Reference table
Crop Heat Requirements for Vegetables
Crop heat requirements help explain why some vegetables are easy in short seasons while others run out of warmth before frost. Use this table to compare typical growing degree day targets before choosing crops, varieties, or planting dates.
How to read crop GDD requirements
A crop’s GDD target is a heat-planning reference. Higher targets usually mean the crop needs more accumulated warmth before it can mature. In short seasons, those crops are often more sensitive to late planting, cool soil, slow varieties, and early fall frost.
- Base temperature is the threshold used for the crop’s heat model.
- Typical GDD target is the estimated accumulated heat often needed to reach maturity.
- Short-season read explains how demanding that crop tends to be in cooler or shorter locations.
Search crop heat requirements
Search by crop, category, heat demand, or base temperature.
Showing 24 crops.
| Crop | Base temperature | Typical GDD target | Category | Heat demand | Short-season read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watermelon | 50°F | 1350 | warm-season | Very high heat demand | Often tight in short seasons; variety speed and warm sites matter. |
| Onion | 45°F | 1300 | cool-season | Very high heat demand | Can still be timing-sensitive, especially for fall maturity or late starts. |
| Pepper | 50°F | 1300 | warm-season | Very high heat demand | Often tight in short seasons; variety speed and warm sites matter. |
| Pumpkin | 50°F | 1300 | warm-season | Very high heat demand | Often tight in short seasons; variety speed and warm sites matter. |
| Winter squash | 50°F | 1300 | warm-season | Very high heat demand | Often tight in short seasons; variety speed and warm sites matter. |
| Melon | 50°F | 1200 | warm-season | High heat demand | Usually possible in warmer short-season sites, but timing still matters. |
| Tomato | 50°F | 1200 | warm-season | High heat demand | Usually possible in warmer short-season sites, but timing still matters. |
| Potato | 45°F | 1100 | cool-season | High heat demand | Can still be timing-sensitive, especially for fall maturity or late starts. |
| Sweet corn | 50°F | 1100 | warm-season | High heat demand | Usually possible in warmer short-season sites, but timing still matters. |
| Cabbage | 40°F | 1000 | cool-season | Moderate heat demand | Can still be timing-sensitive, especially for fall maturity or late starts. |
| Cauliflower | 40°F | 1000 | cool-season | Moderate heat demand | Can still be timing-sensitive, especially for fall maturity or late starts. |
| Bean | 50°F | 900 | warm-season | Moderate heat demand | Often more forgiving than long-season warm crops when planted on time. |
| Broccoli | 40°F | 900 | cool-season | Moderate heat demand | Can still be timing-sensitive, especially for fall maturity or late starts. |
| Cucumber | 50°F | 800 | warm-season | Lower heat demand | Often more forgiving than long-season warm crops when planted on time. |
| Carrot | 40°F | 750 | cool-season | Lower heat demand | Generally more forgiving where frost and planting timing are managed. |
| Swiss chard | 40°F | 750 | cool-season | Lower heat demand | Generally more forgiving where frost and planting timing are managed. |
| Zucchini | 50°F | 750 | warm-season | Lower heat demand | Often more forgiving than long-season warm crops when planted on time. |
| Basil | 50°F | 700 | warm-season | Lower heat demand | Often more forgiving than long-season warm crops when planted on time. |
| Kale | 40°F | 700 | cool-season | Lower heat demand | Generally more forgiving where frost and planting timing are managed. |
| Beet | 40°F | 650 | cool-season | Lower heat demand | Generally more forgiving where frost and planting timing are managed. |
| Pea | 40°F | 600 | cool-season | Fast / lower heat | Generally more forgiving where frost and planting timing are managed. |
| Strawberry | 40°F | 600 | cool-season | Fast / lower heat | Generally more forgiving where frost and planting timing are managed. |
| Lettuce | 40°F | 500 | cool-season | Fast / lower heat | Generally more forgiving where frost and planting timing are managed. |
| Spinach | 40°F | 450 | cool-season | Fast / lower heat | Generally more forgiving where frost and planting timing are managed. |
Turn heat requirements into a local answer
Heat targets are most useful when compared with local GDD and frost timing. Use the table above with Growing Degree Days by City, or open the GDD planner to test a crop against a specific planting date.
Important limitation
Crop heat requirements are typical GDD planning targets. They are not guarantees; variety, transplant size, soil warmth, microclimate, water stress, and weather swings all affect real outcomes.