Crop comparison
Hardest Crops to Grow in Short Seasons
Some crops are not impossible in cold or short-season gardens, but they demand more heat, tighter timing, faster varieties, or season extension. This ranking identifies crops that create the most outdoor pressure in short-season locations.
The ranking
Higher scores mean the crop is more likely to be difficult outdoors in short-season locations. This does not mean the crop is impossible; it means the crop leaves less room for late starts, slow varieties, cold soil, or early fall frost.
| Rank | Crop | Difficulty score | Avg. crop fit | Avg. GDD margin | Risky locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Watermelons warm-season |
68/100 Difficult |
42/100 | -116 GDD | 128 of 193 |
| #2 | Peppers warm-season |
65/100 Difficult |
45/100 | -66 GDD | 119 of 193 |
| #3 | Winter Squash warm-season |
65/100 Difficult |
45/100 | -66 GDD | 119 of 193 |
| #4 | Pumpkin warm-season |
65/100 Difficult |
45/100 | -66 GDD | 119 of 193 |
| #5 | Melons warm-season |
58/100 Difficult |
51/100 | +34 GDD | 99 of 193 |
| #6 | Tomatoes warm-season |
56/100 Difficult |
53/100 | +48 GDD | 96 of 193 |
| #7 | Sweet Corn warm-season |
48/100 Mixed |
60/100 | +148 GDD | 83 of 193 |
| #8 | Beans warm-season |
35/100 Usually manageable |
73/100 | +348 GDD | 59 of 193 |
| #9 | Cucumbers warm-season |
30/100 Usually manageable |
78/100 | +448 GDD | 45 of 193 |
| #10 | Zucchini warm-season |
27/100 Usually manageable |
81/100 | +498 GDD | 37 of 193 |
| #11 | Basil warm-season |
25/100 Usually manageable |
82/100 | +534 GDD | 27 of 193 |
| #12 | Onions cool-season |
17/100 Usually manageable |
84/100 | +655 GDD | 21 of 170 |
| #13 | Potatoes cool-season |
10/100 Usually manageable |
90/100 | +855 GDD | 10 of 170 |
| #14 | Cauliflower cool-season |
2/100 Usually manageable |
98/100 | +1554 GDD | 0 of 167 |
| #15 | Broccoli cool-season |
1/100 Usually manageable |
99/100 | +1654 GDD | 0 of 167 |
| #16 | Cabbage cool-season |
1/100 Usually manageable |
99/100 | +1662 GDD | 0 of 167 |
| #17 | Carrots cool-season |
1/100 Usually manageable |
99/100 | +1804 GDD | 0 of 167 |
| #18 | Swiss Chard cool-season |
1/100 Usually manageable |
99/100 | +1804 GDD | 0 of 167 |
| #19 | Kale cool-season |
1/100 Usually manageable |
99/100 | +1854 GDD | 0 of 167 |
| #20 | Beets cool-season |
1/100 Usually manageable |
99/100 | +1967 GDD | 0 of 167 |
| #21 | Strawberries cool-season |
1/100 Usually manageable |
99/100 | +2017 GDD | 0 of 167 |
| #22 | Peas cool-season |
1/100 Usually manageable |
99/100 | +2088 GDD | 0 of 167 |
| #23 | Lettuce cool-season |
0/100 Usually manageable |
100/100 | +2162 GDD | 0 of 167 |
| #24 | Spinach cool-season |
0/100 Usually manageable |
100/100 | +2212 GDD | 0 of 167 |
What this ranking means
Short-season difficulty is mostly about margin. Heat-loving crops with high GDD needs and frost sensitivity can still succeed, but they tend to punish late planting, cool starts, and slow variety choices more than forgiving crops do.
Methodology
This ranking uses published crop-city rows where frost-free days are 140 or fewer, or available GDD is 1500 or lower. Crops are ranked by average Crop Fit score, GDD margin, risky/borderline locations, and whether variety classes clearly fit the season.
This identifies crops that are more timing-sensitive outdoors, not crops that are impossible. Variety speed, microclimate, protection, and gardener skill can change the result.
Download: short-season crop difficulty JSON.