16 Fast Growing Vegetables You Can Harvest in 60 Days or Less
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused panic buying throughout the world. As a result, many grocery stores have empty shelves and some people are struggling to find essentials. Gardening is a great way to ease the burden on our grocery stores and supply chains, providing a dependable supply of fresh produce for you, your friends and neighbors. Just like the “victory gardens” of old! This list includes 16 fast growing vegetables you can harvest in 60 days or less.
16 Fast Growing Vegetables You Can Harvest in 60 Days or Less
Last month I published an article talking about survival gardening and the historical “victory garden.” This list included staple crops you can grow that are easy to store and will provide lots of caloric value for you and your family. You can read the article here: Survival Gardening.
Today’s article will focus more on fast growing vegetables that you can plant today and harvest quickly to have fresh food on your table during this crisis. Gardening not only provides food for your table, but the fresh air and exercise can help to strengthen your lungs and your immune system!
#1 Radishes
Radishes are one of the fastest growing vegetables there is!
Radish seeds can be planted 2-4 weeks before the average last frost in your area. They grow best in cool weather.
Try Cherry Belle (25 days to maturity), De 18 Jours (18-25 days), or Early Scarlet Globe (20-28 days).
#2 Spinach
This highly nutritious vegetable is also one of the fastest growing!
Like radishes, spinach can be planted 2-4 weeks before the average last frost in your area, and does best in cool weather.
Try Beaujolais (30 days to maturity), Galilee (35 days), Spcae F1 (37 days) or Olympia (38 days).
#3 Kohlrabi
A member of the cabbage family, kohlrabi quickly grows into a tasty veggie that can be eaten raw or cooked. Kohlrabi likes cool weather, and can planted 2 weeks before your last frost.
Try Konan F1 (38 days), Kolibri F1 (45 days) or Early White Vienna (50-65 days).
#4 Lettuce
This popular salad crop is easy to grow, even in containers! Plant 2 weeks before your average last frost, and continue to plant more seeds throughout the growing season for an extended harvest. You can find a detailed how-to guide for growing lettuce here!
While most lettuce varieties can be harvested as baby lettuce after 30-40 days, some of the fastest growing varieties include Black Seeded Simpson Looseleaf (42 days to maturity), Bronze Arrowhead Looseleaf (40-50 days) Bunte Forellenschlauss Butterhead (40-55 days), Grandma Hadleys Butterhead (40-50 days) and Goldenstern Iceberg (46 days).
#5 Summer Squash
While some of us might get tired of summer squash during the summer abundance, there is no arguing that this vegetable is early and prolific! Plant summer squash outside after danger of frost, or start seeds indoors 3 weeks early.
Try Desi (40 days to maturity), Eight Ball Zucchini F1 (40 days) or Saffron (42 days).
#6 Beets
Either you love them or you hate them, but there is no arguing that beets are a highly nutritious and fast growing vegetable!
Beets can be planted 2 weeks before your last frost date.
For 60 day vegetables, try Robin F1 (40 days), Early Wonder Tall Top (48 days) or Red Ace F1 (50 days).
#7 Arugula
This dependable grower tolerates both heat and cold. Arugula can be planted 2-4 weeks before your average last frost.
Reseed once a month, or allow some of your plants to go to seed for a second crop!
#8 Cucumbers
This surprising 60 day vegetable is prolific and easy to grow.
Plant cucumber seeds after danger of frost, or start indoors 3 weeks early.
Try Lagos F1 (45 days to maturity), Bushy (45-50 days) or Ronda F1 (50 days).
#9 Green Beans
The flavor of a garden fresh green bean doesn’t even compare to supermarket beans. An added bonus is that beans are one of the fastest growing vegetables there is!
Beans should be planted after danger of frost.
Try Bountiful (45-50 days), Burpee’s Stringless Gold Pod (46-50 days) or Provider (50 days).
Don’t have access to seeds? You can also try planting dry beans from your kitchen!
#10 Kale
Kale is a super cold hardy vegetable that can be planted 2-4 weeks before your last frost.
Most varieties can be harvested as baby kale 40-50 days from planting.
My favorite is Wild Garden Siberian Kale Mix.
#11 Turnips
Yep, turnips are definitely one of those foods that you either love or you hate. But there is no denying that they are a good way to quickly grow many pounds of fresh food!
Turnips can be planted 2-3 weeks before your average last frost.
Try White Egg (45 days to maturity) or Gold Ball (45 days).
#12 Carrots
Carrots are a great choice for picky eaters!
They can be planted 2-3 weeks before your average last frost.
Try Mokum F1 (48 days to maturity), Paris Market (50-65 days to maturity), Amsterdam #2 (55 days) or Napoli F1 (55 days).
#13 Swiss Chard
If your family likes greens, Swiss chard is one of the most productive garden veggies there is!
Plant chard starting 2-3 weeks before your average last frost.
Try Fordhook Giant, 5 Color Silverbeet, or Rhubarb Red, all maturing in 50-60 days.
#14 Peas
Peas are a super cold hardy crop that definitely fits the bill for fast growing vegetables!
Plant peas as soon as the ground thaws in the spring.
For shelling peas, try Extra Early Pedigree (50 days to maturity), British Wonder (50-55 days) or Strike (52 days). For edible-podded peas, try Oregon Giant Snow Pea (60 days) or Sugar Ann Snap Pea (58 days).
#15 Cabbage
For the fastest harvest, try Chinese cabbage (actually not related to normal cabbage, but similar in flavor).
If traditional cabbage is more to your liking, try Katarina (45 days from transplant, or 70-75 from direct sowing) or Golden Acres.
#16 Potatoes
While 60 days is stretching it a bit for potatoes, I think this is one of the most important plants you can grow in a garden. Potatoes are calorie dense and Protein rich. This a little over 60 day vegetable is easy to grow and dependable in most climates. Potatoes are also appealing to family members who don’t like vegetables!
Potatoes can be planted 2-3 weeks before your average last frost, and early varieties will start producing in 70-80 days.
Try Dark Red Norland, Natascha, Red Gold, Yukon Gold, Yukon Gem or Redsen.
More Fast Growing Vegetables to Try
Although they take longer than 60 days started from seed, many crops can be purchased as seedlings to yield a quick harvest!
Seedlings that will yield quickly include any of the above mentioned crops, as well as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, broccoli and cauliflower.
Some of my favorite sources for high quality seeds:
If you haven’t seen it, be sure to also check last month’s article on Survival Gardening!
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