Fastest growing food plants

When you first start growing plants for food, the most frustrating thing is how long it takes. But you can get started very quickly. Here's a list of some of the fastest growing food plants:

IMMEDIATE: buy a potted strawberry or chilli already fruiting - even ornamental chillies can be eaten. Or get some potted herbs that you can plant out or put on your windowsill, and immediately start using in cooking.

COUPLE OF DAYS: grow some sprouts such as mung beans (Chinese beansprouts). There are many kinds of seeds and legumes you can sprout, some in just two days. Almonds will "sprout" (more like swell) in a day. You can also leave some sprouts to grow into larger plants if you like.

ONE WEEK: cress can be grown on damp tissue or cotton wool, and is ready to harvest for a sandwich or salad in about a week.

TWO WEEKS: micro greens such as silverbeet can be ready for harvest in as little as 10-14 days. Plant some of them out, and you'll end up with vigorous, hardy "cut and come again" silverbeet plants, giving you a steady supply of greens.

ONE MONTH: some varieties of radishes are ready to pick in 3-4 weeks. Radish leaves are also edible.

*BONUS TIP*: don't feel you have to grow everything from scratch. Germinating and planting out seedlings can be a hassle. Just buy ready-grown, young vegetable plants from nurseries and speed up the time to harvest by a month or more. Or get both seeds and plants, for a conveniently staggered harvest.