When Fruits and Vegetables Grow

Farmers at farmers’ markets usually answer with a simple “no” to the question—asked in May—“Do you have any tomatoes?”

The longer answer, despite what supermarkets lead us to believe, is that fruits and vegetables have distinct growing seasons. Some, like strawberries, peas and lettuces, thrive in cooler weather and are available in the late spring/early summer and again in the early fall. Others, like tomatoes, string beans and peppers, love the heat and are harvested beginning in mid-summer.

A great visual to demonstrate the affect of heat can be seen in two photos; I took both on Saturday. The photo above (click for detail) is of vibrant string bean plants that are about to flower and produce string beans. The photo to the left is of pea plants, which have dried out in the heat after producing hundreds of snap peas from early June to early July.

Click here for a calendar of the growing season (and availability) of fruits and vegetables in the area around New York City. Granted, the harvest calendar may be different where you live, but the chart should provide a better understanding of the ebbs and flows of the growing cycle.