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Step 1
Find out what you'd like to grow. People mostly do transplanting with fruits and vegetables, so think about what you use most in your household.
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Step 2
Determine your hardiness zone. The USDA assigns a number to every area of the United States according to typical weather and freezing patterns. If you live in a cold zone, like five or six, but you want to grow a tropical fruit, chances are, the plant will freeze when you put it outside. You would definitely want to start these plants indoors and then transplant them when no more hard freezes are expected.
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Step 3
Figure out how much effort you want to put into your garden. Transplants require a lot of patience and care from the time you plant the seeds to the time you put them in the ground. Consider that you will have to provide the proper light and water for the plants while they're indoors, as well as acclimate them to their new surroundings in a gradual fashion when it's time to move them outside.
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Step 4
Assess current weather conditions. For example, if you're having an unusually cold winter but you want to grow tomatoes, you should think about transplanting so you can get your tomatoes growing on schedule. When the soil gets warm enough, you can take your plants outside and you won't have lost any growing time.
