When to Plant Seeds Indoors for a Vegetable Garden

Starting seeds indoors can lead to an earlier harvest.

Many home vegetable gardeners choose to plant their seeds indoors before transplanting them into the main vegetable garden. This has several advantages. Not only does it allow early planting, and therefore an earlier harvest, but it also increases the likelihood that certain crops will be a success. There are several considerations to keep in mind, however, when starting seeds indoors, including gathering preparation materials and knowing when to start them and when to transplant.

Timing

The timing of when to start seedlings indoors will vary from one crop to the next. Each crop has a different germination schedule, and thus, it may take as little as three weeks or as long as 15 weeks to start the seedling and grow it enough to be ready for transplanting. It pays to take into account the germination period for each seed you wish to start. A local gardening center will supply this information, as will most seed packets. You do not want to plant a quickly germinating vegetable, such as cucumber, and then transplant it outside when conditions are not appropriate yet. Take inventory of the vegetables you wish to plant, and follow the guidelines given to ensure each crop is transplanted correctly.

Preparation

In order to start seeds indoors, you will need to have on hand basic supplies, such as small seedling containers, potting soil, labels and seeds. Plant the seeds into the soil according to the suggested depth, and be careful not to drown or wash away the seed during watering, Make sure you keep the seedlings under plant lights or in a sunny location on a warm patio.

Germination

Once the seeds begin to sprout, you can either move them into the garden, if appropriate, or transfer them into larger containers suitable for their root systems. Take care to administer frequent, but light, watering for the seedlings.

Transplanting

When seedlings are ready for transplanting, be careful not to destroy the roots that you have worked so hard to develop. Make sure not to transplant a vegetable before weather conditions are appropriate. For example, do not move frost intolerant vegetables until the threat of frost has passed. Also, be sure not to space the plants too close together, as they will spread and may overtake one another if there is not adequate room for them to grow. The spacing will vary significantly from vegetable to vegetable, but a local gardening center or even the seed packet will note how far apart they should be planted.

References

• University of Missouri Extension; Starting Plants Indoor From Seeds; David H Trinklein; June 2010
• University of Minnesota Extension: Starting Seeds Indoors; V. Fritz and D. Zlesak; February 2009
• University of Illinois Extension; Starting Vegetable Seeds Indoors; Maurice Ogutu; February 15, 2009

Resources

• University of Illinois Extension; Vegetable Directory; Ron Wolford and Drusilla Banks