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Harvest to Table

A practical guide to food in the garden and market

Seed Starting Basics

Tagged as: seed starting

When it comes to starting seed for the garden, do not start too early and do not start too late.

Seed started indoors should be ready for transplanting into the garden when the soil and weather are ready to take the seedlings into its proper growing season. That means the time to start seeds can differ widely. Some plants grow slower and need more time to develop than others. Depending upon where you live, the garden may need more time--the soil and weather may need to warm--to be ready for the crops you have in mind.

Most annual vegetable seeds can be started in the garden directly or started indoors 2 to 8 weeks before the last frost (most annual flowers can be started 6 to 8 weeks before the first annual frost). Most perennial seeds can be started 8 to 12 weeks before the last frost.

You'll need a calendar and the approximate frost-free date for your region. The frost-free date is the estimated day in spring--based on local meteorological records--when night time temperatures no longer dip below 35°F. (If you are unsure of the frost-free date where you live, check with the county extension office or the public library.) The exact frost-free date can vary from year to year--by several days or even weeks.

Mark the frost-free date on your calendar and plan indoor and outdoor seed starting times counting backward and forward from that date depending upon the seed you plan to sow. So, for example, if you live in Birmingham, Alabama where the estimated last frost in spring comes on March 20, the first vegetable crops to be started indoors, say celery, which needs a 10 to 12 week indoor start on the season, can be planted about January 10.

Mid-winter is the right time to begin planning the garden season. When you know your frost-free date, you will be able to estimate the indoor seed starting date: you can divide your crops into those that need to be started 10 to 12 weeks before the frost-free date, 8 to 10 weeks, 6 to 8 weeks, and 2 to 4 weeks. Make a list of the dates to start each crop: sow basil, pepper, broccoli, and tomato 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date; sow zucchini 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date. Now mark those dates with the crop names on your calendar. You can check seed packets or planting guides to know when to start specific kinds of seeds.

If you plan to sow seeds directly in the garden, keep in mind that annual seeds grow best in the garden when the soil is around 60°F--sow too early and the seeds may rot before they germinate.

Next: Starting seed in January by growing zone.

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Harvest to Table's New Encyclopedia:
The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide

A practical vegetable and herb garden encyclopedia

The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide details the very essentials to gain small crop prowess and expertise. Detailed growing guides for 80 vegetables and herbs including:

Seed sowing, planting, and transplanting requirements.
Site and seasonal growing requirements.
Water, light, and nutrition requirements.
Detailed growing characteristics: height, root depth, bloom time, and days to harvest.
Best varieties for easy care and harvest.
Cropping and rotation suggestions.
Pest, disease, and environmental troubleshooting guide.
Container growing requirements and suggested varieties.
Propagation requirements.
Greenhouse and coldframe growing suggestions to extend the season.
Harvest and storage specifics.
Plant origin and history.
Identifying photograph of plant at harvest time.
Brief description of how edible part is used in the kitchen.
Common and botanical names for each plant listed alphabetically.
Plant names in Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese.
First and last frost dates and growing season days for every state and 250 cities.
Complete index and gardener's glossary of growing terms.

Harvest to Table

Harvest to Table

A practical guide to food in the garden and market

Seed Starting Basics

Harvest to Table's New Encyclopedia:
The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide

A practical vegetable and herb garden encyclopedia

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Link to this page

Harvest to Table

Harvest to Table

A practical guide to food in the garden and market

Seed Starting Basics

Harvest to Table's New Encyclopedia: The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide

A practical vegetable and herb garden encyclopedia

Leave a comment

Send This Entry To A Friend

Link to this page

Harvest to Table's New Encyclopedia:
The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide