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Pick two or three seeds to see how they grow, side by side: sprouting, spacing, sun, water, frost and pet safety in one table.

Comparing Acorn Squash vs. Apple Tree vs. Asparagus

The comparison

Acorn Squash vs. Apple Tree vs. Asparagus

Units
Growing facts for Acorn Squash, Apple Tree and Asparagus, side by side
Fact
Acorn SquashCucurbita pepo
Apple TreeMalus domestica
AsparagusAsparagus officinalis
DifficultyEasyModerateModerate
Life cycleAnnualPerennialPerennial
Germination temperatureNot yet verifiedNot yet verified18–27 °C64–81 °F
Sowing depthNot yet verifiedNot yet verified1.5–2 cm½–¾ in
Spacing between plantsNot yet verifiedNot yet verified30–46 cm12–18 in
SunFull sunFull sun, partial shadeFull sun
WaterModerateModerateNot yet verified
Frost toleranceNot yet verifiedNot yet verifiedHardy
Soil pHpH 6.0–8.0pH 5.8–6.5pH 6.0–8.0
Toxicity to catsNon-toxicNot yet verifiedNot yet verified
Toxicity to dogsNon-toxicNot yet verifiedNot yet verified
Links
How to grow acorn squashRemove acorn squash
How to grow apple treeRemove apple tree
How to grow asparagusRemove asparagus

Up close

Meet the seeds

What each one is, in a few lines, with the full growing guide one click away.

  • Acorn squash growing on the vine among large leaves and a yellow flower in a garden bedVegetables

    Acorn Squash

    Cucurbita pepo

    Difficulty: Easy

    Acorn squash is a sprawling annual vine that prefers full sun and moderately moist soil. It is easy to sow from seed when the soil is warm, and it is non-toxic to cats and dogs.

    How to grow acorn squash
  • Cluster of red apples hanging among green leaves on an apple tree branchFruits & other

    Apple Tree

    Malus domestica

    Difficulty: Moderate

    Apple trees are perennial, deciduous fruit trees that grow best in full sun. Trees grown from seed won't match the parent fruit, so most apple trees are grafted.

    How to grow apple tree
  • Rows of asparagus ferns growing in a field beside a dirt pathVegetables

    Asparagus

    Asparagus officinalis

    Difficulty: Moderate

    Asparagus is a long-lived perennial vegetable that most gardeners start from crowns. Growing it from seed adds a year or more before the first harvest, and the plant needs full sun.

    How to grow asparagus

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The table, row by row

How to read a comparison

Every row is a fact from each seed's own profile, lined up so the differences stand out.

  1. Sprouting

    Germination time and temperature

    How many days the seeds take to sprout, and the temperature range they sprout in.

  2. Sowing

    Sowing depth and spacing

    How deep to sow each seed and how far apart the plants should grow. “On the surface” means the seed isn't covered.

  3. Timing

    Days to maturity and life cycle

    How long until the plant is ready, counted from sowing or from transplanting (each value says which). Annuals live one year, biennials two, perennials longer.

  4. Light and water

    Sun and water

    Full sun means 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, partial shade a few hours. Water needs are rated low, moderate or high.

  5. Space and weather

    Containers, frost tolerance and soil pH

    Whether it grows in a pot, with the smallest pot when it's known. Frost tolerance runs from tender (no frost) to hardy. Soil pH 7 is neutral.

  6. Pets

    Toxicity to cats and dogs

    Whether the plant is toxic to cats and dogs.

Quick wins

Fastest to sprout

Days from sowing until the first shoots appear, in good conditions.

Pet friendly

Safe around cats and dogs

Listed as non-toxic to both cats and dogs. Each seed's page has the details.

Not safe for pets: borage, buckwheat, caraway, carnation and 14 more.

Comparing

Questions about comparing

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Two or three at a time. Pick them in the boxes at the top, or start from any seed's page with “Compare with another seed”.
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Yes. Every comparison has its own address, like /compare-seeds/?seeds=acorn-squash,apple-tree, so you can copy the link from your browser and send it.
Where do the facts come from?
From each seed's profile. Every fact there is researched and reviewed by our editors before it goes live.
Can I see metric or imperial units?
Both. The table picks the units that match your browser's language, and the switch above it changes them. Your choice is remembered in this browser.
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Each seed's page explains how to grow it from seed, with facts researched and reviewed by our editors.

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