fruiting
Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
Give indeterminate plants sturdy support and generous airflow.
- Spacing
- 24 in / 61 cm
- Typical harvest
- 60–90 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Transplant
Garden desk / 02
An illustrated crop encyclopedia for real bed constraints.
Compare vegetables, fruiting crops, herbs, and flowers by the conditions that change a plan: mature spacing, season, light, starting method, and container suitability.
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Planting reference
Find a crop that fits the space
37 of 37 crops
fruiting
Pepper
Capsicum annuum
Wait for warm soil; compact varieties perform well in containers.
- Spacing
- 18 in / 46 cm
- Typical harvest
- 60–100 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Transplant
fruiting
Cucumber
Cucumis sativus
Trellising saves bed space and keeps fruit easier to spot.
- Spacing
- 12 in / 30 cm
- Typical harvest
- 50–70 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Either
fruiting
Bush bean
Phaseolus vulgaris
Sow small batches every couple of weeks for a longer harvest.
- Spacing
- 6 in / 15 cm
- Typical harvest
- 45–60 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Direct sow
fruiting
Pea
Pisum sativum
Install the trellis before seedlings need it to protect tender roots.
- Spacing
- 3 in / 8 cm
- Typical harvest
- 55–75 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Direct sow
fruiting
Zucchini
Cucurbita pepo
One mature plant can occupy far more than a single square foot.
- Spacing
- 36 in / 91 cm
- Typical harvest
- 45–60 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Either
fruiting
Eggplant
Solanum melongena
Choose an early cultivar in cool summers and wait for reliably warm nights before planting out.
- Spacing
- 24 in / 61 cm
- Typical harvest
- 70–90 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Transplant
fruiting
Sweet corn
Zea mays convar. saccharata
Plant a compact block rather than one long row so wind can move pollen between plants.
- Spacing
- 12 in / 30 cm
- Typical harvest
- 60–100 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Direct sow
fruiting
Pumpkin
Cucurbita pepo
Reserve generous vine space and use mature color, a hardened rind, and cultivar guidance as harvest cues.
- Spacing
- 60 in / 152 cm
- Typical harvest
- 90–120 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Either
fruiting
Winter squash
Cucurbita maxima
Give long vines sturdy space, then cure only mature, undamaged fruit according to the cultivar.
- Spacing
- 60 in / 152 cm
- Typical harvest
- 80–120 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Either
fruiting
Strawberry
Fragaria × ananassa
Match June-bearing or day-neutral habit to the harvest pattern and container space you want.
- Spacing
- 12 in / 30 cm
- Typical harvest
- 90–120 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Transplant
leafy
Leaf lettuce
Lactuca sativa
Harvest outer leaves young or allow more room for full heads.
- Spacing
- 6 in / 15 cm
- Typical harvest
- 30–55 days
- Light
- Sun / part shade
- Start
- Either
leafy
Kale
Brassica oleracea var. sabellica
Closer spacing suits baby leaves; full plants need the listed room.
- Spacing
- 12 in / 30 cm
- Typical harvest
- 50–70 days
- Light
- Sun / part shade
- Start
- Either
leafy
Spinach
Spinacia oleracea
Best in cool conditions; heat and long days can trigger bolting.
- Spacing
- 4 in / 10 cm
- Typical harvest
- 35–50 days
- Light
- Sun / part shade
- Start
- Direct sow
leafy
Swiss chard
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
A long-season leafy crop that tolerates more heat than spinach.
- Spacing
- 12 in / 30 cm
- Typical harvest
- 50–65 days
- Light
- Sun / part shade
- Start
- Either
leafy
Broccoli
Brassica oleracea var. italica
Allow airflow and plan for the wide leaf canopy, not just the head.
- Spacing
- 18 in / 46 cm
- Typical harvest
- 55–85 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Transplant
leafy
Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata
Select spring, summer, storage, or winter types deliberately; mature heads need firm soil and room.
- Spacing
- 18 in / 46 cm
- Typical harvest
- 70–120 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Transplant
leafy
Cauliflower
Brassica oleracea var. botrytis
Steady growth matters: protect transplants from checks caused by heat, drought, or tight roots.
- Spacing
- 18 in / 46 cm
- Typical harvest
- 60–100 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Transplant
leafy
Celery
Apium graveolens var. dulce
Use rich soil and consistent moisture; slow germination makes an early protected start useful.
- Spacing
- 10 in / 25 cm
- Typical harvest
- 100–140 days
- Light
- Sun / part shade
- Start
- Transplant
roots
Carrot
Daucus carota subsp. sativus
Use loose, stone-free soil and thin seedlings to their final spacing.
- Spacing
- 3 in / 8 cm
- Typical harvest
- 60–80 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Direct sow
roots
Radish
Raphanus sativus
Quick maturity makes radish useful between slower-growing crops.
- Spacing
- 2 in / 5 cm
- Typical harvest
- 22–40 days
- Light
- Sun / part shade
- Start
- Direct sow
roots
Beet
Beta vulgaris
Each seed cluster may produce several seedlings, so thinning matters.
- Spacing
- 4 in / 10 cm
- Typical harvest
- 50–70 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Direct sow
roots
Bulb onion
Allium cepa
Match day-length type to your latitude before choosing a variety.
- Spacing
- 4 in / 10 cm
- Typical harvest
- 90–120 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Either
roots
Potato
Solanum tuberosum
Use certified seed potatoes and combine early and maincrop types only when the season and storage plan fit.
- Spacing
- 12 in / 30 cm
- Typical harvest
- 70–120 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Plant tubers
roots
Garlic
Allium sativum
Plant healthy cloves pointed end up; autumn planting often supplies the cool period bulbs need.
- Spacing
- 6 in / 15 cm
- Typical harvest
- 210–270 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Plant cloves
roots
Leek
Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum
Choose early, midseason, or late cultivars and transplant into deep holes for longer pale shanks.
- Spacing
- 6 in / 15 cm
- Typical harvest
- 120–180 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Transplant
roots
Turnip
Brassica rapa subsp. rapa
Sow small batches and harvest young roots before heat or slow growth makes them coarse.
- Spacing
- 4 in / 10 cm
- Typical harvest
- 35–60 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Direct sow
roots
Parsnip
Pastinaca sativa
Use fresh seed in deep, stone-free soil and expect slower germination than many quick root crops.
- Spacing
- 4 in / 10 cm
- Typical harvest
- 100–130 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Direct sow
herbs
Basil
Ocimum basilicum
Pinch growing tips often to encourage a branching, leafy plant.
- Spacing
- 10 in / 25 cm
- Typical harvest
- 50–75 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Either
herbs
Cilantro
Coriandrum sativum
Succession sow because individual plants move quickly to flower.
- Spacing
- 4 in / 10 cm
- Typical harvest
- 40–55 days
- Light
- Sun / part shade
- Start
- Direct sow
herbs
Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Germination can be slow; keep the seedbed evenly moist.
- Spacing
- 8 in / 20 cm
- Typical harvest
- 70–90 days
- Light
- Sun / part shade
- Start
- Either
herbs
Mint
Mentha spp.
Keep spreading roots in a dedicated container unless you deliberately want the plant to travel.
- Spacing
- 18 in / 46 cm
- Typical harvest
- 60–90 days
- Light
- Sun / part shade
- Start
- Transplant
herbs
Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
Prioritize strong light and fast drainage, and match winter protection to local cold and wet.
- Spacing
- 24 in / 61 cm
- Typical harvest
- 90–180 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Transplant
herbs
Thyme
Thymus vulgaris
Use a sunny, sharply drained position and trim lightly to keep plants compact rather than woody.
- Spacing
- 12 in / 30 cm
- Typical harvest
- 75–100 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Either
flowers
Marigold
Tagetes spp.
Choose compact varieties for bed edges and larger types for cutting.
- Spacing
- 10 in / 25 cm
- Typical harvest
- 50–70 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Either
flowers
Nasturtium
Tropaeolum majus
Trailing forms spill over bed edges; bush types stay more compact.
- Spacing
- 12 in / 30 cm
- Typical harvest
- 55–70 days
- Light
- Sun / part shade
- Start
- Direct sow
flowers
Zinnia
Zinnia elegans
Good airflow and watering at soil level help keep foliage dry.
- Spacing
- 12 in / 30 cm
- Typical harvest
- 60–75 days
- Light
- Full sun
- Start
- Either
Favorites are stored only in this browser. Spacing is a starting point; check the variety packet and local growing guidance.
How this library was expanded
Book research, rewritten for a practical English reference.
Crop selection and editorial cues were developed from Alan Buckingham's Grow Vegetables, then bounded by current RHS guidance. The copy is newly written; no book photographs or page layouts are reproduced.
Every crop photograph is stored locally and links to its Wikimedia Commons author and license. Variety packets and regional Extension or RHS guidance should override broad ranges.
Open the expanded garden handbookRead the cards
Three details that prevent crowded plans.
A
Spacing describes the mature plant
Baby-leaf harvests can be closer. Full heads, sprawling vines, and airflow-sensitive crops need more room.
B
Days are a range, not a deadline
Variety, temperature, transplant stress, and day length can all move harvest earlier or later.
C
Season labels need local context
A cool-season crop may grow in winter in one climate and spring or fall in another.