10 Easy and Fast-Growing Vegetables You Can Harvest in (Almost) No Time

One of the fastest-growing vegetable plants you can grow is radish. Some types are ready to eat in as little as 3 weeks from seeding. They are a cool-season vegetable, meaning they do best in spring or fall, before or after the heat of summer. Harvest radishes as soon as they are about bite-size; the longer they remain in the ground, the spicier they become. Overmature radishes become woody and cracked.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in well-drained soil (radishes will rot in soggy, poorly drained soil)

Size: Up to 1 foot tall

Growing your own spinach is super easy to do in spring or fall. Sow the seeds right in your garden as soon as the soil isn't frozen after winter, and again in fall when temperatures begin to cool off. You can begin harvesting individual leaves about 3 weeks after sowing for use as baby greens for your favorite recipes. Or pick whole plants 5-6 weeks after seeding by pulling or cutting at the soil line.

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 12 inches tall

Sometimes called snap beans, this plant is a must-have in homegrown vegetable gardens. It's easy to grow, bothered by few pests, and if you choose a pole type, it takes up hardly any square footage in the landscape. Beans come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. Pods may be green, yellow, purple, or speckled. Begin sowing seeds of this warm-season crop in your garden in late spring. You can keep sowing more every two weeks to give you a continuous harvest until fall. Pods are ready to pick when 6-8 inches long, about 6-7 weeks after planting.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 7 feet tall (depending on type)

These cabbage relatives do double duty because you can eat both their spicy greens and mild-tasting roots. Turnips grow best in cool conditions, so plant them early in spring or in late summer for a fall crop. Harvest turnip greens when they reach 4-6 inches tall, about 4 weeks after sowing. Roots mature in 6-7 weeks after planting, depending on the variety.

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 12 inches tall

Just one cucumber plant will produce armloads of the crunchy, refreshing fruits, and they're easy to grow, too. Sow seeds in the garden once soil has warmed up in spring, or start seeds indoors a few weeks before your area's frost-free date. Keep plants watered well to avoid bitterness in your cukes. Once fruits set, they develop quickly: Many varieties begin ripening within 6-7 weeks after planting. Harvest every few days to prevent oversize fruits that may be seedy and bitter.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 6 feet tall

There's almost always space in your vegetable garden for arugula. This peppery-flavored, leafy green doesn't need much room to grow. Sow the seeds in early spring or fall. You can start harvesting the leaves as soon as 4 weeks after planting. Handpick individual leaves to extend the harvest, or pull up the entire plant.

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 2 feet tall

A cool-season leafy green renowned for its health benefits, kale is also a pretty plant to grow. Varieties can be blue-green, green, or burgundy in color, and ruffled, curly, deeply cut, or flat in form. Sow seeds in your garden in early spring. Pick baby greens 3-4 weeks after seeding. Give the whole plants another 2-3 weeks before harvesting mature leaves.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 3 feet tall

Also known as scallions or spring onions, green onions are ready to be harvested in as little as 5 or 6 weeks after planting. Start sowing seeds in early spring and continue sowing them every two weeks if you'd like a continuous harvest into summer. Pick green onions when they are 6-8 inches tall by pulling the whole plant up out of the ground.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 8 inches tall

A type of Chinese cabbage, bok choy forms small, narrow heads with thick white stalks and deep green leaves. This nutritious leafy green is popular in salads and stir-fry. Most varieties of this easy-to-grow, cool-season vegetable are ready to harvest in 6-7 weeks after planting in spring. Because bok choy does best in part shade, it's a good plant for indoor vegetable gardening.

Growing Conditions: Part shade in moist, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 2 feet tall

A warm-season crop, okra thrives in the heat and humidity of summer. The hibiscus-like blooms appear about 6-7 weeks after sowing, followed by long, slender pods. The fast-growing pods can get tough if they get too big, so check the plants daily to pick at peak tenderness. Then, use them in a flavorful Cajun gumbo, or try grilling your okra pods to avoid a slimy texture.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in moist, well-drained soil

Size: 4-8 feet tall (depending on variety)