7 Vegetables to Plant in the Spring

You don’t have to wait until summer to plant a garden, there are several vegetables to plant in spring for an early harvest.

Vegetable plants are divided into two sub-categories: cool-season and warm-season plants. Many plants, like kale and radishes, will only grow when the soil and air temperature is cool. Once the summer heat sets in, these cool-season vegetables will bolt (go to seed) and stop producing.

After a long winter of nothing growing outside, gardeners are anxious to get something planted and producing. Here is a list of 7 vegetables to plant in the spring (especially in the northern hemisphere) so you can begin to harvest fresh produce in just a few short weeks.

1. Arugula (or Rocket)

This is a cool-season salad green that grows fast. The leafy green has a tangy, mustard-like flavor and is rich in vitamins K and C, plus it’s rich in calcium.

Two crops of arugula can be grown each year – one in the spring and another one in the late summer. Harvest time is 4-weeks after planting seeds.

Select an outdoor planting location that is in full sun (or place container in full sun). Work soil and incorporate compost into the soil. Plant arugula seeds 1/4-inch deep and 1-inch apart. Plant seeds every 2 weeks for a continual spring harvest.

2. Beets

Beets come in different colors and shapes, and they grow best in the spring. Both the green tops and bulbous root of the beet plant can be eaten so you are getting two vegetables in one garden space. Beets are rich in fiber, potassium, vitamins B and C, and protein.

Select a sunny location and sow beet seeds into prepared garden soil 2 weeks before the last predicted frost date in spring. Thin plants to 3-inches apart by harvesting the small plants and using them as salad microgreens.

Sow seeds every 2 weeks during spring. Beets are ready for harvest in 45 days.

3. Carrots

Rich in water, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, carrots are one of the best vegetables to grow in spring. Carrots come in a wide array of colors and shapes, and the green tops are edible and nutritious also.

Sow carrots seeds into prepared garden soil in a full sun location 2-weeks before the last predicted frost date in your climate. Thin plants by harvesting tiny carrots from the over-crowded areas. Carrots can be harvested and eaten at any stage of growth but will take around 70 days to fully mature. Sow carrots seeds every 2 weeks until temperature reaches 80 degrees F.

4. Cabbage

Easy to grow, versatile in recipes, and can be eaten raw or cooked. Cabbage is a great vegetable to grow in spring and again in the fall. This cool-season vegetable is loaded with vitamins B6, C, and K, fiber, protein, and potassium.

Sow seeds in prepared garden soil 2 weeks before last predicted frost date. Thin plants to 6-inches apart. In climates of the northern hemisphere that have late springs, place black plastic on top of prepared garden soil to help soil warm up sooner. Poke small holes in the black plastic at 6-inch intervals and plant one cabbage seed in each hole.

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5. Cauliflower

High in fiber, rich in antioxidants, and said to help you lose weight, cauliflower is one of the best nutritious vegetables to plant in spring.

Select a full sun location after frost danger has passed. Mix a lot of compost into garden soil for best results with this spring vegetable. Create rows that are 18-inches apart and plant cauliflower seeds 1/4-inch deep and 18-inches apart.

Add a 2-inch layer of mulch after the plants are 6-inches tall. Cauliflower will be ready to harvest in 60 days.

6. Radishes

The little darling of the spring garden, radishes come in many sizes, shapes, colors, and are ready to harvest in 28 days. Rich in vitamins B6 and K, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, the green tops are edibles just like the bulbous bottoms.

Radishes also benefit the garden soil by loosening it to promote good water drainage and air circulation.

7. Potatoes

If soil is dry and can be worked, potatoes are one of the staple vegetables to plant in spring. High in water content, fiber, protein, vitamins B6 and C, potatoes are easy to grow and will keep for months after being harvested.

Dig planting rows that are 3-inches deep and 2-feet apart. Place seeds potatoes into row 1-foot apart and cover with soil. When shoots grow to be 1-foot tall, mound soil up around the shoots.

Potatoes will be ready to harvest in about 10-weeks.

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To Conclude

As you can see, your garden needn’t look bare in the Spring. There are plenty of options for growing fresh, nutritious produce at this time of year.