When should I plant my seeds?
This is a great question! The first thing to do is to determine your last average frost date, which you may determine here: almanac.com/gardening/frostdates.
Afterward, count back six to eight weeks to start your seeds.
Also, consider the first frost date in the fall because the period between your last frost date in the spring and the first frost date in the fall is your growing window. So, note each seed variety's maturity date to ensure you have enough time to get the best results.
Did you know that pepper seeds take longer to germinate than most other veggie seeds?
Be patient with them, and start them 6-8+ weeks before your last frost date expected so you can get them growing long before planting them outside. You should also keep them warm, pepper seeds like to be kept between 80-90˚ F for the fastest and best germination rates. Pepper seeds can take 7-21+ days just to germinate, so starting them earlier than other fast growing veggie seeds like tomatoes is wise.
You can also choose the fastest growing peppers as they sprout quickly and grow fast to speed up your time to harvest.
Learn more about Pepper Seed Germination Time »
Keep in mind that some seeds can be direct sown in the garden! While pepper seeds, tomato seeds, eggplant seeds are good to start indoors to give them a head start, other fast-growing veggies can be direct-seeded into the soil in your garden. In our area, the last chance of frost is usually in mid-to-late May, so for some seeds like Squash, Zucchini, Pumpkin, Cucumber and others, we will direct sow them in our garden in the last half of May. It's a good idea to presoak large seeds in water for 12-24 hours to get them well-hydrated for faster germination after planting in the garden. You can sow also some cool-weather appreciating veggies earlier such as Radishes, Carrots, or Cilantro - as they don't mind a little bit of cold weather in the spring. We also like to continually sow Radishes and Cilantro every couple weeks for an ongoing harvest.
So in conclusion, when should you plant your seeds?
As you can read above, it just depends on the seeds you're planting and where you're growing! You can really start seeds year round – for example, you can grow Basil indoors happily in a sunny window or grow lots of vegetables like lettuce and even peppers under lights. So what you should ask yourself, what do you want to grow right now? Then plant the seeds.
☺ Happy growing!
