this happen got me thinking!  It might be time to get some extra vegetables planted in my garden in case we need fresh produce.  It’s early spring and the perfect time to grow many of the faster-growing garden crops.

Before we move to the list, keep in mind that most of these plants can only be started if you are 6 to 8 weeks away from your last frost date.  They are hardier crops and can handle frost, but if your garden is still covered with snow then you may struggle a bit with these.  The last 2 crops on the list must be planted AFTER your last frost date.

12 Quick-Growing Vegetables

Here’s my list of 12 quick-growing vegetables that can put food on your table in as little as 30 days.  You won’t be able to live exclusively on any of these, but they will help supplement your food and nutrition.

I also filmed a YouTube video to help you learn more!

Lettuce

Leaf lettuce is a very quick growing crop.  Plant lettuce in a sunny spot and keep it watered well and you will have young tender baby-sized leaves to start eating in only 30 days!  You can learn more about growing lettuce from this growing guide article I wrote.

Spinach

Spinach is packed with nutrition!  It is one of the healthiest greens you can eat and it is tasty cooked or raw!  Spinach leaves will reach the “baby” stage in about 30 to 40 days so they are ready to eat quickly!

Spinach is also a great crop to overwinter and can provide a harvest for as many as 8 months of the year.

Bok Choy

Bok Choy is an Asian green that is very tasty and goes well in stir-fries when it is fully grown.  But it also makes a perfect quick growing green that can be ready in as little as 30 days.

Kale

This nutritional powerhouse can be ready to eat (small leaves) in only 30 days.  Full-grown leaves take more like 50 to 60 days.  There are 3 different types of kale (you can learn more about each from this article).  And kale can be grown year-round even in colder climates, making it a very versatile garden green.

Arugula

Arugula is a peppery tasting green that makes a great addition to any salad or sandwich!  Baby sized leaves are ready in 30 to 40 days and full-sized leaves can be harvested in around 60 days.

Swiss Chard

With a rainbow of different colors, Swiss Chard is another very nutritious green.  It can be eaten as a cooked green or raw in salads.  Baby sized leaves are ready in 30 to 40 days and full-sized leaves can be ready for your dinner table in 60 days.

Mustard Greens

These tangy greens make a great addition to any salad and can also add great flavor to stir-fries and soups.  Mustard greens can start being harvest in 30 days from planting.

Beets

Beets can be eaten in two ways!  First, the greens are very tasty, cooked or raw, and are super good for you.  Baby beet greens can be ready to eat as quickly as 30 days.  Second, are the roots themselves.  Beetroot is good for your heart and blood pressure and they are often ready in as little as 50 days from planting.  You can learn how to grow beets from this article.

Turnips

Like beets, turnips can be grown for their greens or their roots.  Expect the greens to be ready in about 40 days and the roots in around 60 days.

Radishes

Radishes can be ready for you to eat faster than nearly any vegetable.  When well cared for and watered regularly you can start harvesting radishes in 28 days!  I hear they are wonderful roasted!!

Baby Carrots

If you choose a smaller quick maturing variety of carrots the roots can be to the small baby carrot stage in as little as 50 days!  Carrots are also extra tasty when planted in the fall and allowed to overwinter in a cold frame!

Quick-Growing Warm Season Crops

These last 2 crops are warm-season vegetables and must be planted AFTER your last threat of frost.

Bush Beans

Bush beans grow amazingly quickly.  Many varieties will begin producing their first beans in as little as 55 days.  And beans are bulkier and mean a lot more to a meal that many of the other crops on the list.  You can learn more about growing beans from our Complete Bean Growing Guide.

Summer Squashes

Last on our list is a “class” of vegetables.  Summer Squashes include zucchini, crookneck squash, and pattypan squashes.  Look for fast-maturing varieties and you can have these delicious veggies on your plate in as little as 60 days.  All of these are VERY prolific as well.  A few plants can provide you with more than 100 pounds of produce!  Learn how to grow them here.

I honestly hope the current panic subsides soon.  But I also hope that this list of 12 quick-growing vegetables will help your family have fresh produce on your table very soon!

What is the Fastest Growing Vegetable?

Of all the quick-growing vegetables on this list, radishes are probably the quickest to mature.  Second would be lettuce as it can also be ready to eat in at least baby form in around 30 days.

Which Vegetables Grow Fast in Summer?

Bush Beans will be the quickest growing summer crop.  They will be ready to start harvesting in 60 days or less.  Zucchini will be the next fastest vegetable to mature.  Cucumbers are not on the list, but will also be ready in 70 days or so.

Which Seeds Germinate the Fastest?

You will find your lettuce, arugula, and kales seeds are the fastest to germinate and poke through the soil.

How do you make vegetables grow faster?

Covering your seeds with some light fabric row cover in the spring and fall will create a nice warm environment and will help your vegetables grow faster.  Fabric row cover will also act as a great protection from garden pests.