You blinked, summer happened, and now it feels like you missed the boat on planting. Don’t boil your seeds for dinner yet; the gardening boat has a slow captain and hasn’t left the dock. Late-start gardeners, you still have plenty of seeds that will grow strong, fast, and proud before the first frost even thinks about showing up.
Late summer into early fall offers a golden window for certain fast-growing crops, especially those that love cooling nights and warm soil. Some grow like they’re in a hurry, others behave better once the heat dies down, and all of them prove that the growing season isn’t over until you say it is.
Here are some fast-growing crops you can direct sow right now and still bring something to the dinner table before frost crashes the party.
1. Radishes
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Radishes are the overachievers of the root vegetable world. They’re lightning-fast growers; some varieties mature in 20 to 25 days, and they don’t waste time with dramatic growth stages. Direct sow them straight into the soil, and they’ll pop up within days, ready to fill in garden gaps or act as space-holders while other crops catch up.
Late summer soil, still lovely and warm, speeds up their germination. The cooler nights ahead help develop that classic radish crunch without turning them woody or overly spicy. Radishes are also the least needy plants you’ll grow this season. They don’t ask for rich soil, constant attention, or a parade of fertilizers. If your garden has had a tough year, radishes still show up and ace the appraisal.
2. Arugula
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Arugula is one of those greens that is happy you waited until later in the season. In the heat of early summer, it bolts faster than you can say “pesto.” Give it a bit of shade and a whisper of cool air, and it becomes tender, mild, and lush. It germinates quickly, usually in less than a week, and you’ll have baby leaves ready to pick within three weeks.
If you keep harvesting from the outer edges, it keeps giving, making it ideal for anyone who loves cut-and-come-again crops. Arugula’s peppery bite also mellows out in cooler weather, so even picky eaters may find late-season arugula more approachable. It plays nicely in salads, sandwiches, and pastas, and you can even sauté the older leaves if they get too bold.
3. Bush Beans
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If you’ve got about two months of warm weather left, bush beans are an excellent late-season gamble. Unlike pole beans, which need support and time, bush varieties are self-contained and quick to mature—most give you a full harvest in 50 to 60 days. They love warm soil and grow fast once they get going.
If you plant now, you’ll pick handfuls of crisp, snappy pods before the cold rolls in. Bush beans are also nitrogen-fixers, which means they help your soil while they grow—a significant win if you’re trying to rotate crops or improve tired garden beds. They’re productive in raised beds, ground plots, or large containers. Keep them watered, especially during flowering, and they’ll return the favor with a generous harvest.
4. Baby Kale
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Baby kale isn’t a different plant; it’s regular kale harvested early, making all the difference in flavor and timing. Full-sized kale can take 60–90 days to mature, but baby kale leaves are ready to harvest in as little as 25 to 30 days. The leaves are tender, slightly sweet, and perfect for raw salads, green smoothies, or a quick sauté.
Better still, late summer planting means fewer pests like cabbage loopers and aphids, which love to feast during peak kale season. As temperatures drop, kale’s flavor improves. A touch of cool night air signals the plant to convert starches to sugars, giving you that mild, almost nutty taste that kale fans rave about. If you’re lucky and the season stretches out, you might get full-grown kale without lifting a finger beyond sowing.
5. Turnips
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Turnips are one of the most underrated vegetables for a late-season garden. They’re fast, versatile, and give you two harvests in one: edible leafy greens and round, crisp roots. The greens can be harvested in three weeks, while the roots typically mature in about 40 to 60 days, depending on the variety.
This gives you a staggered yield from a single planting. They’re especially well-suited to the back half of the growing season because they prefer the cooler weather, which improves flavor and texture in both the tops and the bulbs. If your soil isn’t perfect, turnips aren’t fussy. A little compost helps, but they’ll still perform in average conditions.
6. Zucchini
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Zucchini needs no introduction, but many gardeners don’t realize that it’s perfectly happy being planted late. If you’ve got 60 frost-free days ahead, zucchini can still pull off a full show. It germinates quickly in warm soil and doesn’t need to be coddled.
Once established, the plant produces relentlessly, sometimes to the point where you start avoiding your garden out of squash fatigue. But in a shorter season, you get the benefits without the overwhelming glut.
7. Cilantro
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Cilantro behaves like a moody teen in summer—it bolts, gets bitter, and gives up on life at the first sign of heat. But in cooler weather? It’s calm, collected, and incredibly productive. Late-season planting gives you a proper harvest window before it even thinks of flowering. Sow it directly into well-draining soil, keep it evenly moist, and you’ll be pinching fresh sprigs in under four weeks.
Cilantro is especially useful in a late garden because it thrives when other herbs are on their way out. Basil pouts in the cold, but cilantro powers through. You can sow a short row every couple of weeks for a steady supply, and if you let a few plants go to seed at the end of the season, you’ll have coriander for your spice rack.
8. Beets
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Beets are like the quiet kids in class who secretly win every science fair. They don’t take up much room, they don’t demand much, and they turn out results. The roots mature in 50–60 days, while the greens are ready even sooner, usually within three weeks.
The leaves are tender, earthy, and packed with nutrients, growing even better as the heat starts to fade. Late planting improves flavor, too. Beets grown in cooler conditions are sweeter and more flavorful than their summer-grown counterparts.
9. Pak Choi
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Pak choi (or bok choy) grows fast; baby varieties can be harvested in under 30 days, and prefers the conditions of late summer and early fall. It’s not picky about soil as long as drainage is decent, and it thrives in beds, pots, or small garden patches.
It also germinates reliably in warm soil and isn’t prone to bolting when the nights start cooling off. Once mature, the crisp stalks and dark green leaves hold up well in stir-fries, soups, or raw in slaws. And if you harvest carefully by cutting the outer leaves and leaving the core, the plant often regrows, giving you another round before the season ends.
10. Scallions
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Scallions are the friend who shows up when everyone else bails. You can toss them into garden beds and still harvest pencil-thin green onions in about 30 to 45 days. They’re surprisingly cold-tolerant and will keep going even as temperatures drop. They don’t bulb up like regular onions, but you’ll get that mild onion flavor in a compact form.
These are great for filling narrow rows or container corners where nothing else fits. You can even treat them like a cut-and-come-again crop—trim the tops and let the base keep growing. For continuous harvest, sow a short row every few weeks through early fall. They’re tidy, fast, and endlessly useful in the kitchen.
11. Spinach
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Spinach is a fall favorite for a reason. It prefers cooler temperatures and performs better when the days start getting shorter. Sow it now and you’ll see sprouts within a week, with harvestable leaves in as little as 25 days. It’s rich in iron and flavor, and young leaves are tender enough for salads, while mature ones are perfect for cooking.
Spinach also has the magical ability to overwinter in many regions. If you mulch lightly after the first frost, the roots often survive and regrow the following spring, giving you a bonus harvest before you’ve even wiped winter from your boots. It’s dependable, easy to grow, and ideal for gardeners looking to stretch their season without stretching themselves thin.
12. Nasturtiums
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Nasturtiums do double duty as both edible and ornamental plants. Their round leaves and vivid flowers brighten any bed or container, and they grow quickly from seed even when planted late. In warm soil, they germinate in under a week, and you’ll see blooms by day 45 if the frost holds off.
They tolerate poor soil and may prefer it—it helps them flower instead of just putting out leaves. Everything above ground is edible. The leaves are peppery and tender, the flowers are spicy and bright, and the seeds can be pickled like capers.
13. Tatsoi
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Tatsoi grows in tidy, flat rosettes and matures in about 40–50 days. The leaves are spoon-shaped, glossy, and surprisingly mild, making them great raw or cooked. It loves cooler weather and can handle a light frost without damage, so that a late planting won’t faze it.
You can harvest baby leaves early, or wait for the full rosette to form if your fall weather stays gentle. It’s a brilliant option for smaller spaces and raised beds, especially if you want to diversify your greens without inviting pests or high-maintenance care.
14. Fenugreek
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Fenugreek, often overlooked outside of spice racks, is a brilliant, quick-growing green for late-season planting. It germinates in less than a week and can be harvested in under 30 days, making it ideal if your gardening calendar is down to its final pages.
The leaves have a mild, nutty flavor that works well in salads, cooked dishes, or as a nutritious tea. And if you’ve never tasted homegrown methi, you’re in for a surprisingly pleasant, earthy treat.
15. Swiss Chard
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Swiss chard doesn’t care that you’re planting late. It’s unbothered by shorter days, fluctuating temps, or the general chaos that comes with end-of-season gardening. While full-sized plants can take a couple of months to mature, you’ll be able to harvest baby leaves in just 25 to 30 days. It also keeps producing until heavy frost, making it one of the longest-running greens in your garden arsenal.
The colorful stems add visual appeal, but it’s not just a pretty face. Chard is nutrient-dense, tender when young, and surprisingly versatile. Once it gets going, it can survive light frosts and keep regrowing from the center.
There’s Still Time
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Planting late doesn’t mean racing against the clock, especially if you have the necessary tips up your sleeve. Use row covers or lightweight frost blankets to protect your seedlings and give them a few extra weeks of growth. Black plastic mulch can warm the soil and speed up germination, especially for heat-loving crops like zucchini or bush beans.
For greens and herbs, containers let you move plants under shelter as the nights cool off, stretching your harvest well past the first frost. If you’re in a region with mild winters, consider succession sowing every 10–14 days until frost warnings begin. Some crops—like spinach, tatsoi, and scallions—can even overwinter with a bit of mulch and bounce back in early spring.