Seed Starting Guide
February 8, 2012
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 
Good information for seeds. What kind of seeds are in the picture. they look like apricots, but i’m pretty sure they are something else.
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Thanks for the great advice.
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I’m glad everybody found this link helpful. I received Johnny’s Seed catalog in the mail today–my first–and it’s beautiful! Kim, you’ll have to tell us some of the seeds you and Kourtney will be planting–anything new? Bernadine, the seeds in the photo are a yellow squash.
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Good Wednesday Evening Dianne:
Both my daughter, Kourtney, and I bought so many seeds this past week, I think we will need months to plant…LOL Now with your article we will be able to get going…Wow Thank you so much for all this wonderful information and wonderful website.. Kisses Kim
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