Low Temps for Veggies

I've been trying to find a chart for minimum low temps that veggies can tolerate, but I guess I'll have to do it myself. Here's what I've found so far:

Basil: Basil plants are sensitive to frost, and any prolonged exposure to subfreezing temperature can kill the plant. But even temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit can stunt the plant's growth and might damage leaves.

Cilantro: Does best at temperatures between 50 and 85 degrees F. It can tolerate temperatures as low as 10 degrees F, but if temperatures exceed 85 degrees F it will start to bolt.


Lettuce: Thrives in the temperature range 60-65 degrees F, and if thoroughly hardened, most varieties survive temperatures as low as 20 degrees F. Cold-adapted varieties survive much lower temperatures.

Parsley: Hardy only to about 10 degrees F, though winter mulches or cloches can enhance cold tolerance. Where winters are mild, parsley can be sown in fall and grown through winter.

Peppers: A temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below will result in frost, which will kill your pepper plants. Any temperature below 55 degrees will slow down the growth of mature pepper plants, and will stunt seedlings.


Spinach: Grows best when daytime temperature remain consistently below 75°F–commonly in spring or fall. Young plants will bolt when exposed to temperatures below 40°F, but mature plants can withstand temperatures as low as 20°F.

Tomatoes: Although tomato plants can survive temperatures down to 33 degrees Fahrenheit, they show problems when temperatures drop below 50 degrees F

Anybody else have info to share?

Still learning:

Cold tolerance depends on preconditioning. For instance, if broccoli has been growing in warm conditions and temperatures drop below 22 degrees F., it will probably be killed. If these same broccoli plants had experienced cool weather, they would probably survive the sudden cold.

countrynaturals wrote:Still learning:

My dad always said, "When you quit learning, you will be on the wrong side of the sod." 

Suz, when it comes to the microbiology in the soil 50F is key. It is the same with a compost pile. It is why I understood Growing Degree Days when based on a March 1st and 50F base. It is a tool far easier to use for northern tier gardeners than for gardeners in other regions or locales. Here is a link to Harvest to Table and Steve Albert which I found while researching starting seeds today for my first Garden Talk this year. I found so much information that I had copied and pasted to Word Pad that I felt so guilty I went to Amazon and bought his book. I hope the link helps.

https://harvesttotable.com/tag/seed-starting-specific-crops/