Gardening Vegetables

Ten Cool Season Vegetables

A wide variety of vegetables lend themselves to early spring planting because they do well or are tolerant of cooler weather.

Because weather varies so much—areas can experience an “early” or “late” spring—it is unwise to put an exact starting date on when to sow. A rule of thumb is when the ground is no longer frozen and can be worked, and when nighttime temperatures are consistently above freezing. This could mean as early as January in very mild areas or as late as May in more northern ones.

  1. English peas or snap peas are good to start early. Snap peas have edible pods that are crunchy and tasty.
  2. Snow peas are another class—these are great in stir-fry dishes or for eating fresh.
  3. Lettuces and other leafy greens, such as mesclun and arugula, are great for salads or as pizza toppings.
  4. Spinach loves cooler temperatures and will mature in about 40 days.
  5. Beets are another early starter. Try one of the new shapes or colors for a healthy crunch that can mature in about 50 days.
  6. BroccoliBrussels sprouts and cabbage are all cole crops or brassicas. For these crops, it is often best to purchase bedding plants and transplant them to the garden. They will mature more quickly than starting from seed, and the theory is that they will mature before the summer heat causes them to bolt (go to seed).
  7. Carrots mature in about 70 days and can be harvested when small for flavor and color. Sowing the seed thinly, to begin with, will mean less thinning later.
  8. Swiss chard adds color to the garden and any recipe you use it in; plus it is highly nutritious.
  9. Radishes can be sweet or hot, they provide color in salads and cooking, and they are a relatively fast crop. Early harvesting yields smaller radishes, but with a more subtle flavor preferred by many cooks.
  10. Sow Pak Choi 4–5 weeks before the last frost. It can be harvested early for baby greens or wait until it just forms a heart and use in stir-fries.

Helpful Hint: When sowing extra early. always keep a sheet of floating row cover (frost blanket) on hand in case temperatures suddenly take a dip into the deep freeze. Just cover the seed bed and young plants and use pegs, bricks, rocks or soil to hold the cover in place. Remove when temperatures warm up again.


Article and photos adapted from a press release by the National Garden Bureau.

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Garden writer and blogger, author of 65 gardening books, lecturer and communicator, the Laidback Gardener, Larry Hodgson, passed away in October 2022. Known for his great generosity, his thoroughness and his sense of humor, he reached several generations of amateur and professional gardeners over his 40-year career. Thanks to his son, Mathieu Hodgson, and a team of contributors, laidbackgardener.blog will continue its mission of demystifying gardening and making it more accessible to all.

1 comment on “Ten Cool Season Vegetables

  1. ? Of course, our seasons on the West Coast of California are very different. We grow cool season crops too, but from autumn to spring. (The Salinas Valley is not too far from here.) #6 is exclusive to that time. However, there are some similarities. The root vegetables, although happy through winter, are more productive if started late in summer for autumn, or late in winter for spring. Obviously, they grow better with a bit of warmth, but do not like it too warm and arid. When I lived in town, I grew chard for the pretty red foliage through winter, but that which did not get cut by spring lasted for a long time before bolting. But yes, away from the most coastal climates, the lettuces and peas, weirdly, perform best in autumn and winter. I still can not figure that out, or how some people can grow them so well here. They do not grow well through winter, but want to finish before the dry warmth of summer. For us, the summer is more limiting than the winter is, but the in between times are similarly the best.

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