What to Grow and How Long Vegetable Gardening Takes

The general appeal of a vegetable garden is having access to fresh homegrown vegetables. To grow your own food is the best feeling. Let’s say you’ve successfully cultivated a green thumb. Where do you start when it comes to vegetables? It’s one thing to care for decorative plants. The going is a little different when it comes to planting a full-on vegetable garden.

Here’s a short guide to what vegetables to grow in your garden and when:

Vegetables That Grow After Two Months or Less

Short-season vegetables are the ones that can grow from a seed or seedling to a decent harvest within 40 days or even less. If you want to grow your own food and you’re a beginner, this is where you should start. Of course, there’s a right time to plant these. Depending on your location and the climate in that area, other factors might come into play with your garden’s growth.

A few examples of short-season vegetables are the following:

Arugula
Lettuce
Radishes
Salad mix
Spinach
Turnips

The best time to plant these is early in the spring. Try to grow as many of these as you can during this time as it can help to tide you over the long winter. These vegetables are also great for encouraging other newbies or children to be more interested in gardening. It provides a fast and rewarding experience.

Vegetables That Grow After Two Months or a Bit More

Medium-season vegetables take about two months or a little more to grow into harvest size. It’s going to take a bit more patience and extra care before you can enjoy the literal fruits of your labor. Expect the vegetables to come anywhere between 40 to 80 days.

Some examples of medium-season vegetables are the following:

Beans (bush and pole)
Basil
Beets
Bok choy
Broccoli
Cabbage

Plenty of vegetables fall under the medium-season category. These are the best vegetables to grow in late spring and mid-summer. This category makes up most of what vegetable gardens consist of. What you can do is mix in a few short-season vegetables for more options and dynamic meals.

Vegetables That Grow After Two to Four Months

Long-season vegetables will require a lot of patience, love, and some considerable skill. These are the vegetables that take 80 to 120 days before they’re remotely ready for the table. These are the types of vegetables that can challenge even the most seasoned of gardeners. Don’t be too intimidated by the long growing time because nothing can taste better when it’s ready.

Examples of long-season vegetables are the following:

Asparagus
Celery
Dill
Garlic
Onions
Sweet potatoes

You’ll have to be strategic about planting long-season vegetables. Although the harvest will taste amazing, remember that these will take up a significant portion of your garden. Mix in short-season and medium-season vegetables along with these to ensure that your table is full enough.

Summary

To grow your own food, you need to carefully plan each vegetable because each grows at a different rate. If you accidentally plant only long-season vegetables, you’ll end up with an empty table during some seasons. But then, where’s the satisfaction in that?

At the same time, if you only plant short-season plants, you’ll also end up with an empty table in other seasons. Use this guide as a starting point to ensure that your table is always bountiful with fresh produce. You need to know how long vegetables take to grow. From there, you can formulate a reliable gardening plan that will keep you full and happy all year round.

If you’re interested in more gardening tips, we can help you. Blossom & Broom offers various tips, tricks, and advice about home improvement and gardening. Small things can add up to a lot, and our goal is to provide you with the information you need to do that. Browse through our content to learn more about different aspects of home improvement and gardening.