8 Fast-Growing Vegetables to Start in Containers This March for an Early Harvest

Basil

Herbs like basil are popular container plants, and they'll grow happily there until transplant time.

"There are so many different varieties of basil to choose from, and when you start it from seed, you have access to types you might not find as transplants at your local nursery," says master gardener Angela Judd.

Since basil doesn't perform well in cold soil, starting indoors can give you a head start. "Basil transplants really well and takes off once it’s outside," she adds. "Starting it indoors in early March gives you nice-sized plants that are ready to plant out as soon as nights are consistently warm."

Peppers

Pepper plant seedlings grow upright and narrow, making them ideal candidates for container growth. They also need plenty of time—roughly three months for bell peppers and even longer for hot peppers.

So if you can get the seeds growing indoors in March, you'll have more peppers sooner, and a better chance of success with a short growing season. 

Celery

Celery is another option that doesn't need much space and handles transplanting well.

"Celery is a long-season crop with tiny seeds that are easier to start indoors," says Judd. "They can take a while to germinate and get growing. Getting it going early is one of the best ways to end up with a good harvest."

Radishes

Quick-growing root crops can be started early and run through their entire life cycle right in the container.

"Radishes are the easiest vegetables to grow!" says gardening author Kathy Jentz. "To grow [them], start from seeds."

She recommends picking a sunny spot in the early spring or early fall. "Try to space them out as best you can," she says. "If the seedlings come up too crowded together, then you can thin them to make space for the strongest ones to continue on and grow to full size."

Lettuce

Cold-season lettuce is a gardening favorite. It's fast-growing, so you could start it in containers well before spring and then transplant it into the garden later, giving you a huge jumpstart on the season.

"The seeds are tiny and can be planted directly into the garden soil or in a shallow container," says Jentz. "Cover them with a fine layer of soil and water in well. Lettuce prefers rich garden soil and does not need fertilizers. For continual harvests, you can sow additional rows (or containers) of lettuce seeds every week or two."

You can also save seeds to grow again. "When the summer heat moves in, the plants bolt and send up a flower shoot that produces seeds," she says. "You can collect these seeds to plant the next season."

Eggplant

Eggplant makes for a good container candidate. "It needs a long, warm season, and it’s slow to get going," says Judd. "Starting seeds indoors gives them the head start they need for earlier and more reliable production."

Peas

For a big jumpstart on your edible garden, consider peas. Fresh peas are delicious, and they grow rapidly in cool temperatures.

"Tradition says to plant peas on St. Patrick’s Day, and that week is a perfect time to set up a vegetable patch or planting boxes," says Jentz. "I recommend soaking peas for four to six hours before planting them—this gives you a bit of a head start in getting the seeds to break dormancy and germinate."

Kale

Popular and tasty, kale can be sown directly in the garden, but you can extend your growing season by starting it early in containers. It doesn't usually mind being transplanted, and this can be done about a month after starting in the container.