When To Start Seeds indoors For Strong & healthy Plants

The #1 Secret To Healthy Seedlings & A Successful Vegetable Garden

Knowing when to start seeds is critical for growing the best and healthiest seedlings for starting your vegetable garden. 

We made the mistake of sowing our seeds far too early at the beginning of our gardening career. This is for sure a mistake many gardeners have made at some point. In late winter we all get the itch for sowing seeds because we miss being out in the garden. So why not sow some seeds indoors and get a really early start with the veggie garden this year?

So you will have all those seedlings hanging around your windowsill or greenhouse bench far too long! They grow long and leggy, get potbound and lose their vigor waiting for their time to get finally planted out.

These hungry and starved seedlings are a lot slower in their development once they go into the ground. They are also more prone to get damaged by pests and diseases as they have lost a lot of their strength sitting in their little pots for far too long.

So...when is the best time to sow your seeds for best results? 

Well...there is no straight and simple answer...sorry for that :)

Every vegetable will be a bit different depending on its heat requirement and speed of growth. The right time for sowing indoors also depends on your average last frost date. You can find your last frost date by googling: ‘last frost date + your area’.

Now you have to know how many days before that date you have to sow your seeds for best results. This will vary depending on the vegetables you want to grow. A tomato plant, for example, should be sown 49 days before your last frost date. You plant them outdoors two weeks after the last frost date. So if your last frost date is April 20th you would sow your tomato seeds around the March 2nd and plant the seedlings outdoors around May 4th. This way you will have vigorous and healthy seedlings that get established quickly.

Calculate When to start seeds

I have created a Seed-Starting Date Calculator which will calculate the sowing and planting dates for you. You will know precisely when to start seeds indoors for best results. It is really easy to use! You just enter your last frost date….and presto! The sowing and planting dates for 28 vegetables, 13 herbs, and 15 companion flowers are calculated for you like magic! You can grab it here now for FREE!

There Is No Point In Sowing Too Late!

Vegetable plants need a certain time to reach maturity and produce a crop. If you sow too late...you won’t be harvesting much! The weather will get colder, temperatures drop off at night and days get shorter. There is no point in sowing tomatoes in July and expect them to produce a crop by the end of September. 

Each vegetable has its optimum time for sowing so read the back of the seed packet for recommendations. Some vegetables like cooler spring or fall weather like e.g. spinach...and others love the summer heat. Timing is everything!

Learn How To Grow The Best Seedlings Ever!

Grab our Free Seed Starting Date Calculator now! Calculate the ideal sowing dates for your vegetables and grow your best vegetable garden ever!

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