When to start seeds indoors
Follow these indoor seed-starting tips and a calendar for your successful indoor seed-starting
For when to start seeds indoors, follow zone 6 tips and a calendar for your successful indoor seeding. What are the tricks to successful seed starting? The most reliable gadget I have found is to use a heat mat on the seed starting tray. I have almost 100 percent germination. You can start seeds in pots you make yourself with newspaper, toilet paper cores, paper towel cores, or paper cups, and a sterile, organic seed starting mix. A great way to do that is to cut used paper towel cores into sections and line them with old newspapers. You can plant the whole thing or push out the newspaper insert and compost the core.
There are charcoal pellets, charcoal pots, and soil blockers. Peat is not a renewable resource, but there are substitutes for it on the market now. Read the labels. Soil inhibitors can be found online and can be applied annually using only a seed starting mix.
It is important to use sterile seed starting mix, pots and containers. You can make your own seed starting mix with peat moss or coir (renewable), compost, and worm castings. Before starting the seeds, be sure to heat the compost to at least 150 degrees to kill any pathogens. Place the seeds in the pots in the pre-soaked starter mix and allow them to soak well from the bottom (watering from above can dislodge the seeds). Once fully saturated, they are ready to be placed in a catch pan. Make sure any catch pan you use is thoroughly washed so all pathogens are killed. Mine has a water reservoir at its base that absorbs moisture under the seedlings.
Once the seedling emerges
I put my seed starts on a heat mat on a plastic tray by a sunny window and a clear plastic lid that I've had for years that you can buy at any big box store. Keep moist, but not wet, with a clear lid until seedlings emerge. Once the seedlings emerge, remove the clear cover. Be sure to label your seedlings after planting; You'd think you'd remember where it was after two months, but no! Now is a great time to start keeping a journal. Start keeping track of when you've planted so you can review what worked well to repeat next year and what didn't work well to replace.
The first leaves on your seedlings are not "real" leaves, think of them as baby teeth. The second set of leaves is their true leaves. They are ready to harden when they get the first set of true leaves. Seedlings should be hardened off and not thrown outside. You take them out little by little and gradually increase their exposure to sun and cold, only during the day. I try to plant when a warm spell is predicted to minimize shock.
Nurseries and big box stores have great selections of herbs and vegetables these days, so you have better options than waiting until spring officially arrives and getting the best ones at your neighborhood store in a month or two. It's also an excellent backup if your first seed-starting adventure goes a little rough.
When to start seeds indoors
January through February is when starting seeds indoors for zone 6. I've outlined a month-by-month list of plant seeds to start indoors between now and April, and many big box stores have seeds available this month. There are great varieties that can be ordered online. Check out my blog sidebar for seed companies I like to call from.
Seed packets will tell you how far before your last frost date you should start your seeds indoors.
January and February are the time to start the seeding cool-season crops. March and April are veg seasons and the time for herbs to start their indoors.
10-12 weeks before (end of January/beginning of February)
Artichokes
Arugula
Bay
Beans (dry and lima)
Blackberries
Blueberries
Broccoli
Cabbage
Catnip
Celery
Chives
Edamame
Endive
Escarole
Fennel
Garlic
Horseradish
Leek
Lettuce
Mache
Mint
Mizuna
Onions
Parsley
Peas
Potatoes
Rhubarb
Shallots
Strawberries
Summer savory
Sorrel
Spinach
Fruit trees and bushes
8-10 Weeks Prior (mid-February )
Artichokes
Broccoli
Chamomile
Chard
Cilantro
Comfrey
Fennel
Lemon verbena
Lettuce
Okra
Onions
Peppers
Radicchio
Sage
Spinach
Summer squash
Tarragon
Tomatoes
April Month
Basil
Beans
Cucumber
Lettuce
Melon
Winter squash
Stevia
You can also start perennial flowers indoors. For any plant, check the seed packet for when to plant based on your frost date. Then back up the time from there to see when to start indoors. A typical seed start is 6-8 weeks before the transplant date.
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