10 Vegetables to Plant This Spring for a Bumper Harvest

By Sarah Mitchell  |  March 2025  |  8 min read

Spring is the season when gardeners feel most alive. After months of catalogues, planning sketches, and daydreaming about what to grow, the soil finally warms enough to receive seeds and transplants. Making the right choices now sets the tone for everything that follows. Plant the wrong crops at the wrong time and you will spend the summer nursing underperforming plants. Plant the right ones at the right time and you will be hauling baskets of fresh produce to your kitchen table for months.

The ten vegetables below have been chosen on the basis of productivity, adaptability, and how well they reward the effort invested. Whether you are working a large raised bed, a small allotment, or a collection of pots on a patio, at least several of these are worth making room for this spring.

1. Tomatoes

No vegetable earns more enthusiasm from home growers than the tomato. This warm-season crop needs soil temperatures of at least 60°F before transplanting outdoors, but starting seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last expected frost date gives you a significant head start. Choose a site with full sun and plan to provide support — whether cages, stakes, or a trellis — as the plants grow.

For beginners, bush varieties such as 'Celebrity,' 'Bush Early Girl,' or 'Patio' are forgiving and productive. Experienced growers might venture into indeterminate vining types like 'Brandywine' or 'San Marzano' for exceptional flavour. Feed regularly with a balanced fertiliser once flowering begins and water consistently to prevent blossom end rot and fruit cracking.

2. Courgettes (Zucchini)

Few plants match courgettes for sheer generosity. A single well-placed plant can produce enough fruit to keep a household supplied and still leave plenty for neighbours. Direct sow seeds into rich, warm soil after all frost risk has passed, or start two to three weeks indoors in compostable pots that can be planted without disturbing the roots. Space plants generously — at least 90cm apart — to allow good air circulation and discourage powdery mildew. Harvest fruits when they are 15 to 20cm long for the best flavour and texture, and check plants every other day during peak season.

3. Lettuce and Salad Leaves

Lettuce is one of the most rewarding vegetables for spring growing because it can be planted early while the soil is still cool. Lettuces actually prefer the mild temperatures of spring and early summer, bolting to seed when heat arrives. Sow directly in rows or broadcast seeds over a prepared bed and thin seedlings to the appropriate spacing for the variety. Grow a mix of leaf types — butterhead, cos, loose-leaf — for a varied salad bowl. Practise cut-and-come-again harvesting by removing outer leaves rather than the whole plant, and make succession sowings every three weeks for a continuous supply.

4. Bush Beans (French Beans)

Bush beans are straightforward to grow, productive over a long season, and among the most satisfying crops to harvest. Sow seeds directly into warm soil — they do not tolerate frost — in rows about 45cm apart, with seeds spaced every 10cm. Bush varieties do not need staking and typically begin bearing pods within 50 to 60 days of sowing. Unlike climbing beans, they crop all at once rather than over an extended period, making them ideal for preserving or freezing. Sow a fresh batch every three weeks from late spring through midsummer for continuous harvests.

5. Cucumbers

Cucumbers thrive in the warm conditions of late spring and summer. Start seeds indoors three to four weeks before transplanting, or sow directly outdoors once nighttime temperatures are reliably above 55°F. These vigorous climbers reward training onto a trellis, which improves air circulation, keeps fruit clean, and makes harvesting easier. Water regularly and evenly — inconsistent watering causes bitter fruits — and feed weekly with a high-potassium fertiliser once flowering begins. Harvest cucumbers before they yellow for the best flavour.

6. Beetroot

Beetroot (beet) is a hardy, nutritious root vegetable that can be sown directly outdoors from late winter through spring. It tolerates light frost and grows quickly, with roots ready to harvest as early as 60 days after sowing. Sow seeds 2.5cm deep in rows 30cm apart, thinning seedlings to 10cm spacing once they reach 5cm tall. The thinnings are edible as baby salad greens. Beetroot leaves are also nutritious and can be harvested sparingly throughout the season. Try heritage varieties like 'Chioggia' (candy stripe) or 'Boldor' (golden) for variety on the plate.

7. Peas

Peas are cool-season vegetables that must be planted early in spring because they struggle in summer heat. Sow seeds outdoors as soon as the ground can be worked — peas actually benefit from cool soil — and provide support immediately in the form of pea sticks, netting, or wire mesh. Garden peas, snow peas, and snap peas all follow similar growing requirements. Water at the base of plants and avoid wetting the foliage. Harvest pods when they are plump but before they become tough and starchy. Fresh peas eaten within hours of picking have a sweetness that frozen peas simply cannot replicate.

8. Radishes

Radishes are the fastest-maturing vegetable in the garden. Some varieties are ready to harvest in as little as 21 days from sowing, making them ideal for impatient gardeners and for filling gaps between slower-growing crops. Sow directly outdoors from early spring onwards, thinning to 2.5cm spacing. They prefer cool conditions and bolt quickly in heat, so frequent succession sowing throughout spring and again in early autumn produces the best results. Use radishes as row markers between slow-germinating crops like carrots or parsnips.

9. Spinach

Spinach is packed with nutrients and grows quickly in the cool, moist conditions of spring. Like lettuce, it does not tolerate heat well and will bolt to seed as temperatures climb. Start sowing outdoors several weeks before your last frost date and continue every two to three weeks through late spring. Harvest individual leaves from the outside of the plant while leaving the growing centre intact. Spinach is highly rewarding in small spaces and containers, producing multiple harvests from a single planting before heat triggers bolting.

10. Chard (Swiss Chard)

Swiss chard is one of the most visually striking and versatile vegetables you can grow. The stems come in brilliant red, orange, yellow, and white, making them as ornamental as they are edible. Chard tolerates both cool and warm weather far better than spinach, providing harvests from spring through autumn and even into winter in mild climates. Sow directly outdoors from early spring, thin to 20cm spacing, and harvest outer leaves regularly. Both the leaves and stems are edible, with flavours similar to spinach and beet greens respectively.

Final Thoughts on Spring Planting

The secret to a successful spring vegetable garden is timing and preparation. Improve your soil with compost before planting, understand which crops need warmth and which tolerate cold, and make succession sowings of quick-maturing crops to extend your harvests. Keep a simple garden journal this season and you will find that next spring's planning becomes much more informed and enjoyable.

Happy growing — and do not forget to enjoy the process as much as the harvest.