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Loading...When to Start Seedlings
- Annie B. Bond
- April 21, 1999
- 7:43 pm
- 31 comments
One of the biggest mistakes gardeners make is starting seedlings too soon.
I know gardeners in Los Angeles who harvest tomatoes in January, but north of USDA Zone 6 you shouldn’t even think of starting tomatoes until February.
In USDA Zone 4 we start ours in two batches: A few in mid-March, and a larger group around the first of April. If the weather breaks early, the March planting is worth it; but if spring is sow, the early seedlings just get tossed out, as they are too big when planting season arrives.
That’s why it’s a good idea to make two sowings of seed, a week or two apart. If something happens to one set, you’ve got the backup. With two plantings, a week before and a week after the theoretically ideal planting date, you’re ready either way.
TIMING CHART FOR STARTING SEEDLINGS
Group 1
Start 10 to 12 weeks before the frost-free date.
Eggplants
Peppers
Parsley
Onions
Leeks
Perennial Herbs
Celeriac
Group 2
Start 6 to 8 weeks before the frost-free date.
Tomatoes
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Basil
Lettuce
Endive
Group 3
Start 2 to 4 weeks before the frost-free date.
Dill
Melons
Beans
Brussels Sprouts
Squash
Lettuce
Annual Herbs
Read more: Nature, Lawns & Gardens
Adapted from Straight-Ahead Organic,by Shepherd Ogden. Copyright (c)1992, 1999 by Shepherd Ogden. Reprinted by permission of Chelsea Green Publishing Company.
Adapted from Straight-Ahead Organic,by Shepherd Ogden.
Annie B. Bond
Annie is a renowned expert in non-toxic and green living. Named one of the top 20 environmental leaders by Body and Soul Magazine, Annie has authored four books, including "Home Enlightenment" (Rodale Press, 2005) and "Better Basics for the Home" (Three Rivers Press, 1999).
Go to the Source
Straight-Ahead Organic, by Shepherd Ogden
This is a new and revised edition of Shepherd Ogden's Step-by-Step Organic Vegetable Gardening, a book that introduced thousands of gardeners to the benefits and techniques of organic processes. Although the author is by any definition a Master Grower, this book intended for the amateur enthusiast who is poised to make the leap to organics.buy now
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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31 comments
+ add your ownThanks.
ty
Thank you for sharing. Good information is classic and timeless.
Thank you Annie, for Sharing this!
How about just reading the advice on seed packets? Has anyone else noticed this is a FIFTEEN YEAR OLD article? Yeah, folks..........put out in 1999. How's that for current information?
Thanks
YAY!! Can't wait for Spring! Articles like this get me excited to get out in the dirt!
thanks - can't wait!
Thanks for sharing this article.
Thank you for sharing
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