Results of an experiment to see correlations between various vegetable seeds number of days to sprout appearance and the temperature at which they are kept.
Soil Temperature Conditions for Vegetable Seed Germination (in degrees F)
Crop |
Minimum |
Optimum Range |
Optimum |
Maximum |
Asparagus |
50 |
60 - 85 |
75 |
95 |
Bean |
60 |
60 - 85 |
80 |
95 |
Beet |
40 |
50 - 85 |
85 |
95 |
Cabbage |
40 |
45 - 95 |
85 |
100 |
Carrot |
40 |
45 - 85 |
80 |
95 |
Cauliflower |
40 |
45 - 85 |
80 |
100 |
Chard, Swiss |
40 |
50 - 85 |
85 |
95 |
Corn |
50 |
60 - 95 |
95 |
105 |
Cucumber |
60 |
60 - 95 |
95 |
105 |
Eggplant |
60 |
75 - 90 |
85 |
95 |
Lettuce |
35 |
40 - 80 |
75 |
95 |
Muskmelon |
60 |
75 - 95 |
90 |
100 |
Onion |
35 |
50 - 95 |
75 |
95 |
Parsley |
40 |
50 - 85 |
75 |
90 |
Parsnip |
35 |
50 - 70 |
65 |
85 |
Pea |
40 |
40 -75 |
75 |
85 |
Pepper |
60 |
65 - 95 |
85 |
95 |
Pumpkin |
60 |
70 - 90 |
95 |
100 |
Radish |
40 |
45 - 90 |
85 |
95 |
Spinach |
35 |
45 - 75 |
70 |
85 |
Squash |
60 |
70 - 95 |
95 |
100 |
Tomato |
50 |
60 - 85 |
85 |
95 |
Turnip |
40 |
60 - 105 |
85 |
105 |
Watermelon |
60 |
70 - 95 |
95 |
105 |
Days to Appearance of Seedlings at Various Soil Temperatures from Seed Planted at ½" Depth
Crop |
32 |
41 |
50 |
59 |
68 |
77 |
86 |
95 |
104 |
Asparagus |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
53 |
24 |
15 |
10 |
11 |
19 |
28 |
Bean |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
16 |
11 |
8 |
6 |
6 |
little or no germination |
Beet |
not tested |
42 |
17 |
10 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
not tested |
Cabbage |
not tested |
not tested |
15 |
9 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
not tested |
not tested |
Carrot |
little or no germination |
51 |
17 |
10 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
8 |
little or no germination |
Cauliflower |
not tested |
not tested |
19 |
10 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
not tested |
not tested |
Corn |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
22 |
12 |
7 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
little or no germination |
Cucumber |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
13 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
not tested |
Eggplant |
not tested |
not tested |
not tested |
13 |
8 |
5 |
not tested |
not tested |
not tested |
Lettuce |
49 |
15 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
Muskmelon |
not tested |
not tested |
not tested |
not tested |
8 |
4 |
3 |
not tested |
not tested |
Onion |
135 |
31 |
13 |
7 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
little or no germination |
Parsley |
not tested |
not tested |
29 |
17 |
14 |
13 |
12 |
not tested |
not tested |
Parsnip |
171 |
57 |
27 |
19 |
14 |
15 |
32 |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
Pea |
not tested |
36 |
13 |
9 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
not tested |
not tested |
Pepper |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
25 |
12 |
8 |
8 |
9 |
little or no germination |
Radish |
not tested |
29 |
11 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
not tested |
not tested |
Spinach |
62 |
22 |
12 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
6 |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
Tomato |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
43 |
14 |
8 |
6 |
6 |
9 |
little or no germination |
Turnip |
little or no germination |
little or no germination |
5 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
Watermelon |
not tested |
little or no germination |
not tested |
not tested |
12 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
not tested |