A List of Cool Weather Vegetable Crops

By Gary Pilarchik (The Rusted Gardener)

Cool weather crops can often take a light freeze and frost and manage without problems. They are often crops you can plant in the spring and fall as they love the cool weather.

Cool weather vegetable crops like nights that average in the 50’s, moving down into the 40’s or up into the 60’s at times. They like their days in the 60’s and 70’s. Once you get into the upper temperatures many of the plants stop producing, bolt to flowering for seed production or just die out.

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Here is a list of cool weather crops I will keep updating. Leave comments for vegetables I need to include. The harvest ranges should match cool weather in your area. You can start most of these from seed and many do well as seed starts for transplants.

Artichoke: Plant in early spring for October harvest.

Arugula: Harvest in 30-40 days.

Asparagus: A perennial crop. Plants take 3 years to reach maturity for regular spring harvesting.

Beets: Harvest in 50-65 days. Leaves can be harvested sooner.

Bok Choy or Pak Choi:

Broccoli: Harvest in 65-75 days. Keep leaves on the plant once the main head is harvested and you will get side blooms to eat.

Brussels sprouts: Harvest in 80-120 days. Need a cool season of length. Plant them in the summer for a fall harvest in areas that have a shorter cool period during the spring.

Cabbage: Harvest in 50-65 days.

Carrots: Harvest in 55-75 days.

Cauliflower: Harvest in 65-75 days.

Celery:

Chard: Harvest in 55-65 days.

Chinese Cabbages: Harvest in 45-65 days.

Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans:

Cilantro or Coriander: Harvest in 55-65 days. Take leaves early as you wish.

Collards: Harvest in 55-60 day. Take leaves early as you wish.

Endive: Harvest in 55-60 days. Take leaves early as you wish.

Fava Beans:

Fennel:

Garlic: Plant in the fall for a late spring early summer harvest.

Horseradish:

Kale: Harvest in 45-60 days.

Kohlrabi: Harvest in 55-65 days.

Leeks: Harvest in 85-110 days. Can be planted in the summer for a fall harvest. They can also over winter for a spring a harvest.

Lentils:

Lettuce: Harvest in 45-60 days

Mizuna: Harvest in 30-50 days.

Mustard Greens: Harvest in 30-50 days.

Onions Bunching Type: Harvest in 55-75 days.

Parsnips:

Peas: Harvest in 55-75 days.

Potatoes: Plant in early spring and harvest early summer when tops die back.

Radishes: Harvest in 25-40 days.

Rutabaga:

Spinach: Harvest in 35-50 days. Take leaves as you wish.

Turnips: Harvest in 45-60 days.