These vegetable varieties have been chosen because they can be planted in early spring and harvested before the end of the school year. Sow the seeds when the soil is soft and can be worked easily (usually mid-March in coastal BC, late April in most of Southern Quebec and Ontario, early May in Northern Ontario, Northern Quebec, Maritimes, Prairies, and interior BC Note the days to maturity given with each variety. Most can be harvested by mid-June.

Peas can be planted earlier than all other seeds on this list: as soon as the ground softens in the spring, even if there is still snow. In most regions of Canada, pea seeds can be sown 8–12 weeks before the end of the school year.

Lettuce can be picked at any time that the leaves are large enough to eat. Seeds can be sown outdoors when daytime temperatures have reached 10 °C, or they can be started in a tray indoors in early April and transplanted outside three or four weeks later.

Carrots and beets can be picked early as "baby carrots" and "baby beets", in about half the time that it takes for them to grow to maturity.

Broccoli

De Cicco. Bluish green, small central head with many side shoots which extend the harvest period

Harvest Time: 50 days
History: Introduced in 1890
Availability: Greta's Organic Gardens (Ontario)
William Dam Seeds (Ontario)

Waltham. Bluish green, short plants, many side shoots. Drought and cold resistant. Can also be grown in fall.

Harvest Time: 60 days
History: Introduced in 1951 in Massachussets
Availability: William Dam Seeds (Ontario)

Beets

Bull's Blood. Very rare beet with dark purple-red leaves and dark red roots. Wonderful taste. The young leaves are excellent in salads (harvestable after 35 days).

Harvest Time: 55–60 days
History: Known since the 1840s
Availability: The Cottage Gardener (Ontario)
Prairie Garden Seeds (Saskatchewan)
Terra Edibles (Ontario)

Burpee's Golden Beet. Orange roots turn golden yellow when cooked. Remains tender and mild even when large. Greens are sweet and flavourful.

Harvest Time: 55–60 days
History: Known prior to 1828
Availability: The Cottage Gardener (Ontario)
OSC Seeds (Ontario)
Stokes Seeds (Ontario)

Crapaudine. A late variety with large roots and green leaves. The roots are long and thick, with rough black skin and sweet red flesh, and don't push their way out of the ground.

Harvest Time: 75 days
History: The oldest beet in cultivation, dating back perhaps to the time of Charlemagne (about 1000 years ago).
Availability: Prairie Garden Seeds (Saskatchewan)

Carrots

Chantenay Red-cored. Delicious, large carrots, red-orange colour.

Harvest Time: 60–70 days
History: Dates back to 1829, widely grown in Canada in the 1800s
Availability: The Cottage Gardener (Ontario)
OSC Seeds (Ontario)
William Dam Seeds (Ontario)

Danvers Half-long. Short 3–4 inch bright orange roots are sweet and crunchy.

Harvest Time: 65–75 days
History: Widely grown in Canada in the late 1800s
Availability: The Cottage Gardener (Ontario)
Lindenberg Seeds (Manitoba)
OSC Seeds (Ontario)
Stokes Seeds (Ontario)
William Dam Seeds (Ontario)

Kale

Black Palm. Narrow, dark blue-black leaves with a savoyed texture, and great taste. Tolerates both heat and cold. Highly nutritious.

Harvest Time: 65 days
History: Dates back to 1885.
Availability: The Cottage Gardener (Ontario)
Prairie Garden Seeds (Saskatchewan)
Salt Spring Seeds (British Columbia)

Red Russian or Ragged Jack. Oak-leaf shaped foliage is dark green tinged with red or purple, and turns green when cooked. It is a versatile green which can be eaten fresh in early stages and cooked, as the plant gets larger. Kale leaves add a crisp, tangy bite to salads and stir-fry, or can be baked or used in soup. The leaves freeze well when blanched, for use all winter. Vigorous plants grow up to 1m tall and produce plenty of leaves. Kale can be started in spring for summer harvest or in summer for fall harvest. This kale survives cold temperatures and will tolerate some frost.

Harvest Time: 60 days
History: Russian traders brought this Siberian heirloom to Canada in the 1800s.
Availability: The Cottage Gardener (Ontario)
Prairie Garden Seeds (Saskatchewan)

Lettuce

Black Seeded Simpson. This loose-leaf heirloom has large, green crinkled leaves. Very flavourful. Slow-bolting, drought, heat and frost tolerant.

Harvest Time: 45 days
History: Dates back to the 1850s
Availability: The Cottage Gardener (Ontario)
Greta's Organic Gardens (Ontario)
Prairie Garden Seeds (Saskatchewan)
William Dam Seeds (Ontario)

Oak Leaf. Heat tolerant, crinkled medium-green leaves, sweet and tender, can be harvested throughout the summer.

Harvest Time: 40–55 days
History: Known in 1771.
Availability: The Cottage Gardener (Ontario)
Greta's Organic Gardens (Ontario)
Salt Spring Seeds (British Columbia)

Tom Thumb. A miniature butterhead type, which produces a small, tightly bunched head early with a pleasant buttery taste and just the right size to serve one. This variety grows quickly and can tolerate some heat without bolting.

Harvest Time: 46 days
History: Introduced in England in 1858 and grown in Canada by the 1880s.
Availability: Lindenberg Seeds (Manitoba)

Grand Rapids. Light green, frilled, curly leaves. Cut leaves close to the base, and they will grow back again.

Harvest Time: 45 days
History: Developed near Grand Rapids Michigan in the 1800s, commonly grown throughout Canada by 1900.
Availability: OSC Seeds (Ontario)

Peas

Alaska. The peas are round with a bluish tint. Good flavour when used both fresh and dried. The vines grow 2 to 3 feet tall and produce an early heavy crop of small pods containing 5 to 8 peas each.

Harvest Time: 50 days
History: The Alaska pea was an 1887 selection of the "Earliest of All" pea, which was first introduced by Laxton's of England in 1881. The new variety was named after the steamship "Alaska", which held the transatlantic crossing record at that time.
Availability: Lindenberg Seeds (Manitoba)
OSC Seeds (Ontario)

Dwarf Grey Sugar. Snow pea, succulent pods are delicious and ready to eat when the peas within begin to form.

Harvest Time: 60–65 days
History: Introduced in 1892
Availability: Greta's Organic Gardens (Ontario)
OSC Seeds (Ontario)

Radish

French Breakfast. An oblong radish, about 2" long, red with white tip.

Harvest Time: 20–30 days
History: Grown in Canada since at least the 1870s
Availability: The Cottage Gardener (Ontario)
Lindenberg Seeds (Manitoba)
McFayden Seed (Manitoba)
OSC Seeds (Ontario)
Prairie Garden Seeds (Saskatchewan)
Stokes Seeds (Ontario)
William Dam Seeds (Ontario)

White Icicle. Mild flavoured, with long roots up to 5", this radish is well worth growing. Heat tolerant. It has a nice crisp texture and excellent taste.

Harvest Time: 28–35 days
History: Grown in Canada since at least 1910.
Availability: The Cottage Gardener (Ontario)
Lindenberg Seeds (Manitoba)
OSC Seeds (Ontario)
Stokes Seeds (Ontario)
William Dam Seeds (Ontario)

Credits

Much of the varietal information in the listing is courtesy of Seeds of Diversity.