Crop timing comparison
Crops That Lose the Most Margin When Planted Late
Some crops forgive a late start. Others quickly lose the heat margin they need before fall frost. A two-week delay does not hurt every crop equally. This comparison shows which crops lose the most heat and maturity margin when planting slips later than planned.
The ranking
Crops rank higher when they lose more heat margin after a two-week planting delay, especially when that delay pushes more locations into negative maturity margin.
| Rank | Crop | Pressure score | Two-week margin loss | Avg. late margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Broccoli 428 modeled locations |
72/100 | 159 GDD | 2460 GDD |
| #2 | Kale 428 modeled locations |
72/100 | 159 GDD | 2660 GDD |
| #3 | Carrots 428 modeled locations |
72/100 | 159 GDD | 2610 GDD |
| #4 | Swiss Chard 428 modeled locations |
72/100 | 159 GDD | 2610 GDD |
| #5 | Cauliflower 428 modeled locations |
72/100 | 159 GDD | 2360 GDD |
| #6 | Watermelons 428 modeled locations |
59/100 | 95 GDD | 463 GDD |
| #7 | Peppers 428 modeled locations |
58/100 | 95 GDD | 513 GDD |
| #8 | Winter Squash 428 modeled locations |
58/100 | 95 GDD | 513 GDD |
| #9 | Pumpkin 428 modeled locations |
58/100 | 95 GDD | 513 GDD |
| #10 | Strawberries 428 modeled locations |
57/100 | 125 GDD | 2848 GDD |
| #11 | Beets 428 modeled locations |
57/100 | 125 GDD | 2798 GDD |
| #12 | Melons 428 modeled locations |
57/100 | 95 GDD | 613 GDD |
| #13 | Basil 428 modeled locations |
53/100 | 95 GDD | 1113 GDD |
| #14 | Tomatoes 428 modeled locations |
51/100 | 84 GDD | 638 GDD |
| #15 | Sweet Corn 428 modeled locations |
51/100 | 84 GDD | 738 GDD |
| #16 | Beans 428 modeled locations |
49/100 | 84 GDD | 938 GDD |
| #17 | Cucumbers 428 modeled locations |
48/100 | 84 GDD | 1038 GDD |
| #18 | Zucchini 428 modeled locations |
48/100 | 84 GDD | 1088 GDD |
| #19 | Spinach 428 modeled locations |
41/100 | 91 GDD | 3069 GDD |
| #20 | Lettuce 428 modeled locations |
41/100 | 91 GDD | 3019 GDD |
| #21 | Cabbage 428 modeled locations |
41/100 | 91 GDD | 2519 GDD |
| #22 | Peas 428 modeled locations |
27/100 | 58 GDD | 2972 GDD |
| #23 | Onions 428 modeled locations |
15/100 | 31 GDD | 1426 GDD |
| #24 | Potatoes 428 modeled locations |
15/100 | 31 GDD | 1626 GDD |
Visual chart
For a more visual version of this ranking, see the Late Planting Penalty Chart.
What this ranking means
A high score does not mean the crop is impossible. It means late planting is more expensive: the crop loses more of its available heat window, and the difference between “probably fine” and “too tight” can shrink quickly.
For a crop-specific answer, use the GDD planner or compare the crop against Crop Heat Requirements.
Methodology
This ranking compares the typical on-time GDD margin with the margin remaining two weeks later across published crop-location records. Crops rank higher when they lose more margin, cross below zero more often, or are warm-season crops with tighter timing needs.
This measures modeled timing pressure, not every factor that can affect real gardens, such as microclimate, transplant size, soil warmth, irrigation, or variety choice.
Download: late-planting margin loss JSON.