Common Fast Germinating Plants

It isn't fun to sit and watch the grass grow, but if you have fast-germinating plants in your garden, it can be nice to see the progress they make so quickly. Fast-germinating plants include legumes, decorative plants and flowering plants. Seed sizes may vary from one variety to the next (and germination will also), but typically, these fast-growing plants make their presence known within just a few days.

Watermelon

Watermelon is available in several varieties, and with a germination period of five to seven days, sprouts will be visible very quickly. Flesh colors include red, orange, yellow and white. A few varieties to try are the common sugar baby, jubilee and crimson sweet. Some lesser know varieties you may want to try are Keckley's sweet, ali baba and cream of Saskatchewan.

Gourds

Kids are usually curious about gourds. Produced from large seeds, they sprout quickly and love to climb. They will cover anything in their path, including fences and other plants in your garden. They develop from mid-summer through fall and have large flowers. Good choices include luffa sponge gourd, birdhouse gourd and a number of odd-shaped decorative gourds that are used in the fall season.

Cucumbers

Cucumbers germinate in five to seven days, and certain varieties have particular purposes. Many gardeners use cucumbers for pickling. Some of the varieties suitable for this are eureka hybrid, county fair hybrid and Boston pickling. Slicing cucumbers include poinsett, salad bush hybrid and sweet slice burpless. If you plan on planting in a container or pot, you may want to try pickle bush, pot luck or salad bush.

Sweet Alyssum

Sweet alyssum is produced from very small seeds, but germination is easy and fast. This plant is known for attracting beneficial insects, and it produces fragrant pink, purple or white blossoms. Plants bloom for two to three months, and new ones are sprouting in their place as they die.

Morning Glory

Morning glory is produced from medium-sized seeds that need to be gently filed or soaked overnight before planting, to encourage germination. These vines have showy flowers that open in the morning and close in mid-afternoon. They are climbers and easily find their way up sheds, trellises and fences.