9 Fast-Growing Crops That Thrive In Raised Beds

Planting in raised beds is a gardening practice that’s preached by many experienced gardeners.

When I first started getting into gardening, I remember posting a picture of my small backyard garden on an online gardening forum, and everybody there suggested I give raised garden beds a try. Fast forward to today, and more than 50% of my crops grow in raised beds!

Let’s discuss raised garden beds in detail and figure out the best crops to grow in them!

Why Raised Beds Are Great For Quick Crops?

There are a plethora of reasons why you should consider raised beds in your garden. But, let me tell you the ones I’ve personally noticed make the biggest difference:

They help the soil warm up quicker in spring, which leads to faster germination results.
Better drainage in these raised beds prevents rot, which can be a common issue in young seedlings.
It’s also much easier to control weeds and spacing in raised beds, which leads to faster, healthier growth.

Fast-Growing Crops That Do Well In Raised Beds

1: Radishes (Ready In 20–30 Days)

Radishes are super quick to mature and a great choice for succession planting. They grow well even in shallow beds and can survive incredibly low temperatures without an issue.

2: Lettuce (Harvest in 30–45 Days)

Lettuce is the perfect choice for cut-and-come-again harvests. If the outer leaves of the leafy green are harvested and the inner center is left inside the soil, it can provide you with another round of fresh leaves in no time.

Lettuce prefers cooler weather and partial sun for the best growth.

3: Spinach (Harvest In 35–50 Days)

Spinach tolerates shade very well and prefers rich, fertile soil for optimal growth. It can grow well both early and late in the season, depending on when you plant it.

4: Arugula (Harvest In 20–40 Days)

This super fast-growing leafy green has a peppery kick to it that makes it a perfect side for fatty meats. Sow arugula directly in your raised beds and harvest baby leaves often for continuous growth.

5: Green Onions (Harvest In 45–60 Days)

Green onions are compact, shallow-rooted, and a great option for interplanting. Keep harvesting the greens as they grow, and you’ll be on your way to having a very productive green onion crop.

6: Bush Beans (Harvest In 50–60 Days)

Not only are bush beans incredibly fast-growing, but they also have very high yields. There’s no trellis needed for supporting their growth, making them perfect for raised beds.

7: Baby Carrots (Harvest In 50–60 Days)

For raised garden beds, use short baby carrot varieties like ‘Little Finger’ or ‘Paris Market’. They do very well in loose, well-draining soil. Just be sure not to use overly compacted soil for growing carrots, as that never turns out well.

8: Zucchini (Harvest In 50–60 Days)

Although zucchini growth can be a little slower in the beginning, they produce quite rapidly once flowering starts. Growing zucchini requires more space as well, but the vegetable thrives in the warmth of raised beds.

9: Peas (Harvest in 60–70 Days)

Peas are a cool-weather crop with quick results. You want to use a small trellis with this one to achieve the best growth in raised beds.

Tips For Speeding Up Growth In Raised Beds

Warm up the soil faster with black plastic or row covers early in the season.
Use compost-rich soil and mulch lightly to retain moisture. Keeping the raised beds moist is crucial for accommodating healthy growth.
Water consistently (set a fixed routine) and avoid overcrowding crops in one raised bed to allow for better airflow and faster results.

Conclusion

Seedlings and plants ready to be planted in a raised garden bed

Raised bed planting has been an important element of gardening for centuries now.

While it was an online gardening forum that first convinced me to give raised beds a try, the concept wasn’t entirely new to me.

In my family, it was actually my grandma who taught the concept of raised beds to my mother, and, as I grew older, she passed that knowledge down to me. It wasn’t until I tried it myself that everything clicked!

Give some crops from the list above a shot in your raised garden beds and let me know in the comments below how it went.

Also, if you have any special tips and tricks regarding raised beds, don’t hesitate to share them with the rest of us gardening enthusiasts. I’m sure the community will appreciate your help!