5 Fast growing Vegetables that can be harvested in just a few weeks.. { Radish | Carrot | Salad leaves | Bush Beans | Spinach }

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leaving the ground bare after the harvest not only attract weeds and leaves the soil prone to erosion, it's also a wasted opportunity to grow another unwanted crop.

As summer progresses, gaps inevitably start to appear as plants are harvested. But leaving the ground bare not only attract weeds and leaves the soil prone to erosion, it's also a wasted opportunity to grow another crop. Luckily at this time of year, warmth and light are still on our side and there are plenty of vegetables that go from sowing to harvest in very little time at all.

In this Article/video, we'll look at 5 of these super-speedy vegetables that will give you a harvest in just a few short weeks.

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1. Radishes - (3-4 weeks Harvest time)

Radishes are one of the fastest vegetables, taking just 3-4 weeks to reach harvest time. They're also exceptionally easy to grow. Seeds can be sown into prepared ground or pots of potting soil. Sow the plump seeds very thinly, spacing them about an inch, or 2cm, apart. Sowing small batches every 3-4 weeks until the very end of summer will give you a continuous crop of the peppery roots. The seedlings will pop up within 3-5 days. If necessary, thin the seedlings so the roots have enough room to expand.

Keep the ground free of weeds, and water in dry weather. Harvest the radish roots before they get too large when they can turn woody in texture and overpoweringly hot.

2. Salad Leaves (3 weeks of harvest time)

Ever-versatile salads present a symphony of leaf shapes, textures and tastes, ideal for livening up mealtimes Grow individual varieties or create your own salad blend by mixing two or more varieties together before sowing.

Suitable salads include lettuce, mustards and other Oriental leaves, kale, and rocket (or arugula).
For the quickest results, sow a mix of salads sold for repeat (or cut-and-come-again) harvesting. Sow the seeds very thinly into drills spaced about 6-10 inches (15-25cm) apart. Cover the seats back over then gently pat the surface of the soil down. Water along the rows, then keep the soil moist and weed-free as the seedlings grow. If summers are very hot in your area, you may need to wait a few weeks or use shade cloth to reduce temperatures for germination and good growth. Harvesting usually starts just 3 weeks after sowing. Take 2 or 3 outer salad leaves from each plant at any one time. This allows the remaining salad leaves to grow on and provide another cut in a few days' time. Cut little and often for best results.

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3. Dwarf Green beans (bush beans) (2 months to harvest)

Bush beans are the quickest pods in town, dwarf beans (or bush beans) can be sown immediately after a previous crop to give a speedy picking before the end of the current growing season.

Taking just 2 months from sowing to pod production these trouble-free beans are a must - and kids love them!

In summer the dwarf green beans can be sown directly into the ground or into pots of potting soil.
Poke the seeds into the soil, spacing them 10-16 inches (25-40cm) apart. Sow a batch once a month until the end of summer. The young seedlings grow on to produce short, bushy plants which soon come into flower. Pick the pods every few days as they appear, so that you enjoy them while they're still small and tender. Regular picking encourages plants to continue forming pods.

Savour the dwarf beans raw in salads, or lightly steamed with a curl of butter and a grind of the peppermill.

4. Carrots (6 weeks to harvest)

Carrots are not the most obvious speedy vegetable, but choose a quick-growing, finger-sized variety and you can expect sweet crunchy roots in just 6 weeks.

Sow into pots of potting soil, spreading the seed thinly over the surface, then cover with a thin layer of sieved potting soil or sow the seed into drills spaced about 6 inches (15cm) apart. Cover back over, and water.

In some parts of the world the larvae of the 'carrot fly' can prove a nuisance, burrowing into the roots and spoiling the crop.

A row cover will stop the carrot flies from laying their eggs. Once the seedings have appeared, thin them on a rainy day when there will be fewer carrot flies about, or failing that, on a still, cloudy day, watering afterwards to settle the soil back around the roots. Thin to around an inch (2cm) apart.

Pull up the tender carrots while they're still young. If necessary, use a border fork to first loosen the soil.

5. Spinach (Harvest once a month)

The smooth, succulent leaves of spinach are extraordinarily versatile. Use them in salads, as a key ingredient to quiches and flans, or stirred into risottos or pasta dishes.

Start it off once a month to enjoy right up until the first frosts. Sow into rows about a foot (30cm) apart. Space the seeds an inch (2cm) apart within the rows then thin the seedlings to leave 8 inches (20cm) between them.

Plants can quickly bolt in hot weather, which causes the leaves to turn bitter. Prevent this by sowing in light shade during the heat of summer, and by always keeping the ground moist. Cut the leaves away using a sharp knife or scissors. Don't let the leaves get too big, and remember to harvest little and often. Later sowings can be covered with a row cover or tunnel to help growth along as the weather turns cooler.

Sow your super-speedy crops into well prepared soil. This simply means insuring your soil has enough nutrients to support healthy growth and has the right texture to encourage even germination.

In most cases all that's needed to prepare the ground is to sprinkle on a top-up of organic fertilizer  before raking the soil to a fine tilth.

All of these super-speedy vegetables can be grown in pots of good quality multi-purpose potting soil.

How to control vegetable pests?

Related: How to Identify and Control Garden Pests?

While our quintet of super-speedy vegetables will have little time to attract pests, do take a few precautions.

Carrot fly has already had a special mention. Use the same row covers protecting your carrots to guard against flea beetles on radishes and some salad leaves. Slugs can decimate seedlings, so set up beer traps or shady retreats such as an upturned grapefruit shell, then collect up and discard any you find.

Don't forget to report any pests you find on  BigBugHunt.com website. They will use your reports to help them develop warning systems against common pests. Even up until surprisingly late in the summer it's perfectly possible to grow some of these super-speedy vegetables.

Try some of these quick crops for yourself, and get ready for a bonus harvest in just a few short weeks. 5 Fast growing Vegetables that can be harvested in just a few weeks.. { Radish | Carrot | Salad leaves | Bush Beans | Spinach }