Cress, a peppery and fast-growing leafy green, earns its reputation for its remarkably quick germination, often sprouting in just three to four days. This small yet mighty plant is a favorite for those who enjoy a quick turnaround in their garden or kitchen windowsill.
Water Spinach (Kangkong)
As Malaysia is a tropical country, Water Spinach is definitely one of the best vegetables to plant at anytime of the year. The seeds usually germinate in 2-3 days time and the harvesting period is about 4-5 weeks (35-42 days) after the seeds have sprouted.
Radish. Radishes are probably the fastest growing vegetable in your garden, being ready to pick in as little as 30 days from planting the seeds. Their peppery flavor is a hit on the vegetable tray or added to a fresh lettuce salad.
Chives. Chives are a great herb to grow on your kitchen counter! They come up very quickly—it'll only take 2-3 days for chives to sprout. Additionally, they are quite happy at room temperature, just place it near a sunny window.
Different seed mixtures establish at different speeds. As a general rule, hardwearing mixtures usually contain ryegrass and red fescue, two species that establish quite quickly – they can germinate in as little as 3-4 days, but 7-10 days is more average.
Whether you're repairing bare spots, overseeding an existing lawn or starting from scratch, you can generally expect grass seedlings to emerge within seven to 21 days when grown under proper conditions. It may take another three to four weeks of growth before grass is long enough to mow.
Lima bean varieties generally will be ready to harvest in two to three months or 60 to 90 days.
Radishes are one of the fastest vegetables to grow, taking just 3-4 weeks. Seeds can be sown into prepared ground or pots of potting soil. Make sure you sow the seeds very thinly, spacing them about 2.5cm apart.
Broccoli, kale, lettuce, cauliflower seeds germinate in as little as 1 day. However, tomatoes, beets, chard, onions, fennel, pepper, eggplant, celery may take up to 3-5 days. Note: This method is better for home gardening but if you want to plant a whole field, you need to plant the seeds directly in the soil/field.
It won't come as a surprise to many, and particularly those who have grown it, bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world.
Germination temperature: 60 F to 90 F - Do not plant until soil reaches 65 F. Days to emergence: 3 to 10 - May germinate in 3 days at 80 F to 90 F. Germination may take 10 days or longer at cooler temperatures.
Seeds That Germinate Quickly
Beans – Green beans of all varieties sprout and grow quickly. Cucurbits – Many of the plants in the cucurbit family germinate and sprout very quickly. These include cucumbers, squashes, and melons. Chives – These quick growing onions are tasty and fragrant.
Timeline: Carrots can be planted as soon as the soil reaches 40°F, around mid-April, though they will germinate more quickly in warm soil (Figure 2). Days to Harvest: 55-80 days, depending on variety. Sowing: Sow carrot seed directly into the soil.
Tomato seeds usually germinate in 7 to 14 days if you maintain a steady temperature of 21 degrees celsius. Pot on the tomato seedlings as soon as they're big enough to handle. Hold the plants by the leaves, taking care not to touch the stems, and transplant them into 7.5cm (3in) pots.
Lentils and mung beans have been the fastest-growing in my experience – they just take a day or two after the initial soak. The whole process can take anywhere from 2 – 5 days. These lentils are just about done. Let alfalfa sprouts grow to about an inch.
Pintos Beans are a native of Mexico and take between 90 to 150 days to mature as dry beans, however they can be harvested early and consumed as green snap beans. They are available in bush and pole types. They require less maintenance than other bean varieties, but they do need greater room between plants.
The crop matures in 85 to 120 days from planting. As the pods mature they change from green to light brown or tan. Each pod can contain 2-4 seeds. Yields can vary from 600kg per hectare up to 1.5 tons per hectare.
Lavender takes the cake for slow germination. While the seeds typically take between 2 to 4 weeks to sprout, lavender has been known to take as long as 90 days! The seeds also require specific conditions to sprout.
Some seeds like Allium 'Purple Sensation' and Eryngium giganteum need a long period of cold-moist stratification with alternating temperatures. These are the most difficult seeds to germinate.
3 days usually isn't enough. If the seeds are very fresh (ie only a few months old rather than years old), and you put it in a warm spot, you may get some or all sprouted in 3 days (I just did 4 this week). But usually it takes a week. Sometimes longer.
Petunias, poppies and sunflowers have been recognised as some of the fastest growing flowers, taking only a fraction of the time to germinate and bloom compared to some of the more challenging plants.
From our experiments, we found that radish germinates in less than 24 hours and can be planted on a second/third day. And Russian Kale and beets are close behind. On the other hand, tomatoes take a few days, no matter how much we try, and tomatillos take even longer.