How Long Does it Take for Vegetables to Grow?
Growing vegetables at home can provide access to nutritious fare, but it does take some time for vegetables to reach maturity. How long depends on the type of vegetables you’re growing and the variety you choose.
Warm Season Vegetables
Vegetables that require warm temperatures, generally above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, to thrive are known as warm season vegetables. These include crops like:
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Eggplant
- Zucchini
- Squash
- Beans
- Corn
These vegetables, depending on the variety, tend to take anywhere between 45 and 130 days from planting to harvest, with most falling in the 65 to 90 day range.
Cool Season Vegetables
Cool season vegetables, or those that grows best when the temperatures are cooler, in the 60- to 70-degree range, and that can withstand a light frost, are much faster at maturing. These include:
- Radish
- Carrots
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Brussels Sprouts
- Kale
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Onion
- Garlic
These vegetables mature within 30 to 50 days, with some, like radishes and lettuces, even faster at 20 to 30 days.
Mixed Container Plantings
If your garden plan includes a mix of warm and cool season vegetables, you can still enjoy a full season of harvesting. Start with the cool season crops, like kale and Brussel sprouts, and then add warm season varieties, like tomatoes and peppers, when the weather is set to stay consistently warm. That way your cool season crops will have time to mature before the weather grows hot.
Gardening can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. To ensure success in harvesting, it’s important to plant your vegetables at the correct time for the variety you’re growing. Knowing how long before you can expect to harvest your crops will help you taste the long-awaited fruits of your labour.
