When do you start your garden seeds?

Hey guys, im a novice gardener looking to do my outdoor veggie garden again this year. Had really good results 2 years ago, last year i started my seeds inside way too early and didnt have the means to keep them healthy, they grew lanky and died just in time to put them outside. discouraged and out of money i never planted them.

this year im going to be starting some seeds inside again just a bit later so i can put them outside in thier little propogator on nice warm days.

i live in a 4B hardiness zone so i have to wait till last chance of frost date has passed before i can even think about placing them outside. this is between may 1st and 10th...so i figure mid may will be a good guess.

I was thinking that by mid april i can start sowing seeds inside, they should be ready to be planted outside by mid May. i will most likely be doing a transplant out of seed starter and into small 1/2 gal containers....then transplanting them out of the containers into the ground.

going to do

summer squash
Tomato
green bean
bell pepper
cucumber

and a few others that im not sure of yet, i want to build a raised bed and ammend the soil well as well as use some composted leaves the dump gives away for free (this is basically leaves and pumkins from fall cleanup that they compost and give away)

i guess my question is when do you guys plan on starting your indoor seeds? and what are you going to have in your garden this year?

i definatly want to try some pumpkins and watermellon but not sure how im going to go about that....and i will be doing stawberries in a container as well.

anyways, feel free to comment and post pics if you like...SPRING IS HERE!!! time to get the green thumbs to work again YIPPIEEEEE!!!!

I'm on the line of 5B/6A.. and don't trust our erratic weather patterns - may do all the growing of smaller things indoors this year.

I love that springtime too. Used to start lots of seeds about now with tremendous variety, but now just buy plants at the box stores. Easier. I'm at 40N. Make sure you have enough light on them. Good luck with your garden!!

I tend a vegetable garden and start everything outdoors into amended raised soil. I use azomite at the recomened rate. Research it you'll be glad you did. I used to start in a greenhouse but I'm lazier now and find things quickly catch up outside. I also add some lime because my base soil is acid here.

Mines already started, 4 sundflowers, 4 oxheart heirloom tom. 4 large cherry tom. a couple marigolds, 2 heads of romain, some basil, some mint. I also have a few things on a shelf I built under a t5.

Figong said:

I'm on the line of 5B/6A.. and don't trust our erratic weather patterns - may do all the growing of smaller things indoors this year.

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yeah we have some pretty erratic weather here as well, usually by mid march though things are gtg.

BarnBuster said:

I love that springtime too. Used to start lots of seeds about now with tremendous variety, but now just buy plants at the box stores. Easier. I'm at 40N. Make sure you have enough light on them. Good luck with your garden!!

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yeah its easier but much more expensive. starting from seed is the poor man's way which is me...some also prefer to raise from seedling too. but for the price of 2 tomato plants i can buy 5 differnt packs of seeds. and grow 50 tomato plants of i want. there is also that sense of gratification when raising them from seedling...at least for me

dannyboy602 said:

I tend a vegetable garden and start everything outdoors into amended raised soil. I use azomite at the recomened rate. Research it you'll be glad you did. I used to start in a greenhouse but I'm lazier now and find things quickly catch up outside. I also add some lime because my base soil is acid here.

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ill check that out, thanks for the tip. i plan on building a raised bed and ammending with espoma garden tone. PHing everything and possibly adding lime if need be...last garden i did in the same patch my watermellon only got the size of a golf ball and same with my pumpkins and i believe its because the soil wasnt verry nutritious...now that i have been into the growing hobby for a couple years i have a much better idea on soil comp and nutrition.

kinetic said:

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Mines already started, 4 sundflowers, 4 oxheart heirloom tom. 4 large cherry tom. a couple marigolds, 2 heads of romain, some basil, some mint. I also have a few things on a shelf I built under a t5.

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nice...everything looks pretty good. i do have some basil, green beans, bell pepper and tomato plants started already but they probablly wont make it to the garden bed, they may make it to a bigger container and outside though.

what zone are you in (hardiness zone) ?

I'm around 5a, I have a nice glass porch that affords me a postitive 10 degree difference. So I start early and then move them out to there in piecemeal. After that they go outdoors or onto the back porch. Last year I had two runs of toms. Ones I started in March and others I started at the end of July,.

2 years ago when i did my first garden i had 2 tomato plants and 2 cucumber plants that did really well, ended up with so much tomato's and cukes i was giving them to anyone who would take them.

got a few butternut squash as well and some pea's and green beans but not much. i have a nice full sun spot behind my house i just need to work on increasing the soil quality

I tend to start my garden when the out side growing season is over for laughs and because its cooler inside then during the summer.

I'm a 5B too. You can start your seeds nowish. I'm actually doing some tonight..
You can also probably wait a week or two if you don't want to feel like you're jumping the gun...
I just wanted something to do, so I said fuck it, lets plant some shit! I'd start some soon for shits and giggles and some later, seeds are cheap! Good luck brah!

yeah im going to start building today and do my seeds probabally tomorow...ill post up some pics

I don't bother with seeds anymore. There are a few nurseries in the area with very reasonably priced plants come May and the variety is good enough for me. At least when it comes to the basics like tomatoes, peppers, cuccumber, squash, etc.

sonar said:

I don't bother with seeds anymore. There are a few nurseries in the area with very reasonably priced plants come May and the variety is good enough for me. At least when it comes to the basics like tomatoes, peppers, cuccumber, squash, etc.

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I was like that till I tried seeds in my AeroGarden and had no problems and I didn't have to add water for the whole time they were germinating and about 2 weeks after then germinated so around 3 to 4 weeks before I had to add water to my AeroGarden

I love starting from seed. My father buys his developed already then plants. He's already asked for me to help him out and give him some toms from seed I started. I will gladly oblige his request. For me starting my seeds earlier indoors helps me to beat the blues that comes towards the end of winter.

kinetic said:

I love starting from seed. My father buys his developed already then plants. He's already asked for me to help him out and give him some toms from seed I started. I will gladly oblige his request. For me starting my seeds earlier indoors helps me to beat the blues that comes towards the end of winter.

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Not only that but if you buy seeds before they pull them off the shelf at the stores you can get a big jump start for next year. Also if you have herbs that you can get to seed you can have your own seed stock and in the end it becomes cheaper. In 2011 I started 1 Basil seed in fall and I ended up with 1 plant and by the time it was growing season for most people in 2012 I already had more then 5 Basil plants.

I find it more rewarding by starting plants from seed. You also are able to choose from so many different varieties and heirloom types online as well. When you buy baby plants such as tomatoes or peppers, you get to choose from some basic types and that's it. (at most typical plant stores at least) As I stated, it is very rewarding to see an awesome plant grow well and realize it used to be so small and so tiny and you gave it life. lol

azryda420 said:

I find it more rewarding by starting plants from seed. You also are able to choose from so many different varieties and heirloom types online as well. When you buy baby plants such as tomatoes or peppers, you get to choose from some basic types and that's it. (at most typical plant stores at least) As I stated, it is very rewarding to see an awesome plant grow well and realize it used to be so small and so tiny and you gave it life. lol

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I agree but the most awsome feeling is when the seed is soo small that its almost impossible to see with the bare eye.

I planted different lettuce and radishes Jan 4 I believe it was. They have been doing great and tasting great! Planted more radishes and some w onions a little over a month ago. Couple weeks ago I planted r onions, w onions, g onions, peas, maybe beets don't remember. Last week it was tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, and sunflowers for the lady lol Should have had the tomatoes started inside way earlier, but decided to just do straight seed outdoor this year.
Can't wait to see your pics man. I love veggies!

i will prob be starting mine next week sometime. i may be moving so i want to make sure i dont waste a ton of time and money on starting them and have them get damaged during transport.

thanks everyone for your contributions, feel free to post pics of your garden area if you like. i know some people in the southern climates have probablly already brought thier stuff outside.

As you can see I've been eating at my lettuce =D Also, those radishes have been picked away a little and it's the second harvest of them. Love those icicle short tops! Much better flavor than the reds, especially once you let them get a little bigger (egg sized). Spicy lettuce has been a semi-failure. I just pour my seeds straight out of the envelope and I think all the red parts fell out first resulting in the beginning being red heads, and the last holes only green. Weird. That last pic is of corn I planted (seed) 4 or 5 days ago! Had already germed and sprouted by 3 days! Wish it all grew that quick!