Vegetable crop planner
Use this planner to find out about the length of time common vegetable crops take to mature and harvest from the point at which they were sown or planted.
Learning objectives:
- Choose vegetables that can be grown in the school garden
- Learn when to plant each vegetable
- Make a schedule to keep track of planting and harvesting times
- Record the growth and progress of vegetables growing
Curriculum links:
- Science: Learn about the growth cycle of vegetables, plant care, and seasonal planting
- Maths: Plan spacing between crops, measure areas, and calculate harvest timings
- Geography: Understand the impact of seasons and climate on crop production
Key vocabulary
Sowing and growing vegetables
It is essential when gardening in school to plan your sowing so you can harvest the crops in school term time. Here is a useful guide that should assist you with your planning.
Speedy crops can be ready for harvest in one term, 3 to 13 weeks (up to three months) after sowing or planting:
| Beetroot | Carrots |
| Cucumber | French beans |
| Lettuce | Marrows & courgettes |
| Peas (spring term) | Potatoes (first early) |
| Radish | Spinach |
| Turnip |
Medium-term crops are sown or planted in one term to harvest in the next term, 14 to 25 weeks (three to six months) later:
| Broad bean | Cabbage (early) from seed and plugs |
| Onion sets (spring) | Peas (autumn sown) |
| Sweetcorn | Tomatoes |
Slow-growing or long-season crops are sown or planted in one term to harvest in the next term or even the following term, 26 to 52 weeks (six months or more) later:
| Broccoli | Onion sets (autumn planting) |
| Brussel Sprouts | Parsnips |
| Leeks | Potatoes (main crop) |
Spacing out your plants
The spacing of crops is determined by the ultimate height and spread of the crop. There is the space between the seeds or plants along the row and then the space between rows. Space is needed for weeding along and between rows, to create good air circulation and to allow each crop to grow to its determined size. Some crops in school may be harvested when they are young – smaller sweeter carrots and beetroot for example or baby salad leaves – rather than fully mature size, so spacing could be closer. Make a measuring stick to help you plot out vegetable spacings in the garden using the tables below.
Crop spacing in traditional open allotment style growing
Read the back of seed packets or gardening books to determine the distance along the row and between rows of crops.
A general rule of thumb to calculate the space required between different crops is to add the recommended row spacing for each crop together and divide the total by two. For example parsnips and peas growing next to each other: add the row spacing for parsnips – 30cms to the row spacing for peas – 90cms = 120cms. Then divide by 2 = 60cms spacing between a row of parsnips and peas.
| Crop Name | Cm along row | Cm between row |
|---|---|---|
| Broad Bean | 23 | 45 |
| Carrot | thin to 10 | 30 |
| Courgette | 90 | 120 |
| French Bean | 10 | 45 |
| Garlic | 15 | 30 |
| Leek | 20 | 30-38 |
| Lettuce | 15-25 | 23-38 |
| Onion Set | 10 | 30 |
| Pea | 5 (triple row) | 60 (height of plant) |
| Potato | 30-38 | 38-50 |
| Pumpkin | 90 | 150 |
| Radish | 1 | 15 |
| Spinach | 15 | 30 |
Crop spacing in raised beds
When growing in raised beds it is possible to plant a little closer than recommended on seed packets and gardening books. This is because there is no need to allow for access paths for harvesting – all crops are harvested from the edge of the bed. Also there is a greater depth of soil so plants will grow well in a smaller space.
A general rule of thumb is to allow a 20 per cent reduction in spacing. Use the rule of thumb of adding the spacing distance (at a 20 per cent reduction) of the 2 crops and dividing by 2.
| Crop Name | Cm along row | Cm between row |
|---|---|---|
| Broad Bean | 20 | 20 |
| Carrot | 5 - 10 | 20 - 25 |
| Courgette | 75 | 100 |
| French Bean | 10 | 35 - 40 |
| Garlic | 10 | 25 |
| Leek | 10 | 25 - 30 |
| Lettuce | 15-25 | 30 |
| Onion Set | 10 | 25 |
| Pea | 5 | 50 |
| Potato | 30 | 30 |
| Pumpkin | 75 | 120 |
| Radish | 1 | 10 |
| Spinach | 10 | 15 |
Hint and tips
Use the length of the trowel, dibber or plant labels as a guide for planting out young plants.
Hand Trowels are a useful measuring tool when out in the garden, check the length of the handle. The metal end section alone is usually about 15 – 20 cms long. Gardeners can use the trowel as a quick planting and spacing guide.
Other tools such as a dibber, measuring stick and a standard plant label can also be used to show children the actual distances needed to sow or plant crops.