As a gardener you must aware of cool season vegetables and warm season vegetables to become successful in gardening. Knowing the differences of cool and warm season vegetables will help you to know when and what you need to plant in your garden. Additionally, you should also know the approximate frost date in late summer or early fall in your area.
If you aren’t aware of them, check out the complete article to know everything about cool season and warm season vegetables.
Cool Season Vegetables:
Cool season vegetables are considered as first ones to plant in your garden. You can start them anytime from several weeks to couple of months before the last frost date. Generally, they can’t take lot of heat so once the weather warms above 80-85 degrees, cool season vegetables stop growing and producing.
Types Of Cool Season Vegetables:
There are two types of cool season vegetables hardy and the other one is semi hardy.
Hardy Vegetables:
Hardy vegetables have seeds that will germinate easily in cool soil and can be planted 2 to 4 weeks before the date of last frost date. All these hardy vegetables are cold tolerant and grow well when the day time temperature is as low as 40 degrees.
Hardy vegetables include: Broccoli, Kale, Leeks, Corns, Chives, Cabbage, Garlic, Horseradish, Onions, Parsley, Peas, radishes, Spinach, rhubarb, Turnips and Brussels sprouts.
Semi Hardy Vegetables:
Semi hardy vegetables grow well when the temperature is between 40-50 degrees. They are able to tolerate only light freezers and planted in garden about 2 weeks before your last expected frost.
If you see any temperature fluctuations in your area, then you can protect semi hardy vegetables with row covers. Well, row covers comes in various levels of protection so choose the best one for your needs.
Semi Hardy Vegetables Include: Beets, Celery, Cauliflower, Chives, Cilantro, Carrots, Chives, and Swiss chard.
Warm Season Vegetables:
Warm season vegetables are nothing but those that can’t tolerate frost. They are also classified in to two types.
Types Of Warm Season Vegetables:
Tender Vegetables:
Tender vegetables prefer temperature between 70- 95 degrees Fahrenheit and require daytime temperature of 60 degree Fahrenheit. As they are sensitive to cold winds and frost, they shouldn’t be sown in the garden until the date of last spring frost. It’s best to plant 1-2 weeks after the last frost date.
Tender vegetables include: Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Cucumbers and New Zealand Spinach.
Very Tender Vegetables:
Very tender vegetables suffer a lot in cool breeze, so it’s best to plant them 3 weeks after the last frost. They require temperature consistently warmer than 55 degree Fahrenheit to support their healthy growth.
Very Tender Vegetables Include: Egg Plant, Muskmelon, Okra, peppers, Pumpkins, Winter Squash, Lima Beans, Water melon and Sweet Potatoes.