Quick Rewards for Home Gardeners and Market Growers
Spring is the season of fresh starts — and there’s no better feeling than seeing your first harvests sprout to life. Whether you’re planting a backyard garden or planning produce for a market table, fast-growing crops bring early rewards and build momentum for the entire season.
Here are five of the best crops you can plant right now for a speedy, satisfying spring harvest:
🥗 1. Radishes — From Seed to Harvest in 3–4 Weeks
Radishes are the ultimate fast-food garden vegetable.
They germinate in just a few days and can be ready to pull in as little as 21 days. Perfect for early market sales or adding a peppery crunch to spring salads.
- ✅ Best planted directly into cool soil
- ✅ Varieties like ‘Cherry Belle’ and ‘French Breakfast’ thrive in spring
- ✅ Succession plant every 7–10 days for continuous harvests
Tip: Even if you don’t love radishes, they make fantastic soil looseners for future crops.
🥬 2. Lettuce — Crisp Greens in Just 30–45 Days
Nothing says spring like fresh, leafy lettuce.
Most varieties grow quickly in cool weather, and you can harvest baby greens in as little as 30 days.
- ✅ Sow directly or start indoors
- ✅ Looseleaf types like ‘Black Seeded Simpson’ mature fastest
- ✅ Cut-and-come-again harvesting extends your season
Pro Tip: Mix varieties for a colorful, diverse salad garden.
🌱 3. Spinach — A Cool-Season Powerhouse
Spinach loves spring’s cool, moist conditions and grows faster than many leafy greens. Expect harvestable leaves in 35–45 days from sowing.
- ✅ Direct sow early — it can even handle a light frost
- ✅ Baby leaves are ready sooner if you prefer tender greens
- ✅ Rich in iron, vitamins, and spring menu appeal
Fun fact: Spinach yields better with consistent moisture and partial shade in hotter climates.
🌿 4. Peas — Sweet Pods in 50–60 Days
Peas are one of the first crops you can plant outdoors — even before the last frost! Snap peas and shelling peas both offer speedy results with early sowing.
- ✅ Plant once soil is workable (~40°F+)
- ✅ Choose sugar snap peas for edible pods or shelling types for classic peas
- ✅ Harvest in about 50–60 days
Tip: Install trellises or fencing early — peas love to climb!
🥬 5. Bok Choy — A Mild, Versatile Early Vegetable
Bok choy (also called pak choi) is a cold-tolerant green perfect for spring gardens. Baby bok choy varieties can be harvested in 30–40 days.
- ✅ Direct sow or transplant starts early in spring
- ✅ Prefers cool temps — bolts if it gets too hot too fast
- ✅ Tender leaves and crisp stems make it a farmer’s market favorite
Bonus: Bok choy can regrow after cutting if you leave the root intact.
🌿 Final Thoughts: Start Strong, Grow Fast
Fast-growing crops don’t just fill your table early — they build excitement and success for the whole gardening season. Whether you’re growing for home use or preparing for early farmers markets, planting quick crops like radishes, lettuce, and spinach gives you a fresh spring harvest in weeks, not months.
Plant early. Harvest fast. Celebrate often.
At Kearney Family Farm, we believe gardening should be accessible, rewarding, and connected to the seasons. Here’s to a thriving spring garden — and all the beauty (and bounty) that comes with it. 🌱
