Harvest to Table

Spinach is a cool weather crop that grows best when daytime temperature remain consistently below 75°F–commonly in spring or fall. Young plants will bolt when exposed to temperatures below 40°F, but mature plants can withstand temperatures as low as 20°F. Spinach is ready for picking in about 40 days; for a continuous harvest, sow spinach [...]

Lettuce grows best in cool weather and sunny locations. Spring, mid-summer, and early fall are the times of year to plant lettuce, but you can grow lettuce in the summer even in warm regions if you choose heat-tolerant and bolt-resistant varieties. There are lettuce cultivars that are ready for picking in 45 days and others [...]

Lettuce is the most popular leafy vegetable. You can plant enough leaf lettuce for a family of four in a 1-sqaure foot area, enough head lettuce in a 2-square foot area. Plant spring lettuce between rows of larger crops such as cabbage or broccoli. Lettuce can be sown in the garden as early as four [...]

Lettuce is easily started in seed-starting trays or small pots. Lettuce started indoors can be set into the garden when plants have about four leaves, usually in three to four weeks from sowing. Set lettuce in the garden 12 inches (30cm) apart if you are planting for full heads and closer if you are going [...]

Garden cress also called broadleaf cress–and other cresses: curly cress and watercress–are quick growing cool-weather vegetables. Sow cress in the garden early in spring, as early as 4 or 6 before the last frost, or grow cress indoors year round. Cress is quick growing from seed; it will be ready for harvest 15 to 20 [...]

New Zealand spinach is a perennial grown as a warm-weather annual. Sow New Zealand spinach in the garden about the date of the average last frost in spring or later. It can be started indoors 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost in spring for later transplanting. New Zealand spinach is not frost hardy [...]

Chard, often called Swiss chard, is a cool-season biennial grown as an annual. Sow chard in the garden 2 to 4 weeks after all frost has passed in spring. To get an early start, sow chard indoors as early as 3 to 4 weeks before the average last frost date in spring for transplanting out [...]

Cardoon is a tender perennial vegetable grown as an annual. Sow or transplant cardoon into the garden 3 to 4 weeks after the average last frost date in spring. Start cardoon from seed indoors 6 weeks before transplanting it into the garden. Cardoon, which is grown for its young leaf-stalks, will be ready for harvest [...]

Sorrel is a cool-season perennial often grown as an annual. Sorrel is often grown from root divisions. Sorrel can be grown from seed sown in the garden as early as 2 to 3 weeks before the average last frost date in spring. Sorrel will be ready for harvest 60 days after sowing. Description. Sorrel is [...]

Chicory, Belgian endive, and radicchio are cool weather crops, all grown from the same plant. Sow chicory seed in the garden as early as 2 to 3 weeks before the average date of the last frost in spring. Grow chicory and radicchio in temperatures ranging from 45° to 75°F. Plant chicory and radicchio so that [...]