Ready, set, grow!

Looking to grow your own food? Let’s get you started with some fast growing vegies! Whether you have pots, troughs or a raised garden bed, you will be on your way to a backyard harvest in as little as 6-10 weeks. Here are our top 10 fast growers:

1. Radish

One of the fastest growing vegies, radishes don’t need a lot of room to grow. With a pot or trough and in a spot with full sun (at least 6 hours of sun), you’ll be adding a crunch to your salads or sandwiches in as little as 6-8 weeks. What a speedy little thing!

Harvest time: 6-8 weeks

2. Asian Greens

Grow a taste of Asia in your backyard with a mix of these leafy greens. Asian greens include: tatsoi, bok choy, mizuna, mibuna, Chinese broccoli (kailaan) or wombok. Harvest times can vary, but with greens like bok choy and tatsoi, you can start picking baby leaves as early as 3-4 weeks.

Harvest time: 4-6 weeks

3. Spinach

There are so many spinach varieties to choose from, each with a slightly different flavour and texture. The most commonly grown ones are English and baby spinach and are the perfect accompaniment to almost any meal.

Harvest time: 6-10 weeks, depending on the variety

4. Rocket

As the name suggests, rocket is quick growing and can provide a lovely long continuous harvest, especially if you start picking when leaves are young. Grow in a pot or trough, position in a sunny or partly shaded spot, ideally somewhere close to the backdoor so you can easily pinch or snip. FYI, wild rocket has a stronger, peppery flavour than the large leaf variety.

Harvest time: 7-10 weeks, pick baby leaves earlier

5. Baby Carrots

Good things come in tiny packages! And they taste better, too. Okay, we made the last part up, but how cute are baby carrots? While they take a little longer to mature than most of the other vegies, they still grow faster than traditional carrots (16-20 weeks!). Plant in full sun and ensure the soil is nice and loose, otherwise, you may get some interesting looking carrots. . . they make for great memes though!

Harvest time: 10-12 weeks

6. Baby Beetroot

Let’s not beet around the bush and just get right into growing them! Plant baby beets in full sun and when ready, pick and add fresh to salads or roast them to bring out the sweetness. Oh, the leaves are edible too, so add them to your salad mix for a complete meal!

Harvest time: 6-8 weeks

7. Lettuce

A must-have for any garden! With so many varieties to choose from, you’re bound to find one (or more) to suit your taste. They’re the perfect addition to salads, sandwiches or if you’re watching your carbs, use them to ‘sandwich’ or wrap the filling. Plant in full sun or part shade, although, they will require protection from the hot afternoon sun (especially in summer!).

Harvest time: 7-10 weeks, depending on the variety.

8. Snow Peas

You need to experience the taste of a fresh snow pea, picked straight off the vine and then you’ll understand why gardeners say they rarely make it back to the kitchen with their hands full. Snow peas need room to grow and climb, so make sure your space is large enough to accommodate a large trough and trellis or support structure.

Harvest time: 8-10 weeks to harvest

9. Dwarf Beans

While bean season has come to an end for most of us (except for you lucky people who live in warmer climates!), it’s still a vegie you should consider growing once the weather warms up. The crisp pods are full of flavour and are delicious raw or cooked. Stir fry with some garlic and butter for a quick, easy meal. Dwarf beans only grow to about 50cm, so don’t need extra growing support - perfect for pots!

Harvest time: 8-10 weeks

10. Microgreens

These sure sound fancy, but they’re actually just ‘micro’ versions of leafy greens, like cabbage, mizuna or rocket. Sow seeds in a shallow tray or pot and place on a sunny windowsill in the kitchen (or in a brightly lit spot, out of direct sunlight). Mist regularly to keep the soil moist and once each plant has 3-4 leaves.

Harvest time: 2-3 weeks or sooner, if you prefer

We hope you’re feeling inspired to start growing your own! If you’d like a more practical approach to growing at home, sign up to our online workshop ‘Grow Your Own Fast Food’! You’ll receive a mixed pack of fast growing seeds, a link to tune in and a cheat sheet on how to grow your own. Sign up now!