When to Start Summer Garden Plants Indoors?
Starting your own garden plants from seed indoors in early spring gives you a wider variety of plants to choose from. When to start garden plants indoors depends on how long it takes the plant to grow. Does this Spark an idea?
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Outdoor Planting Time
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Determine the outdoor planting time from the seed packet. Some plants, such as tomatoes, peppers and petunias, can't be planted outdoors until after the soil is warm. Others, such as lettuces, cabbages and pansies, like to get started early when it is cool. Seed packets usually list the outdoor planting date for various zones in the U.S.
Growing Time
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Different plants need different amounts of time for the seeds to germinate and then grow enough to be transplanted. For example, marigolds germinate in as little as six days and need four to six weeks to grow before transplanting. Seed packets give germination times and length of time to fruit or flower. Some tell exactly when to plant indoors.
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Indoor Planting Date
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Total the days for the seed to germinate with the length of time the plants need to grow before transplanting. Count backwards from the outdoor planting date to determine when to plant the seeds indoors. If your frost-free date is May 10, start marigold seeds between March 22 and April 5, which allows one week for germination and four to six weeks for growing.
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