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If the package says 50 days, 65 days, or 100 days, for example, it is my understanding that this means the plant will start producing approximately that number of days after transplanting or after it has reached seedling size if direct sown. Correct? So, you would pick a shorter or longer "days" variety depending on the length of your growing season?
I am confused over the terms "early", "mid-season", and "late" for vegetables. Does this means that you plant these all at the same time in the spring and the early types will produce first, the mid-season later, and then the late variety will be last? Or does it refer to the times they should be planted? Early varieties in the early spring, mid-season in the summer, and the late types at the end of the summer?
The days to harvest are approximations. They will vary considerably depending on growing conditions. Early , Midseason, and late are the same type of approximation, but is relative to the species. In most instances it will refer to direct seeding, except for those plants normally grown from transplants.
Let me illustrate with sweet corn- An "early" would be a 60-70 day cultivar, midseason 72-85 day cultivar, and late more than 85 days, Field corn early woud be 90 days, late 130 + days. So yes, you plant early, midseason and late sweet corn at one time for an extended harvest period.
Ah, ha! The corn explanation clears up much for me. Thanks.
How about something like broccoli? Some people direct seed and some buy transplants. Say, for instance, the seed package says 85 days (I just picked a number as an example), if you buy the transplants you would shorten the number of days that it says on the seed package? Correct? If so, by how much, two weeks, three weeks, roughly?
Broccoli, Cabbage , Cauliflower are rarely direct seeded. I have never encountered a grower who direct seeds. An 85 day broccoli would be a late season cultivar and the time would normally be from Transplant to harvest. Add 6- 8 weeks for growing the transplants. Barbados would be a cultivar in that class. In Alabama, you could only use it for fall planting winter harvest. We have to use early ( 50-60 day) cultivars for spring planting as broccoli can't tolerate heat.
Okay. So, I would use early varieties in the spring and late ones in the fall for those. I know the stores will be having transplants this fall. I am going to try seeding them in pots for transplant -- however, if that doesn't work I'll visit HD or Lowe's when the plants come in.
Farmerdill: Thank you so much for the info. You have cleared up a lot of questions for me today.
