If you are anything like me, you look forward to starting your garden all winter long. There are 7 crops to start growing in early spring if you want a successful spring garden and I can’t wait to share them with you. When I first started planting a garden, I would just go to my local Wal-Mart or Lowes to buy seeds. A couple years ago, I decided I wanted to start seed saving and realized that the selection of heirloom seeds at my local retail stores was quite slim. I started researching online seed companies and signed up for free seed catalogs from all the companies I could find. Every year, starting around January, I receive seed catalogs, which further feeds into my desire to get started on my garden.
Do some research on your specific zone, but I feel it is safe to say that all of the crops I am about to list can be started in early spring indoors or in a greenhouse!
Carrots
Carrots are an excellent crop to consider planting in early spring as they thrive in cooler temperatures and are hardy enough to survive an occasional frost. Carrots planted in cooler temperatures actually tend to develop a sweeter more flavorful harvest as a result of the starch in the carrot turning into sugar as a response to the chill. Carrots are pretty low maintenance as well as they do not require much watering or weeding to thrive.
Carrot seeds can germinate at temperatures between 45° to 85°F but have the highest germination rate at temperatures between 55° to 75°F.
Onions
Onions are another great choice as they are cold-tolerant and can germinate in soil temperatures as low as 35°F. Onions actually thrive in early spring due to the increasing daylight hours and cooler temperatures. This encourages healthy growth and prevents them from bolting which is when the onion prematurely goes to seed and reduces the quality and storage life of your harvest.
For me, onions are a pantry staple. I use onions in 60% of my meals or more as they are so flavorful and versatile so having beautiful onions straight from my own backyard is such a game changer.
Peas
Pea plants prefer temperatures between 40°F – 75°F and are a wonderful crop to consider for your spring garden. Peas are hardy enough to survive in mild temperatures and even a light frost, and they prefer moist soil conditions which early spring often provides.
If your soil is not quite 40°F, you can always start your seedlings indoors. Whenever it begins to warm up, you can take your seedlings outside during the day and bring them back inside at night. By doing this for a couple of weeks, you can gradually introduce your plants to the cold without shocking them. A soil thermometer is a great tool to have when determining if the ground is warm enough to plant or transfer your seedlings.
Another great thing about peas is, they have the ability to add nitrogen to the soil and therefore benefit other plants in the same area, especially nitrogen rich crops. Below is a quick reference for some other companion planting duos and if you would like to read up on companion planting, this guide from the farmer’s almanac is a great reference.
Beets
Beets are another great choice for early spring gardens due to their ability to germinate in cold soil. They prefer soil temperatures of 50°F to 85°F.
Planting beets early in the spring is actually aids in healthy development of the plant. The cool temperatures and moisture promote healthy foliage and strong roots, thus resulting in sweeter more flavorful beets come harvest time.
Beets have relatively short sow to harvest times, generally maturing within 50 to 70 days meaning you will have fresh garden produce before summer even hits! This also allows time for succession planting.
Spinach
Due to it’s cold tolerance, spinach seeds can germinate in soil temperatures as low as 35°F allowing it to withstand unpredictable temperature swings that tend to sometimes occur in early spring. Weather conditions in early spring actually promote the growth of tender, flavorful leaves that are full of nutrients and therefore will yield a delicious harvest.
Spinach is another crop that has a quick growth rate. Baby spinach leaves can be ready for harvest as early as three to four weeks after planting and mature leaves as early as six weeks! This ensures a steady supply of greens throughout the season and allows for succession planting later on.
Lettuce
Lettuce is a great beginner crop as it is cold hardy and easy to grow no matter your experience level!
(And with a cold frame, you could have fresh salad year around!) Something like this would work great for a small crop of lettuce.
Most lettuce seeds can germinate at 35°F but at a slower rate. 70 – 75°F is optimal for Lettuce. If your plants have grown hardy enough, they can even survive a freeze (though I would not suggest testing your luck, lol).
Radishes
Radishes are one of my favorite plants to grow in early spring. I love the crisp and (slightly spicy) taste radishes offer and they add a beautiful splash of color to your kitchen come harvest time.
Radishes are by far the quickest growing vegetable listed on this post with most varieties reaching maturity in as little as three weeks!
Radishes prefer a soil range of 50°F to 65°F enabling them to establish well before the summer heat sets in. Radishes also make great companions to most other early spring crops as they help deter pests such as nematodes and cucumber beetles.
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In addition to having an early spring garden, edible natives will be popping up around you as well. Take advantage of nature's bounty with my FREE foraging guide. Simply click the link below, sign up for my newsletter and you will receive an email with access to your free guide. I put a lot of work into this guide and hope you will enjoy it! 
All in all, starting a garden in early spring is possible and while there are other crops out there that would make great choices for your spring garden, these 7 are the ones that I enjoy the most. By filling your garden with these cold-hardy and fast growing veggies you will be able to enjoy homegrown produce in no time at all.
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