Contrary to popular belief, building a sustainable survival garden isn’t that hard. The trick is to plant the fastest-growing vegetables that are easy to maintain and ready to harvest in two to three months tops.
RELATED: 9 Spring Vegetables for Your Garden
13 Fastest-Growing Vegetables You Can Grow in Your Home Garden
1. Corn
Time Until Harvest: 60 to 100 days
Corn thrives in warmer climates where they are exposed to around 10 hours of sunlight. This is very important because corn is not likely to even germinate if planted during cold seasons.
Generally, the soil should be at 60°F and the air temperature somewhere between 60 to 95°.
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Apart from being one of the fastest-growing vegetables, it also serves as a living trellis. Grow beans near your corns so the beans can crawl up the corn stalks once they sprout.
2. Cabbages
Time Until Harvest: 60 to 105 days (from transplant), 80 to 180 days (from seed)
It’s best to plant your cabbages toward the end of summer so they’ll be ready for harvest around winter. Cabbages thrive in the cold weather.
For best results, plant your cabbages in a raised garden bed with good drainage. Also, fill it with soil that has a pH level of 6.5 to 6.8.
Pro Tip: To further preserve the freshness of your cabbage crops, opt to ferment them in sauerkraut. These last up to six months when refrigerated.
3. Summer Squash
Time Until Harvest: 40 to 50 days
As their name suggests, summer squashes love the sun. They need a good amount of daily sunlight to grow thick and juicy.
Also, summer squashes pollinate each other, so to help them grow faster, keep the plantings as small as possible. Don’t go over a dozen plants.
Note: If you want to grow winter squash, you’ll have to wait a little longer. It takes anywhere between 80 to 110 days for winter squash to be ready for harvesting.
4. Sweet Potatoes
Time Until Harvest: 90 to 170 days
Sweet potatoes are perfect for gardening beginners. They’ll teach you the basics of how to transplant an indoor vegetable plant outdoors.
The goal is to plant the sweet potato slices in a pot of damp soil, wait a few weeks for them to grow around four to eight inches, then transfer them outdoors. Note that potato slips are sensitive to the cold, so you need to plant them when the soil is nice and warm.
Pro Tip: Sweet potato greens are delicious. Prepare them like a spinach side dish and pair them with your favorite meat recipes.
5. Carrots
Time Until Harvest: 70 to 80 days
Carrots thrive in the cold. In cool states, gardeners can continue planting these crops until a few weeks before the middle of summer. However, those who live in warmer states will have to wait until fall.
A great tip when growing carrots is to mulch regularly. A blanket of mulch helps lock in moisture so the soil stays cool and damp.
At the same time, mulch prevents weed growth. You wouldn’t want to be whacking weeds every other day, would you?
6. Beets
Time Until Harvest: 45 to 65 days
Beetroots are resistant to the cold but weak against heat. It’s best to avoid planting these crops during summertime when the soil and atmosphere are sizzling hot.
For those who live in warmer regions, keep the beets under partial shade. Doing so will prevent them from rotting when a heatwave hits town.
Note that beets grow best in loose, nutrient-dense soil with a pH level of 6 to 6.8. You can plant them alongside small plants such as onions.
RELATED: Blueberries: A Homesteading Guide To Fresh Backyard Berries
7. Spinach
Time Until Harvest: 45 days
Spinach grows best during cold seasons with short days, so gardeners should consider planting them at the start of fall. Generally, the temperature should be somewhere between 40 to 75°F.
Also, remember to set a layer of mulch and fertilizer regularly. The mulch will keep the soil damp and moist while the fertilizer will boost it with nitrogen.
For those who live in warmer regions, plant the spinach beside beans and corn. You need the extra shade from tall crops.
Note: Mature spinach plants can withstand temperatures below 20°F.
8. Dry Bulb Onions
Time Until Harvest: 100 to 175 days
Dry bulb onion seedlings and young stems cannot survive extreme hot or cold temperatures. They thrive in cool weather.
It’s best to plant them at the start of spring so you can harvest them when fall comes. The outdoor temperature should not go below 28°F.
For best results, plant them in a raised garden bed filled with nitrogen dense, loose soil and equipped with a good drainage system.
9. Tomatoes
Time Until Harvest: 40 to 50 days
A common mistake when it comes to tomatoes is planting the seeds or stems too early. Remember, late frosts can still occur after January.
Gardeners would do well to start planting their sun-loving tomatoes during the warm weather months where the temperature won’t drop below 50°F. Meanwhile, the solid should be above 60°.
10. Various Herbs
Time Until Harvest: 14 days
Starting a mini indoor herb garden is perhaps the best, easiest way for one to get into gardening. It’s simple, easy, and inexpensive.
What’s important here is to be mindful of the herbs you grow. Different herbs have varying needs.
Some indoor herbs such as parsley, chives, tarragon, cilantro, thyme, and lemon balm thrive in the shade. So keep them away from the windows.
Meanwhile, oregano, marjoram, sage, mint, and lemongrass thrive in sunlight, so position them near window openings.
11. Melons
Time Until Harvest: 45 to 60 days
Melons thrive in sunny, hot weather conditions, so plant the seeds or transplant the stems at the start of summer. The crops will be ready for harvesting by September.
For best results, use raised beds with good drainage systems and fill them with sandy loam soils. The soil should have a pH level of 6.0 to 6.5.
Check out this video by Epic Gardening as he shares some of the fastest-growing vegetables you can harvest in just one month:
To ensure proper plant growth, make sure you drive pests away, whack weeds frequently, fertilize the soil, and keep plants warm with a blanket of mulch. Not even the fastest-growing vegetables and fruits will germinate in a poor environment.
Also, make sure you start small, especially if you’re a beginner. You wouldn’t want to overload yourself by building a vegetable garden that is too big, too soon.
Which of these fastest-growing vegetables would you first plant in your garden? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
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