I just got a question from reader, Emily, about how to read the days to maturity number on vegetable starts. I decided to answer both her question and throw in a bit about starting from seeds, just in case you’ve ever wondered.
Emily asked,
“Quick question you might know the answer to: are the “days to maturity” on the tags for vegetable starts counting from the day I buy the plant or the day it’s seed was planted?”
On starts that you buy at your local nursery, there is some contention about when to start the days to maturity count. The most widely accepted answer is to start the count the day you plant it in the ground. So, if it says 60 days to maturity, count forward 60 days from planting, and that is a rough estimate of when you can expect to have a harvest. The same goes for any transplants you started from seeds indoors.
If you direct sow seeds into your garden, start the days to maturity count when the first true set of leaves emerge. The reason for the difference is that all plants go through a little bit of a transition process when you transplant them. It takes them a minute to acclimate to your soil, etc. and slows down the maturity process for a bit. Directly sowed seeds will not have that issue.
In pretty much all the cases, remember that the days to maturity are just a guideline–it doesn’t mean you go out and pick the cantaloupe on the 110th day exactly. It really just helps you choose the appropriate plant for you climate–if you know you only have a 3 month growing season, you will want to stick to plants with around a 90 days to maturity tag.
I hope that helps!
~Mavis
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Elizabeth says
Thanks for answering that question! May I ask the same type of question about moon phases?
Should you plant seeds or seedlings during the correct moon phase?
Tim says
Being a commercial farmer, I have always figured the days to maturity to be the time from emergence (roughly a week after germination) to the first ripe fruit or veggy. However, if the plant is started indoor and then transplanted, there will be a varying amount of transplant shock that will stall the plant’s development for a period of time. If the transplant process is in ideal conditions, such as good climate and/or a controlled garden plot, the plant will not be delayed by more than a few days. Basically speaking, if two plants are germinated two weeks apart in the greenhouse, but, for whatever reason are transplanted on the same day, they will mature about a week to 10 days apart. I would appreciate any feedback on this observation and opinion.
Thanks, Tim