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Grow It 3-5 / Week 11 / Thursday
4/6
Week 11 · Weather, Seasons and Planting

Thursday

Cool crops and warm crops
// When the weather says go
⏱ about 15 min

Thursday: Cool Crops and Warm Crops

Rocket lines up seed packets: peas, carrots, potatoes, beans, corn, cucumbers and melons.

"I will plant them all on the same day," he says.

Raven holds up the pea packet and the melon packet. "What do you notice about these two plants?"

Nova hovers between them. "Remember the frost table," she says. "Which one is braver in the cold?"

Two groups of crops

Gardeners sort crops into two big groups.

Cool-season crops can handle cool spring weather. Peas, carrots and potatoes are in this group.

Warm-season crops are harmed by frost. Beans, corn, cucumbers and melons are in this group.

Peas can go in early, when the soil is 40 to 50 degrees F.

Warm-season crops need soil that is 50 to 60 degrees F.

Crop groupWhen to plant (compared with the last frost date)
peas45 to 60 days before the average last frost
carrots and potatoes1 to 2 weeks after the peas
beans, corn and cucumberson the average last frost date
melonsat least a week after the average last frost
ORDER THE PLANTING
  • Tap a card.
  • Then tap its spot.
1First
2Second
3Third
4Last
COOL OR WARM?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Which group are peas in?
Which group are cucumbers in?
Which crop should go in last of all?
A crop that can go in very early spring:
A crop that waits until after frost danger:
PINE VALLEY SPRING, IN ORDER
  • ?The average last frost date arrives.
  • ?Carrots and potatoes are planted.
  • ?Peas are planted.
  • ?The soil thaws and can be dug.
  • ?Melons are planted.
WHY THIS EXERCISEEach crop goes in when its kind of weather arrives.
Try it
Sort these seeds or foods from your kitchen into two piles: cool-season and warm-season.
Use peas, a carrot, a potato, beans, corn and a cucumber.
Check your piles against the table.
Safety first
Only look and sort. Do not taste anything.
Wash your hands when you finish.
StatementTrue or false?
Peas can be planted before the last frost.?
Melons are planted before peas.?
Warm-season crops need warmer soil than peas.?
Corn is a cool-season crop.?
WHY THIS EXERCISECool-season crops go first. Warm-season crops wait for warm soil.
Peas go in when the soil is 40 to 50 degrees F. What is the lowest of those numbers?
WHY THIS EXERCISEPeas can start in soil as cool as 40 degrees F.

Measure your bean plant. Is it a cool-season or a warm-season crop?

Super sorting! Tomorrow we travel to different places and compare their climates.

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