Spring is here and the garden is calling! If you want to give your vegetable garden a head start, you should start your seeds indoors several weeks before your area’s last frost date. If you don’t know what your anticipated last frost date is, you can check here. While you’re probably anxious to get your seeds started as soon as possible, not all plants fare well when they are transplanted. This post will teach you which seeds you can start indoors and which you should sow directly outside after your last frost date.
Here are 5 types of seeds you should start indoors
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to start from seed! Tomato seeds typically germinate in about 7 days. If your tomato seedlings get too leggy while they are inside, plant them a little deeper than you usually would when you transfer them outdoors. The portion of the stem you plant below ground will grow roots, giving the portion remaining above ground more stability.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are another vegetable that can easily be started from seed indoors. Your seeds should start germinating in less than a week. Cucumber seedlings grow large quite rapidly so you may want to start them in a separate container rather than in a seedling flat with other vegetables.
Peppers
Pepper seeds typically take between 2-3 weeks to germinate. In my experience, pepper seedlings don’t germinate as readily as cucumber or tomato seedlings. Keeping your seedlings in a warm, humid location will improve your chances of success.
Eggplant
Eggplant seeds usually germinate in 2-3 weeks. You’ll want to start your eggplants indoors around 8-10 weeks before your last frost date because eggplants need a long growing season to yield fruit.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is another vegetable that you may way to start indoors because it has a long growing season. You should plan to start your seeds indoors 4-8 weeks before your last frost date. Cauliflower is also very sensitive to temperature. If you start it outside after the last frost date, it may be too hot to grow successfully. Cauliflower seeds typically germinate in two weeks.
These 3 types of seeds should be sown directly in your garden
Pumpkins
Hold off on planting your pumpkin seeds until after the last frost date. Pumpkins can suffer from transplant shock and often don’t respond well when their root systems are disturbed. If you live in a warmer climate, you may want to wait to start your pumpkins until after July 4th. Starting your pumpkins later in the summer reduces the risk of losing them to squash vine borers.
Carrots
Carrots, like pumpkins, do not transplant well because they have fragile root systems. Carrots will do best when directly sown into your garden bed after the last frost date.
Leafy Greens
Leafy greens such as lettuce and kale fare better when sown directly outdoors. These cool-season crops can be planted outdoors before your last frost date. Starting lettuce or kale indoors may cause them to bolt prematurely because they are sensitive to changes in temperature and light. Additionally, lettuce and kale have delicate root systems and may suffer from transplant shock.
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