Gardening is your hobby but you are an impatient man! Would you want to grow Fast Growing Seasonal Vegetables for rooftop farming or Garden? But no time to wait! Then, there is nothing to fear. You need not wait from spring to fall.
There are many healthy, delicious vegetables that you can grow within a very short time. Before harvesting, firstly you should know what is fast growing vegetables for rooftop farming?
Vegetables that take less than 60 days to grow refer to as fast-growing vegetables. Here, 19 delicious food items are listed that you can grow in the cooler month of spring and fall.
Fast growing vegetables for Winter Season
- Rocket or Arugula
Arugula is an amazing rapid grower peppery herb that cultivates in a cool climate and requires only 40-60 days to grow. After, 2-inches long they are ready to cut.
This spicy green foliage complements salads and adds zing to soups. You can consider salad rocket, wild rocky, and dragon tongue for harvesting.
- Tatsoi
Tatsoi likes cool weather. The taste is very similar to spinach. It takes 50 days to harvest. Seeds germinate quickly, usually within 4 – 8 days. A well-draining, soil containing compost is better to grow. The ideal range of pH is 6.5-7.0.
You can direct sow the seed. Plant seed 1/4 – 1/2 inches deep, and spaced 1 inch apart. It’s mild mustard flavor increase the taste.
- Mustard
Grow this cool-season crop in full sun or partial shade. Plant mustard in well-drained soil that rich in organic matter. Mustard prefers a pH of 5.5 to 6.8.
Sow mustard seed ½ inches deep, 4 to 8 inches apart, and bed space rows 12 to 24 inches apart. It takes 30-50 days to harvest.
- Beet
If you would like to have a harvest in a hurry, you can choose this cool-weather crop. The optimum pH for the beet is 6.2-7.0. Prepare beds and keep space between rows 12 inches apart. Sow them ½ inches deep and 2 inches apart.
Seeds germinate after 5 to 10 days. Prefer moist so water the bed sufficiently. Excessive water can cause crust the soil on the surface, which can inhibit germination.
To reduce surface crusting, cover seeded rows with boards or burlap for a few days after planting.
- Broccoli
These cool-season tiny trees plants don’t grow from seeds. Use transplants and plant them by leaving 18 to 24 inches of space between each plant.
Broccoli grows well in rich and fertile soil. Add compost to accelerate growth. These brassica crops require 60 days to grow. You can try Spring Raab, Calabrese, and De-Cicco.
Fast growing vegetables for Summer Season
- Baby carrots
Baby carrots taste is delicious and a great sweets flavor snack. Under the right conditions, they take 55-60 days to mature. You can plant them in the ground, or a container.
When the shoulders become 1/2 to 3/4 inches, it is ready to harvest. Loose and deep soil, well-drained, sandy, or loamy state is ideal for planting.
Baby carrots harvest in summer. The optimum temperature is 16°C to 21 °C. It requires a pH between 6 and 6.8.
- Summer squash
Summer squash is a warm-season delicate food. It is very easy to grow. Directly sow the seeds 1-inch deep and 8-12 inches apart in quality soil, and water them. Then, wait until it grows. Summer squashes become 6 to 8 inches long in matured time.
- Bush Beans
Bush beans are warm-season vegetables that grow beautifully in well-drained, organic material rich soil.
Just directly sow the seeds into quality dirt and water the plant. Plant seeds about 1 1/2 inches deep and 3 inches apart.
The rows should be 18 to 24 inches apart. They grow very faster. Bush beans take about one to two weeks to germinate.
- Cucumber
Cucumbers are a very versatile plant. They grow well in the warm season. You can make lots of delicious recipes, as well as eat them fresh.
Cucumber prefers sandy and well-drained soil. This plant grows best in slightly acidic soils with a range of pH 5.8-6.5. It is ready for harvest in 50-60days.
Fast growing vegetables for Spring Season
- Green Onions or Scallions
Green onions are quick-growing plants. They grow well in spring. You can get these vegetables within 3-4 weeks. After growing 6 inches, you can cut their base again and again throughout the season. Add in soups, salads, cooked foods, and stir-fries, and make your recipes delicious.
6 inches shoots are ready for harvesting. You can grow onions in raised beds or containers. Sow them ½ inches deep into the soil. In a space of just 1 square foot, you can grow 50 onions.
Some varieties, like Warrior, Bunching, and Nebula can pick in as little as 60 days.
- Cauliflower
Cauliflower likes to grow in full sun. Spring is the best time to plant cauliflower. Prefer nutrient-rich compost, well-drained soil, and moist, with a pH between 6 and 7. It takes 55-60 days to grow.
Fast growing vegetables for spring or autumn season
- Kale
Kale is one of the most cold-tolerant plants. Though it grows almost year-round, the preferable season is spring or autumn.
After 2 inches long, you can collect baby greens and mustard green leaves from the kale. Central bud keeps the kale growing and productive, so avoid picking it up.
Sow seeds ½ inches deep in loose soil. Keep watered because drought will make it bitter.
Red Russian and Blue Curled Scotch are the fastest-growing varieties. So, you can consider them to grow.
- Radishes
Radishes are one of the quickest-growing vegetables. These deliciously crunchy, crispy, unique colors, shapes, and flavors vegetables can grow in just 3-4 weeks. Plant them in spring and autumn.
Radishes can grow in a super simple way. 1-inch diameter radish is perfect for planting. For the best results, plant them ¼ inches deep in loose, fertile, and well-drained soil. They require above 18°C to 19°C soil temperature. They like consistent moisture, so keep them watered.
Watermelon, Early Scarlett Globe, and Cherry Belly are the most favorite items. Thanks to its peppery flavors that make the best complements to soups and salads.
Fast growing vegetables for spring or summer season
- Spinach
Spinach is a powerful healthy crop. This cool-weather veggie plants in the early spring or late summer.
Spinach survives as low as 15°C temperatures. Directly sow the seeds into good quality dirt (1/4 to 1/2 inches deep) and water the soil. You can eat spinach after 4-6 weeks.
Once the plant reaches maturity, its leaves will become bitter very soon. So, don’t wait too long to gather spinach.
For successive harvest re-sow the seed every two weeks or pluck the outer leaves from the plants to grow.
You can grow these varieties, including Bloomsdale, America spinach, Corvair, space, and Tyee.
- Okra
Okra enjoys full sun. It grows in the spring or early summer. Okra performs best in well-drained, moist, soil containing rich organic matter. Prefer acidic soil, with a pH between 5.8 and 7.0. Okra reaches maturity in 50-60 days.
- Lettuce
Lettuce is a versatile plant that germinates quickly. It grows in early spring and late summer. Lettuce varieties, like Oakleaf, Lollo Rosso, and Salad Bowl ready to pick in around 30-45 days, and can harvest multiple varieties at a time.
These cool-weather vegetables prefer 60°F to 70°F temperatures. It grows best in loose and fertile soil. Directly sow the seed about ¼ inches deep and one inch apart. By keeping several colors and leaf shape lettuce on the salads, you can bring different nutrients and textures to your diet.
Fast growing vegetables for spring or fall season
- Bok Choy
Bok choy is Chinese cabbage. It is known as a fun plant. It grows best in spring and fall. You can use it to make stir-fries and soup.
The leaves of Bok choy are edible. Bok choy germinates within 7 to 10 days. It is ready in around 50 days.
Bok choy is a different kind of plant. If you want to produce something different that take short time to grow, then you can choose it.
- Turnips
Both the greens and roots can grow. Greens are ready to cultivate in 30 days, roots in 60 days. Turnips plant directly in the garden either in early spring or in the fall.
Plant seeds about 1/2-inches deep. Turnips prefer a slightly acidic pH in the range of 6.0–6.5. For good root development, at least 1 inch of water per week is vital.
- Cabbage
Cabbage is a fall season for vegetables. It prefers at least 6 hours of full sun each day. Fertile, well-drained, and moist soil with plenty of rich organic matter is ideal to grow.
The pH should be between 6.5 and 6.8, to discourage clubroot disease, maintain optimum pH levels. It takes 50-60 days to harvest.
Fast growing seasonal vegetables – cultivation guide
Unfortunately, there is no easiest way to grow vegetables fast. Rooftop farming Farmers need to rely on techniques to produce plants. Measures that must maintain to grow vegetables faster are as follows;
Fertile soil and nutrients
High-quality soil and nutrients are the first conditions to grow vegetables. Annually apply 1/2 to 1 inch of compost or composted manure in the soil. Before planting, 2 pounds of organic matter amends in 100 square feet of garden.
Plant seedlings instead of seeds
If you plant seeds, it will take time to germinate. But planting seedlings will save your time on average 3-4 weeks. By planting seedlings, you can speed up your harvest time.
Sufficient sunlight
Choose the sunniest location to get vigorous plant production because most vegetables perform well when they get six to eight hours of sunlight per day.
Optimum temperature
Many seeds cannot germinate in cold temperatures. Sometimes plants grow slowly and might not produce fruit.
So, create a warm environment. Gardeners use Cozy sitting, floating row cover, black plastic, and raised beds to warm up the soil faster.
Water the vegetables
Vegetables require a consistent supply of water. Moisture conditions help to grow vegetables quickly. On the other hand, drought conditions inhibit plant growth and produce poor yields.
It is important to keep the soil moist about an inch below. So, water the plants in the morning or evening or when needed, but not soggy.
Use transplants
Using transplants accelerates production. You can buy them from nurseries or garden centers. Buy stocky and young plants. Plant them at a cool temperature and water them frequently.
Control pests and weeds
Weeds interrupt plant growth. Each week work one or two hours and remove weeds. Straw or untreated grass clippings keep weeds down. Spread them 1 to 2 inches over the soil.
Pests are the most dangerous thing they cause death to your plants. Most insects can remove my hands.
To treat aphids and leafhopper, insecticidal soap or oil is appropriate in rooftop farming. Depending on the insect, take steps to reduce them. Choose disease-resistant varieties to reduce disease problems.
Final Thoughts
You can cultivate these vegetables at different times of the year which means you are growing crops almost year-round. Hopefully, you will now be encouraged in harvesting vegetables for yourself.