Your Quilt Garden Patches
Let this chart of popular crops guide you in selecting planting patches throughout the year. The times to maturity listed are estimates. I’ve included tips on whether to transplant or direct sow, but in some cases, you can make either work.
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Rotating Crops | How to Plant | Time to Maturity | Seasonality |
| Arugula | Transplant if possible; otherwise direct sow | 20 to 25 days from transplant; 30 to 40 days if direct sown | Best in spring and fall |
| Beets | Transplant if possible; otherwise direct sow | 35 to 50 days from transplant; 50 to 70 days if direct sown | Common in spring and fall, but will grow all year in many regions |
| Broccoli | Transplant | 55 to 70 days from transplant | Common in spring and fall, but try a heat-resistant variety in summer, too |
| Cabbage | Transplant | 50 to 70 days from transplant | Common in spring and fall, but try a heat-resistant variety in summer, too |
| Carrots | Direct sow | 50 to 75 days | Common in spring and fall, but will grow all year in many regions |
| Cauliflower | Transplant | 60 to 70 days from transplant | Common in spring and fall, but try a heat-resistant variety in summer, too |
| Collard greens | Transplant | 55 to 65 days from transplant | Common in spring and fall, but will grow all year in areas with mild summers; can be harvested in snow |
| Garlic | Direct seed individually | Overwinter | Plant in September or October and harvest the following summer |
| Kale | Transplant | 50 to 60 days from transplant | Common in spring and fall, but will grow all year in areas with mild summers; can be harvested in snow |
| Lettuce | Transplant if possible; otherwise direct sow | 20 to 40 days from transplant; 30 to 50 days if direct sown | Common in spring and fall, but try a bolt-resistant variety in summer, too |
| New potatoes | Plant seed potatoes | About 65 days | Plant in early spring |
| Peas (snow, snap and shell) | Transplant if possible; otherwise direct sow | 35 to 45 days from transplant; 50 to 60 days if direct sown | Plant in early spring and try a fall planting as well |
| Radishes | Direct sow | 22 days | Best in spring and fall |
| Salad mixes | Direct sow | 30 days | Best in spring/fall; try warm-weather mix in summer |
| Spinach | Transplant if possible; otherwise direct sow | 25 to 35 days from transplant; 40 to 50 days if direct sown | Common in spring and fall, but try a bolt-resistant variety in summer, too; can be harvested in snow |
| Swiss chard | Transplant | 35 to 45 days from transplant | Common in spring and fall, but will grow all year in regions with mild summers |
| Fixed Crops | How to Plant | Time to Maturity | Seasonality |
| Eggplant | Transplant | 50 to 80 days from transplant | Plant in late spring and leave until frost |
| Flowers | Transplant | Variable | Plant in spring and leave until frost |
| Green beans | Transplant if possible; otherwise direct sow | 45 days from transplant; 60 days if direct sown | Succession sow from spring through summer and leave until frost |
| Herbs | Transplant | Variable | Plant in late spring and leave until frost |
| Onions | Transplant | 85 to 115 days from transplant | Plant in spring and harvest in late summer |
| Peppers | Transplant | 65 to 85 days from transplant | Plant in late spring and leave until frost |
| Potatoes (full-season) | Plant seed potatoes | 90 to 110 days | Plant in early spring and harvest as plants die back |
| Zucchini | Transplant | 30 to 45 days from transplant | Plant in late spring and leave until frost |
Canopy Crops | How to Plant | Time to Maturity | Seasonality |
| Cucumbers | Transplant | 40 to 55 days from transplant | Plant in late spring and leave until frost |
| Melons | Transplant | 65 to 80 days from transplant | Plant in late spring and leave until frost |
| Pumpkins/winter squash | Transplant | 65 to 100 days from transplant | Plant in late spring and leave until frost |
| Sweet corn | Direct sow | 70 to 90 days | Succession sow in blocks in spring/early summer |
| Tomatoes | Transplant | 55 to 90 days from transplant | Plant in late spring and leave until frost |
