Spring Harvesting Plants for a Gardener’s Instant Gratification

ByTiffany Hinker

Sometimes as gardener’s we need something we can plant that can be harvested early to keep that motivation alive. Here are a few plants that I have grown myself and suggest you consider using in your own gardens to bring that instant gratification.

radish greens being used to make a homemade pesto

As a beginner gardener, one thing I’ve learned pretty quickly about myself is that I need some kind of instant gratification when growing from seed. And honestly, I don’t think I’m alone in this. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been gardening for years, I bet you’ve caught yourself checking your garden every day, eager to see if anything has sprouted, am I right? 🙂

New Growth Accompanied by Confusion

Every time I see a little green sprout pop through the soil, I get excited—it’s like a tiny victory. If you’ve labeled your rows or have a mental note of where you planted things, it’s usually possible to tell what’s intentional and what might be a weed. Usually. 

That said, I’ve already taken a ridiculous number of pictures myself to try and figure out what is popping up in my garden by using Google’s reverse image search, so I can figure out if I should keep something or pull it.

In the early weeks, I definitely pulled up a few too many things I meant to grow (mostly flowers—oops). I’m slowly learning to be a bit more patient and let things grow a little larger before making that call. And honestly, it’s made me better at recognizing the “culprits” versus the keepers.

Why Instant Gratification in The Garden Matters

While we are doing our darndest to be patient for our garden vegetables to mature—like tomatoes, peppers, or squashes to name a few—it’s so rewarding to have a few plants that can give us something usable early on. Plants like this will hopefully help keep your gardening motivation alive. 

recently pulled radishes from the garden, placed in a white strainer near the garden bed

I’m still very new at gardening so I’m sure there are more options out there that I haven’t discovered yet, but I wanted to share a few “quick-win” crops that I personally recommend you give a try in your own garden to bring you some of that early joy and usefulness. For me this year, the plants I enjoyed using early this spring have been:

  • Radishes – These were super fast growers and perfect for snacking.
    • Days to Maturity/Harvest: Typically 4-6 weeks (dependent on seed packet)
      • I started to harvest around the 4-5 week mark.

  • Spinach and other Salad Greens – Things like kale, arugula, and various lettuces are not only quick to sprout, but you can start harvesting baby leaves early on too.
    • Days to Maturity/Harvest: Typically 3-5 weeks (dependent on seed packet)
      • I started to harvest around the 4-5 week mark.

  • Dill – This herb is almost too easy to grow as I planted some seeds years ago and they keep popping up all over.  Dill is perfect to use in sauces or salads, among other things.
    • Days to Maturity/Harvest: Typically 4-8 weeks (dependent on seed packet)
      • My seed was planted a couple seasons ago, but they started showing usable growth in late May.

  • Chives – Truly a hardy herb to plant in your garden, and you should certainly try growing in Minnesota!
    • Days to Maturity/Harvest: Typically 8-12 weeks (dependent on seed packet)
      • I actually grabbed a chive plant on clearance last fall and was amazed when I saw the green sprouts popping out of the snow this year. It was pretty exciting to start harvesting before I even thought about starting to plant my garden.
an assortment of salad greens and herbs that were recently harvested from the garden and washed to be laid out to dry before using.

Consider Succession Planting

I don’t have a ton of space in my garden, so I have to be strategic. One thing I’m learning is how to make the most of that space by practicing succession planting. For example, once I’ve harvested my radishes, I can go ahead and simply re-seed that same spot with something else. 

If you do choose to seed quick growing crops like mentioned above, pay attention to the time of year you will be planting. Depending on the weather, you may be able to harvest the same crop, however make note of the upcoming temps so you aren’t dealing with early bolting on plants that require colder temps to grow.  

Experiment with the Whole Plant (if edible)

One fun surprise this year was discovering that you can use radish greens in cooking. I made a batch of pesto with them last week, and it turned out surprisingly good (with enough garlic added, haha)! I love the feeling you get when you can use something from the garden in your meals, even in small ways.

I don’t have an exact recipe to share with you but I had found a 1:2:3:8 ratio online as a general rule to follow when I was making this myself–as well as simply tasting as you go. 

Caprese toast topped with pesto made from radish greens and side salad with sliced radishes, made from the garden during an early spring harvest.

You will always want to start with your greens “8” and scale down from there, from oil “3”, cheese “2” and nuts “1”, later adding garlic, lemon with some salt and pepper based on your flavor preferences. You should give it a shot when you have the opportunity. Pesto is great in so many ways and an easy way to get some nutrition in your diet too. 

Final Thoughts

If you’re just starting out like me, consider mixing in a few quick-growing plants to get that early feeling of success. It makes the wait for the bigger harvests a lot more enjoyable—and helps you stay connected to your garden each day. I’m still learning, and there’s so much more to explore, but the plants I mentioned above will definitely be part of my garden every year going forward.

If you like what you see, or learned anything, please tell me about it by commenting down below!

Happy gardening! 🌿