Planting season is upon us, and depending on where you live in the United States, it’s time to get your seeds started indoors within the next 3-4 weeks (most seeds should be sown indoors by mid March for transplantation as soon as the last freeze).
Why You Should Start Seeds Indoors
For some plants like tomatoes, squash, melons, etc., that have a long fruiting period, starting them indoors gives them a longer harvest life. For example, tomato seeds sown indoors will begin producing fruit around the first week of July, while seeds grown fully outside won’t fully produce until the beginning of August.
By starting seeds indoors, you’re extending the growth cycle of your plants, which often times results in a larger garden harvest. And who doesn’t like that? Additionally, seeds sown indoors have a higher germination rate (again, resulting in a higher-yield harvest). The higher germination rate is because it is much easier to control growth elements like heat, sunlight, and water in and indoor growing environment.
When To Start Seeds Indoors
Typically it is a good idea to begin sowing seeds indoors six weeks before the last frost in your area. To determine the predicted first (and last) frost dates for your growth zone, check out this handy guide from Farmers Almanac.
What Seeds To Start Indoors
While you can start almost any kind of seed indoors, here are my favorite veggies to sow for a higher yield, and healthy veggies all summer long. A general tip: root vegetables such as carrots, radishes, peppers, etc. do not like to have their roots disturbed. It’s best to sow these veggies directly outside just as soon as temperatures warm up.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the most commonly started seed indoors. This is because tomatoes germinated indoors are often more resistant to pests, grow better, and continue to produce fruit later in the year. To learn how (and when) to sow tomato seedlings indoors, check out this tutorial!
Cauliflower & Broccoli
Because Cauliflower and Broccoli are such dense, root-laden vegetables, it’s best to start them indoors to let their roots fully develop. Start these seeds indoors now under a grow light and expect to move them outdoors just as soon as temps consistently hit 70 degrees in your neck of the woods.
Eggplants
Eggplant seedlings are especially sensitive to the cold fluctuations that typically happen come spring. To ensure better success, start eggplants indoors with your tomato plants and transplant them outdoors together at the same time.
Peppers
Like tomatoes and eggplants, pepper seedlings are extremely sensitive to cold temperatures. In fact, they need to consistently be in 70 degree soil for these to even germinate. Because of the cold sensitivity, it’s best to start you pepper plants indoors in late February – early March, depending on grow zone.
Brussel Sprouts
Brussel Sprouts take as long as 100 days to mature from seed if conditions are optimal–that’s not exactly a quick growing span! Because of their lengthy span, it’s recommended to start your brussel sprouts indoors so that an early frost doesn’t kill off your first harvest.
Snapdragons
While Snapdragons aren’t edible, they are a gorgeous flower that you can start indoors. These plants germinate in as little as 7-10 days, and you can move them outdoors about a week before the last frost of the season. Because of this, you don’t need to start Snapdragons quite as early as some of the other seeds on this list.
Lavender
Did you know that lavender is often regarded as one of the easiest plants to grow from seed? To sprout accordingly, place your seed packed in the fridge a week before germination and let the seeds “sleep.” Once you’re ready, remove the seeds from the refrigerator and sow them directly in indoor containers. They take around 10-12 weeks to germinate, so they should be ready to go in mid April, just in time for Spring!
Cucumbers
Cucumber and eggplants are a lot alike, and they both HATE the cold! Sow these indoors at least 3 weeks prior to the last frost in your area, and get them outdoors as soon as temps are consistently 70 degrees.
Lettuce
While lettuce is extremely cold-hardy, it won’t germinate from seed in cold soil. Start these seeds indoors about 3 weeks before the last frost, and move them as soon as soil temperatures warm up to 50 degrees. You’ll have ready-to-eat lettuce by June!
