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!
With the onset of spring-like weather, it is tempting to put away frost cloths and to plant vegetation and sow seeds outdoors. But, don’t let the sunshine, green field grasses, and emerging buds fool you. Frost and frozen ground can kill or damage plants and seeds leaving you frustrated, discouraged, and broke.
In and Around the Garden 