Plant Parenting: Crops Vary in Days-to-Harvest
June 3, 2020
Are you wondering when to start seeding your spring & summer vegetables? For all crops, you have to take the days-to-harvest into consideration.
Days-to-harvest varies, depending on whether you direct seed or transplant your edible crops.
PC: Leslie F. Halleck
The number of days-to-harvest can vary significantly, depending on whether you direct seed a crop into the garden or first grow a transplant. If you direct seed your crop into the garden or the container in which it will grow indoors, the days-to-harvest number on the seed packet is calculated from the date of germination.
For tomatoes, days-to-harvest start once they are planted into the garden.
PC: Leslie F. Halleck
Tropical crops, such as eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes, are typically started early indoors as transplants, allowing for bigger plants in the outdoor garden once temperatures are appropriate. For these crops, the days-to-harvest is counted from the date they are transplanted into their final container or outdoor garden location.
This is why you see southern gardeners starting their tomato seeds seeds indoors in January.
