Growing Vegetables

Vegetable	Start Seeds Indoors (weeks before last spring frost)	Start Seeds Outdoors (weeks before or after last spring frost)	Minimum Soil Temperature to Germinate (°F)	Cold Hardiness	When to Fertilize	When to Water
Beans	--	Anytime after	48-50	Tender	After heavy bloom and set of pods	Regularly, from start of pod to set
Beets	--	4 before to 4 after	39-41	Half-hardy	At time of planting	Only during drought conditions
Broccoli	6-8	4 before	55-75	Hardy	Three weeks after transplanting	Only during drought conditions
Brussels sprouts	6-8	--	55-75	Hardy	Three weeks after transplanting	At transplanting
Cabbage	6-8	Anytime after	38-40	Hardy	Three weeks after transplanting	Two to three weeks before harvest
Carrots	--	4-6 before	39-41	Half-hardy	Preferably in the fall for the following spring	Only during drought conditions
Cauliflower	6-8	4 before	65-75	Half-hardy	Three weeks after transplanting	Once, three weeks before harvest
Celery	6-8	--	60-70	Tender	At time of transplanting	Once a week
Corn	--	2 after	46-50	Tender	When eight to ten inches tall, and again when first silk appears	When tassels appear and cobs start to swell
Cucumbers	3-4	1-2 after	65-70	Very tender	One week after bloom, and again three weeks later	Frequently, especially when fruits form
Lettuce	4-6	2-3 after	40-75	Half-hardy	Two to three weeks after transplanting	Once a week
Melons	3-4	2 after	55-60	Very tender	One week after bloom, and again three weeks later	Once a week
Onion sets	--	4 before	34-36	Hardy	When bulbs begin to swell, and again when plants are one foot tall	Only during drought conditions
Parsnips	--	2-4 before	55-70	Hardy	One year before planting	Only during drought conditions
Peas	--	4-6 before	34-36	Hardy	After heavy bloom and set of pods	Regularly, from start of pod to set
Peppers	8-10	--	70-80	Very tender	After first fruit-set	Once a week
Potato tubers	--	2-4 before	55-70	Half-hardy	At bloom time or time of second hilling	Regularly, when tubers start to form
Pumpkins	3-4	1 after	55-60	Tender	Just before vines start to run, when plants are about one foot tall	Only during drought conditions
Radishes	--	4-6 before	39-41	Hardy	Before spring planting	Once a week
Spinach	--	4-6 before	55-65	Hardy	When plants are one-third grown	Once a week
Squash, summer	3-4	1 after	55-60	Very tender	Just before vines start to run, when plants are about one foot tall	Only during drought conditions
Squash, winter	3-4	1 after	55-60	Tender	Just before vines start to run, when plants are about one foot tall	Only during drought conditions
Tomatoes	6-8	--	50-55	Tender	Two weeks before, and after first picking	Twice a week