Six Vegetables You Can Grow In 60 Days

Whether I’m planning my garden, in the thick of it, or towards the end of my growing season, I’m always looking at what seeds I can stick in the soil that will give me a quick turn around. As I weed, check germination, or grumble about pest damage, I typically have a few seeds close by that I can stick in the blank spots and know (almost for certain) that they’ll provide in short order.

So, as I’ve been puttering about the garden, sticking seeds into soil, and praying for rain, I had the thought to share my favorite vegetables that grow in less that 60 days with you all here.

Of Note: This post has been updated from an article published to my farm blog in 2019. That blog now sits as an archive and I may, from time to time, update and move some of my favorite posts over here so they don’t get lost in the Land of the Internet Shuffle 😉

Radishes – 20-30 days

A cool weather vegetable and salad staple, radishes are the quickest growing vegetable. Planting them in the spring or late summer will give you almost instant gratification while adding some zing to your salads or other roasted root vegetables. Radishes are also very helpful in satisfying your itch for homegrown veggies while the rest of your garden continues to mature.

Spinach – 45-50 days

Another cool weather veggie, spinach does best planted in the early spring or late summer. This leafy green is equally as delicious in the salads of spring, summer, and fall as it is sautéed in a bit of butter and fresh (or powdered) garlic. Spinach is also great in green smoothies paired with your favorite fruits!

To save some for later, spinach is easily blanched, frozen, and saved for using as you please through the coldest (or hottest) of months.

Beets – 50-70 days

High in nutrients and wonderful either fresh, roasted, held in cold storage for months, or pickled, beets are also a wonderful way to get some greens while you wait for the root itself to fatten up. While you don’t want to pull all of the leaves from the roots as it’s growing, a couple of leaves here and there add some color and nutrition to those spinach and radish salads you’ll be making!

Bush (Snap) Beans – 50-70 days

Requiring much less attention than pole beans, bush beans (also known as snap beans) also mature faster than pole beans. Most beans give their crop within a short period of time, allowing you to eat to your heart’s content.

If you happen to grow more than you can eat or give away, pressure canning or freezing them are wonderful ways to preserve them for later.

Summer Squash & Zucchini – 60 days

With countless varieties to choose from and the ease with which they grow, summer squash is a warm-season vegetable that grows quickly and produces immense amounts of produce for your table. Grilled on the barbeque or shredded into sweet breads, you can’t wrong with this garden staple.

Green (Bunching) Onions – 60 days

Quick growing and incredibly tasty, if you plan in advance you can harvest bunching onions for months on end. A prime candidate for succession planting, you can sow a few seeds to start you off, then sow a few more each week, spring through late summer. As they mature, your continuous planting will easily replace those you harvest. Those left at the end of the season can simply be chopped up and frozen for a bit of that summer taste throughout the cold months.

Bonus Veggies

A few other vegetables that grow in less than 60 days include:

• Kale
• Lettuce
• Turnips
• Carrots (smaller varieties)
• Bok Choy

Your Turn!

What are your favorite quickest turnaround veggies to grow? I’d love to hear about any succession sowing you do 🙂

The moral of the story here is, don’t let the calendar scare you into thinking that it’s ever too late to put some seeds into the ground! It’s always worth a shot, no? With a little research and so many varieties to choose from, there’s sure to be a few vegetables that call your name and can be on your plate in no time flat!

Happy sowing and growing!

Onward,
M