Recently, I came across a FREE, on-line seed-starting guide at Johnny’s Seeds. This is an awesome tool that I hope you will use. Although it’s not a complete list of vegetable and flower crops, it includes those most grown by home gardeners.
In order to explain a couple of things about the guide, I have posted part of it below:
- Once you are at the link, enter the last estimated frost date in your area (where it says mm/dd/yyyy) and the dates following each crop will automatically change accordingly. Is that cool or what!
- In the cell where it says, “Safe time to set out plants (relative to frost-free date)”, the phrase ‘to set out’ simply means ‘hardening off’. This is a horticulture term for placing indoor seedlings outside during daylight to gradually make them more resistant to their new environmental conditions. If you are a gardener who doesn’t have the time or patience to do this and prefer transplanting seedlings directly into the soil, simply protect your tender plants from the hot afternoon sun with a cover cloth until they adjust to the climate.
| Enter spring frost-free date (include year): | mm/dd/yyyy |
|||||
| Crop | Number of weeks to start seeds before setting-out date | When To start inside | Setting-out date | |||
| From | To | Safe time to set out plants (relative to frost-free date) | From | To | ||
| Artichoke | 8 | 19-Feb | on frost-free date | 15-Apr | ||
| Basil | 6 | 11-Mar | 1 week after | 22-Apr | ||
| Beets* | 4 to 6 | 19-Feb | 4-Mar | 2 weeks before | 1-Apr | |
| Broccoli | 4 to 6 | 19-Feb | 4-Mar | 2 weeks before | 1-Apr | |
| Cabbage | 4 to 6 | 5-Feb | 18-Mar | 4 weeks before | 18-Mar | 15-Apr |
After you utilize Johnny’s Seeds’ seed-starting guide, check out their online catalog. I know several master gardeners who are pleased with their service and products. Have fun with both!
In and Around the Garden 