Knowing when to grow your fruits and vegetables is part of knowing how-to grow and what to-grow. It all comes down to what your plant needs. Some like it hot, some like it cold, and neither will grow unless conditions are right. Read: temperature.

When Should I Grow Fruits and Vegetables?

This depends on where you live, however, knowing the basic temperature preferences of each plant will give you an idea of when the optimum planting season is for your area. Usually, your growing season will depend on frost dates. These dates will dictate a plant “before first frost date” or sow seeds “after last frost date.”

Warm Season Fruits and Vegetables

Plants that like it warm generally prefer temperatures in the range of 65-85°F before they become active. Too cold, and the seeds won’t germinate, the plant won’t thrive. In warm regions like Florida, I’ll plant these in the spring, or I can start them indoors around February, moving them to the outdoor garden come March.

Beans ~ bush and pole

Corn

Cucumber

Eggplant

Melon ~ watermelon, cantaloupe

Okra

Peanuts

Pepper ~ hot and sweet varieties

Squash ~ zucchini, squash, pumpkin

Sweet Potatoes

Tomatoes

Cold Season Fruits and Vegetables

Plants that like it cooler generally prefer temperatures around 45-75°F before they come alive. Ten degrees doesn’t seem like much to you and me, but it can make all the difference in the world of a plant. Too hot, no germination.

Beets

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Kale

Leeks

Lettuce

Parsnip

Potatoes

Radish

Spinach

Sweet Peas

Swiss Chard

Long Season Plants

Garlic and sweet onions are what I call “long season” plants, because I plant them in November, but can’t harvest until May. That’s a long time considering most harvest dates occur within a few months, as in two to three. But six? That’s a big investment.

But for me, the investment is worth it. There’s nothing sweeter than a homegrown onion, or instills more pride than a perfectly-shaped garlic bulb. And both cool and warm regions can enjoy these delightful root crops, because like flower bulbs, you plant them before the first fall frost and let them hunker underground during the winter. Come spring, they will poke their gorgeous green leaves through the surface soil and enchant you with their harvest.

Exceptions:

These are only general guidelines as some plants can extend their growing season into the “shoulder” season, or tolerate a bit of temperature variation. For example, sweet peas prefer it cool, but can tolerate temperatures into the low 80s. Potatoes prefer cooler temperatures, but not too cold and must be covered during a frost. Broccoli, on the other hand, doesn’t mind a bit of frost on its leaves. It will survive!