Crop Reference Chart: Crop Planning
Key: DS - direct seeded | DTM - days to maturity | TP - transplanted
Crop | Family | Sale unit | Sale value | Sale weight (lb) | Field planting method (DS/TP) | DTM - DS | DTM - TP | First field planting date | Last field planting date | Harvest window (wks) | Projected yield (unit/bed ft) |
Relay potential (sowings per season in the same bed) | Projected yield with relay (unit/bed ft) |
Arugula, Baby | Brassica | Bag | $5 | 0.3 | DS | 21 | Mid-Apr | Mid-Sep | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | |
Basil | Mint | Bag | $3 | 0.2 | TP | 63 | Mid-May | Jun 30 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 16 | |
Bean, Pole | Legume | Pint | $4 | 0.4 | DS | 56 | Mid-May | Aug 1 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
Beet | Amaranth | Bunch | $5 | 1.9 | DS | 49 | Late Apr | Aug 15 | up to 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
Bitter Melon | Cucurbit | Pint | $3 | 0.2 | TP | Late May | Mid-Jun | 8 | 7 | 1 | 7 | ||
Broccoli, Mini | Brassica | Bunch | $4 | 0.5 | TP | 28 | Late Apr | Aug 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
Cabbage | Brassica | Each | $4 | 1.4 | TP | 63 | Mid-Apr | Late Jul | 3-4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
Callaloo | Amaranth | Bunch | $4 | 0.3 | DS | 56 | Early May | Mid-Aug | 3-4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
Carrot | Umbellifer | Bunch | $4 | 1.3 | DS | 56 | Late Apr | Aug 1 | up to 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
Celery | Umbellifer | Each | $4 | 1.3 | TP | 79 | Mid-May | Mid-Jul | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | |
Chard | Amaranth | Bunch | $4 | 0.5 | TP | 56 | 42 | Late Apr | Early Sep | 18 | 16 | 1 | 16 |
Choi, Large | Brassica | Each | $4 | 1.5 | DS/TP | 49 | 35 | Mid-Apr | Mid-Aug | 3 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
Choi, Mini | Brassica | Bunch | $4 | 0.3 | DS/TP | 42 | Mid-Apr | Mid-Aug | 2 | 8 | 2 | 17 | |
Choy Sum | Brassica | Bunch | $3 | 0.6 | DS/TP | 42 | Mid-Apr | Late Aug | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
Cilantro | Umbellifer | Bunch | $3 | 0.3 | DS | 56 | Late Apr | Early Sep | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | |
Cucumber | Cucurbit | Each | $2 | 0.5 | TP | 56 | 42 | Mid-May | Mid-Jul | 10 | 19 | 1 | 19 |
Dill | Umbellifer | Bunch | $3 | 0.2 | DS | 49 | Mid-Apr | Early Sep | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
Eggplant | Nightshade | Each | $2 | 0.2 | TP | 63 | Late May | Early Jun | 10 | 16 | 1 | 16 | |
Fennel | Umbellifer | Bunch | $4 | 1.1 | DS | 56 | Mid-May | Mid-Jul | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | |
Garlic | Allium | Each | $2 | 0.1 | DS | 245 | Early Oct | Late Oct | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | |
Ground Cherry | Nightshade | Pint | $5 | 1 | TP | 77 | Late May | Early Jun | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | |
Kohlrabi | Brassica | Bunch | $4 | 1.3 | TP | 42 | 28 | Mid-Apr | Early Sep | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Leek | Allium | Each | $3 | 0.4 | TP | 105 | Late Apr | Mid-Jul | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5 | |
Lettuce, Head | Aster | Each | $4 | 0.7 | TP | 56 | 42 | Mid-Apr | Mid-Aug | up to 2 (fall) | 5 | 4 | 19 |
Mustard Mix | Brassica | Bag | $5 | 0.3 | DS | 21 | Mid-Apr | Mid-Sep | 2 | 3 | 4 | 11 | |
Okra | Mallow | Pint | $4 | 0.7 | TP | 56 | Late May | Early Jun | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
Onion, Bulb | Allium | Bunch | $3 | 0.5 | TP | 98 | Mid-Apr | Late Apr | 4 | 7 | 1 | 7 | |
Onion, Bunching | Allium | Bunch | $3 | 0.3 | TP | 63 | 49 | Mid-Apr | Early Aug | 2-3 | 10 | 2 | 19 |
Onion, Cipollini | Allium | Bunch | $3 | 0.5 | DS/TP | 63 | Mid-Apr | Late Apr | 3 | 6 | 1 | 6 | |
Parsley | Umbellifer | Bunch | $3 | 0.2 | TP | 77 | Mid-Apr | Early Aug | 4-5 | 6 | 2 | 12 | |
Pea | Legume | Pint | $5 | 0.7 | DS | 63 | Late Apr | Mid-Jul | 3-4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
Pepper, Hot | Nightshade | Pint | $3 | 0.4 | TP | 70 | Late May | Early Jun | 10 | 7 | 1 | 7 | |
Pepper, Sweet | Nightshade | Pint | $5 | 0.5 | TP | 77 | Late May | Early Jun | 10 | 10 | 1 | 10 | |
Potato | Nightshade | Pint | $5 | 1.3 | DS | 56 | Late Apr/Early May | Late May | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
Radish | Brassica | Bunch | $4 | 0.8 | DS | 21 | Mid-Apr | Mid-Sep | 1-2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | |
Radish, Large | Brassica | Bunch | $4 | 1.1 | DS | 49 | Mid-Aug | Early Sep | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | |
Rapini | Brassica | Bunch | $4 | 0.8 | DS | 42 | Mid-Apr | Mid-Jul | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
Salad Mix | Aster | Bag | $5 | 0.3 | TP | 56 | 42 | Mid-Apr | Aug 30 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
Spinach | Amaranth | Bag | $5 | 0.3 | DS | 28 | Late Mar | Early Sep | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | |
Squash, Summer | Cucurbit | Each | $2 | 0.9 | TP | 35 | 21 | Late May | Mid-Jul | 10 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
Squash, Winter | Cucurbit | Each | $4 | 1.8 | TP | 84 | 63 | Early Jun | Early Jun | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
Tomato, Cherry | Nightshade | Pint | $5 | 1.2 | TP | 63 | Mid-May | Late May | 10 | 4 | 1 | 4 | |
Tomato, Heirloom | Nightshade | Each | $3 | 0.7 | TP | 77 | Mid-May | Late May | 7 | 6 | 1 | 6 | |
Turnip | Brassica | Bunch | $4 | 1 | DS | 42 | Mid-Apr | Early Sep | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
Guidelines For Use
These files are produced by the Urban Farm and are intended to be free and shared widely; they should not be altered, used for resale, or shared without proper credit.
This chart is developed for biointensive crop production in a rooftop market garden setting and is a living document that will be updated continually.
This information is based on data from seed producers like Johnny's Seeds (USA), William Dam Seeds (ON) and COG's Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers.
The Urban Farm uses a standard bed width of 30" wide, with 18" paths. In this chart, a bed ft refers to one ft of a 30" bed.
Harvest windows are based on the Urban Farm's previous harvest records of produce grown on a 5th-storey rooftop farm in downtown Toronto, Canada and reflect techniques including "cut and come again" and crop removal for succession planting.
Projected yield is averaged from the Urban Farm's 2018 and 2019 yields, and checked with reference to COG's Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers.
For Days To Maturity (DTM) and Days in Greenhouse, numbers are rounded to 7 (i.e. to the nearest week); expect to add/subtract a week in cold/hot weather.
Crop values are shown in Canadian dollars; they reflect the 2021 growing season and may fluctuate seasonally depending on factors including inflation, etc.