How to Make a Seed Starting Calendar

Every plant has an optimal climate for growth. If you plant your seeds too soon, frost can kill them. Plant too late and you may not get a harvest. One way to ensure you get the best results for your time and energy is to organize your planting process. You do this be making a seed starting calendar.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Know what zone you are in. Most seed companies and gardeners use the USDA Hardiness Zone Map, which is designed for comparing your climate to a plant's optimal climate. You need to know what type of seeds you can successfully plant before you create your seed starting calendar.
2. Pick out your seeds. Some seeds require you to start the seeds indoors and transfer the seedlings. Other plants cannot be transplanted. Use your calendar to keep track of when to start seeds inside, when to transplant seeds and when to start seeds outside.
3. Calculate when to start your seeds by finding out how many weeks it is going to take for your seeds to germinate. Most seed packets have information on the packet that indicates when to plant your seeds. You can also look in seed catalogs for this information.
4. Find out your areas last frost date. The major threat to planting seeds is frost, which is why you don't want to plant any seeds outside until you've passed the last frost date. The last frost date combined with the plant's germination period decides when and where you need to start your seeds.
5. Consider the phase of the moon. Some gardeners believe that plants are like tides and are affected by the phase of the moon and the alignment of the stars. Moisture levels in the soil are believed to be higher during a new moon and a full moon.
6. Make your seed starting calendar. You can use an excel spreadsheet or a wall calendar for your seed starting calendar. Start at the last frost date and calculate where each plant must be started. Write or type the information into your calendar. Remember to include if you are starting the seed inside, transplanting or starting the seed outside.