Vegetables You Can Grow in Two Months or Less

Snap beans are useful in warm summer weather. In addition to cropping rather quickly, beans are soil builders that benefit ensuing crops by fixing atmospheric nitrogen in their roots then releasing it when the plants die off. The fastest to produce are the bush types, ready to harvest in 50+ days. Try ‘Provider’ or ‘Contender’ varieties.

Beets don’t mind some heat, but perform best spring/summer, or summer/fall.  While roots mature to a harvestable size in 50+ days, baby greens can be used in salad mixes as early as 30 days.  ‘Early wonder’ is a good variety for earliness, tasty greens, and well formed roots.

Broccoli is a cool weather crop that will hold its own even in a hard freeze, if well established. While many varieties require 60 days or more to form large heads, there are several good varieties that mature in significantly less time.  ‘Di Cicco’ is one of the earliest, forming smallish heads in 45 days,  ‘Packman’ will form larger heads in 55 days.  Once the main head is harvested, broccoli will produce side shoot florets if the weather stays relatively mild.

Cucumbers are another option for the middle of summer. The best varieties for quick production are the early pickling types like ‘Picklebush’ and ‘Northern Pickler’. These varieties also require less space than the normal season types.