How to Time Your Planting

When growing your own fruits and vegetables, the first thing you need to know is when 
to start planting. This can be what keeps you from having high-quality produce, and is 
one of the most important aspects of growing your own food.

Know How Long the Plants Take

The first thing you will need to do when timing your planting is figure out exactly how 
long each vegetable or herb is going to take to grow. This helps you to make a plan of 
attack, as well as deciding if you should start from a seed or a small plant. If you have 
time to spare, seeds might be best as they cost less, but plants are good when this is 
more of a last-minute project.

Some of the vegetables and plants that will take the longest are parsley, broccoli, 
oregano, onions, leeks, and some greens. These tend to need about 10-11 weeks of 
planning ahead of time before you can enjoy the harvest. The plants that are between 7 
and 9 weeks are your cherry tomatoes, peppers, shallots, eggplant, and some types of 
lettuce. The ones that only need about 4-6 weeks of planning are cucumber, squash, 
melons, cabbage, basil, and a variety of other herbs.

Know What Season to Plant Them

Another method for knowing how to time your planting is looking at the seasons they 
grow in. Here is an example of food that grows in the spring, summer, fall, and winter. 
This of course may depend on your climate and soil conditions as well, so it is just an 
example for you to start with:

Winter – For December, January, and February, you are still in the coldest parts of 
winter. This is when you want to start your tomatoes and bell pepper seeds, onions, and 
herbs like parsley, chives, basil, and oregano. Most of these seeds should be started 
indoors during the winter to avoid the frost. Some others to start indoors are dill, 
broccoli, beets, and cabbage.

Spring – Near the end of March when spring begins, you can start on your carrots, 
thyme and sage, lettuce, cucumbers, and corn. Melons, spinach, peas, summer squash, 
beans, and beats also are good to start in the spring. 

Summer – Some of these may be the same as spring because they include veggies and 
herbs that prefer the hot summer heat. These include beans, cabbage, beets, 
cucumbers, carrots, corn, peas, and kale.

Fall – In the fall, you can start your radishes, spinach, garlic, blueberries, sprouts, and 
any vegetables you are starting from a plant instead of a seed.

