# BBCH-scale (leafy vegetables not forming heads)

In biology, the BBCH-scale for leafy vegetables not forming heads describes the phenological development of leafy vegetables not forming heads, such as spinach, loosehead lettuce, and kale, using the BBCH-scale.
The phenological growth stages and BBCH-identification keys of leafy vegetables not forming heads are:
| Growth stage | Code | Description |
| 0: Germination | 00 | Dry seed |
| 0: Germination | 01 | Beginning of seed imbibition |
| 0: Germination | 03 | Seed imbibition complete |
| 0: Germination | 05 | Radicle emerged from seed |
| 0: Germination | 07 | Hypocotyl with cotyledons breaking through seed coat |
| 0: Germination | 09 | Emergence: cotyledons break through soil surface |
| 1: Leaf development (Main shoot) | 10 | Cotyledons completely unfolded; growing point or true leaf initial visible |
| 1: Leaf development (Main shoot) | 11 | First true leaf unfolded |
| 1: Leaf development (Main shoot) | 12 | 2nd true leaf unfolded |
| 1: Leaf development (Main shoot) | 13 | 3rd true leaf unfolded |
| 1: Leaf development (Main shoot) | 1 . | Stages continuous till ... |
| 1: Leaf development (Main shoot) | 19 | 9 or more true leaves unfolded |
| 3: Stem elongation of rosette growth | 33 | Leaf rosette has reached 30% of the expected diameter typical for the variety.$^1$ Main shoot has reached 30% of the expected height typical for the variety² |
| 3: Stem elongation of rosette growth | 35 | Leaf rosette has reached 50% of the expected diameter typical for the variety.$^1$ Main shoot has reached 50% of the expected height typical for the variety² |
| 3: Stem elongation of rosette growth | 37 | Leaf rosette has reached 70% of the expected diameter typical for the variety.$^1$ Main shoot has reached 70% of the expected height for the variety² |
| 3: Stem elongation of rosette growth | 39 | Rosette development completed$^1$ Main shoot has reached the height typical for the variety² |
| 4: Development of harvestable vegetative plant parts | 41 | 10% of the leaf mass typical for the variety reached |
| 4: Development of harvestable vegetative plant parts | 42 | 20% of the leaf mass typical for the variety reached |
| 4: Development of harvestable vegetative plant parts | 43 | 30% of the leaf mass typical for the variety reached |
| 4: Development of harvestable vegetative plant parts | 44 | 40% of the leaf mass typical for the variety reached |
| 4: Development of harvestable vegetative plant parts | 45 | 50% of the leaf mass typical for the variety reached |
| 4: Development of harvestable vegetative plant parts | 46 | 60% of the leaf mass typical for the variety reached |
| 4: Development of harvestable vegetative plant parts | 47 | 70% of the leaf mass typical for the variety reached |
| 4: Development of harvestable vegetative plant parts | 48 | 80% of the leaf mass typical for the variety reached |
| 4: Development of harvestable vegetative plant parts | 49 | Typical leaf mass reached |
| 5: Inflorescence emergence | 51 | Main shoot begins to elongate$^1$ Main inflorescence visible between uppermost leaves² |
| 5: Inflorescence emergence | 53 | 30% of the expected height of the main shoot reached |
| 5: Inflorescence emergence | 55 | First individual flowers of main inflorescence visible (still closed) |
| 5: Inflorescence emergence | 59 | First flower petals visible; flowers still closed |
| 6: Flowering | 60 | First flowers open (sporadically) |
| 6: Flowering | 61 | Beginning of flowering: 10% of flowers open |
| 6: Flowering | 62 | 20% of flowers open |
| 6: Flowering | 63 | 30% of flowers open |
| 6: Flowering | 64 | 40% of flowers open |
| 6: Flowering | 65 | Full flowering: 50% of flowers open |
| 6: Flowering | 67 | Flowering finishing: majority of petals fallen or dry |
| 6: Flowering | 69 | End of flowering |
| 7: Development of fruit | 71 | First fruits formed |
| 7: Development of fruit | 72 | 20% of fruits have reached typical size |
| 7: Development of fruit | 73 | 30% of fruits have reached typical size |
| 7: Development of fruit | 74 | 40% of fruits have reached typical size |
| 7: Development of fruit | 75 | 50% of fruits have reached typical size |
| 7: Development of fruit | 76 | 60% of fruits have reached typical size |
| 7: Development of fruit | 77 | 70% of fruits have reached typical size |
| 7: Development of fruit | 78 | 80% of fruits have reached typical size |
| 7: Development of fruit | 79 | Fruits have reached typical size |
| 8: Ripening of fruit and seed | 81 | Beginning of ripening: 10% of fruits ripe, or 10% of seeds of typical colour, dry and hard |
| 8: Ripening of fruit and seed | 82 | 20% of fruits ripe, or 20% of seeds of typical colour, dry and hard |
| 8: Ripening of fruit and seed | 83 | 30% of fruits ripe, or 20% of seeds of typical colour, dry and hard |
| 8: Ripening of fruit and seed | 84 | 40% of fruits ripe, or 20% of seeds of typical colour, dry and hard |
| 8: Ripening of fruit and seed | 85 | 50% of fruits ripe, or 50% of seeds of typical colour, dry and hard |
| 8: Ripening of fruit and seed | 86 | 60% of fruits ripe, or 20% of seeds of typical colour, dry and hard |
| 8: Ripening of fruit and seed | 87 | 70% of fruits ripe, or 20% of seeds of typical colour, dry and hard |
| 8: Ripening of fruit and seed | 88 | 80% of fruits ripe, or 20% of seeds of typical colour, dry and hard |
| 8: Ripening of fruit and seed | 89 | Fully ripe: seeds on the whole plant of typical colour and hard |
| 9: Senescence |
| 9: Senescence | 92 | Leaves and shoots beginning to discolor |
| 9: Senescence | 95 | 50% of leaves yellow or dead |
| 9: Senescence | 97 | Plants dead |
| 99 | Harvested product (seeds) |
1. For lettuce varieties without head, spinach and species with rosette-type growth 2. For kale and species without rosette growth