When to plant vegetable seeds
How and When to Start Seeds Indoors
It’s seed-sowing time! But what’s the best way to start seeds? How do you even begin? In this article (with new video demonstration!), we’ll show the curious how it’s done! Let’s sow some seeds together, talk through the best ways of encouraging them to germinate, and expose a few common mistakes.
The Hindi word for seed is bija, which translates literally as “containment of life.” An apt description for these tiny miracles that contain everything needed to make a new plant. This time of year, we are up to our elbows in dirt, starting more seeds indoors each week!
Why We Start Seeds Indoors
There are many benefits to sowing seeds indoors:
- Obviously, it gives you a head start on the growing season, which can lead to more fruitful harvests.
- It’s actually necessary for a number of plants. Warm season vegetables—such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant—can’t be planted too early in the spring, as the soil is too cool.
In many regions (including New England and Midwest), there are not enough growing days for those plants to get to harvest if they’re started outside. Starting seeds indoors allows you to gain a few precious weeks of growing time, which can really make a difference. In warmer regions, starting seeds indoors can allow you to get in an extra round of crops (especially cool-weather crops) before summer heat stifles growth.
- If you don’t seed indoors, you will need to buy young plants called “transplants” or “starts” at the garden store or nursery. While some nursery starter plants are grown nicely, others may be of poor quality and don’t thrive once they’re home. When you plant your own seeds, you tend to have healthier starts, since you can care for them from day one.
- There is a much wider range of varieties available as seeds—things you would never find in a six-pack at the local garden center!
- You will know how they have been raised—organically instead of bathed in a wash of chemicals.
You can time the plants to be ready for when you want to plant them. - Finally, seeds are much less expensive than buying plants at the garden store.
It’s not just warm-season vegetables that can be started from seed. Many vegetables—such as carrots and radishes—do best when started from seed, as they dislike having their roots disturbed once they start growing. See our list of which seeds are best started indoors versus outdoors below.
Which Seeds Should You Start Indoors?
Not ALL seeds should be started indoors. In fact, most vegetables grow perfectly well when started outdoors and even prefer not to be transplanted. Ultimately, it’s important to consider how each type of vegetable grows in addition to where you’re growing it.
Consult the table below to see which crops are typically started indoors and which are typically started outdoors. Keep in mind that there isn’t a hard-and-fast rule about what you can start indoors and outdoors; it varies by your experience, your personal preference, your location, and the plant itself.
In general, we find that:
- Crops that are best started indoors include broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and tomatoes. Those with a slower root development, like cauliflower, celery, eggplant, and peppers, should also be started indoors.
- Tender vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers are very susceptible to the cold temperatures of spring, so it’s best to start them indoors and keep them safe from unpredictable weather.
- Plants that do not transplant well and are therefore best started outdoors or in containers include cucumbers, muskmelon, pumpkins, squash, and watermelon. These are all tender, however, so refrain from sowing them outdoors while frost is still a threat.
- Some plants truly resist transplanting. Root vegetables, like carrots, turnips, and beets, don’t like having their roots disturbed, so it’s usually safer to just start their seeds outdoors in the ground rather than transplant them later on. Plants with long tap roots also do not like to be transplanted; examples include dill and parsley.
- Finally, plants like radishes and peas are so fast growing and cold tolerant that it just makes sense to get them right in the ground!
For seed-starting information customized to your location, check out our free online Planting Calendar.
| Plant | Start Indoors | Start Outdoors (Direct-Sow) |
|---|---|---|
| Arugula | X | |
| Beets | X | |
| Broccoli | X | |
| Brussels Sprouts | X | |
| Cabbage | X | |
| Carrots | X | |
| Cauliflower | X | |
| Celery | X | |
| Corn | X | |
| Cucumbers | X | |
| Eggplant | X | |
| Green Beans | X | |
| Kale | X | |
| Kohlrabi | X | |
| Lettuce | X | X |
| Okra | X | |
| Onions | X | |
| Parsnips | X | |
| Peas | X | |
| Peppers | X | |
| Potatoes | X | |
| Pumpkins | X | |
| Radishes | X | |
| Rutabagas | X | |
| Spinach | X | |
| Squash (Summer) | X | |
| Squash (Winter) | X | |
| Sweet Potatoes | X | |
| Swiss Chard | X | |
| Tomatoes | X | |
| Turnips | X |
When to Start Seeds Indoors
It’s essential to sow seeds at the correct time.
We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves! Sow too early and plants may have outgrown their pots before the weather has warmed up enough to plant them outside. But start seeds too late and they won’t have enough time to reach maturity before the end of the growing season. It’s a balance!
The Almanac’s Planting Calendar lists the ideal dates to start your vegetables. This customized tool is based on your zip code and local frost dates.
- As a general rule, most annual vegetables should be sown indoors about six weeks before the last frost in your area. See local frost dates.
- Your packet of seeds will often list when the seeds should be started indoors. For example, it may say, “start indoors 8 weeks before last expected frost date in your area.”
Our Garden Planner also has all the planting dates and aligned with your entire garden plan for the season. The Garden Planner looks up climate data from your nearest weather station and then uses that to calculate the best range of planting dates for each crop in your plan.
It’s nicely color coded to show you dates for sowing indoors and sowing outdoors, as well as growing and even the harvest period!
Photo by Sergii Kononenko/Shutterstock
Equipment Needed for Seed-Starting
For starting seeds, you really only need a seed-starting mix, containers, and a good source of light.
Let’s start with our seed-starting mix. You can use either an all-purpose or multipurpose potting mix for big seeds such as beans and squash. But for finer seeds, we recommend a seed-starting mix (designed especially for starting seeds). We also like the seed-starting mix because it’s low in nutrients; the seed itself is already full of nutrients. Do make sure your mix is peat-free. (Extracting peat releases carbon and destroys natural habitat, so we prefer to use a more-sustainable alternative such as coconut coir.)
The right container: You can sow into pots/single seed trays or into plug trays/module trays. Each has its advantages:
- Sowing into pots or a single tray container is more space efficient, as the young seedlings take up less space initially.
It’s a more efficient use of seeds, too, because you can germinate the seeds in a pot and then transfer every single seedling into its own pot or plug. Sowing into a single container can also be useful for sowing very tiny seeds such as basil or easy-to-transplant flower seeds. For easy, cool-season crops—everything from onions to celery to cabbage—you can sow multiple seeds in the same container seed flat. You can even stack trays up after sowing to save on space. After two or three days, start checking daily for signs of germination then move them out to the greenhouse or cold frame to continue growing. Or you can continue to grow seedlings on indoors, using grow lights to ensure strong, even growth.
- Plug trays, on the other hand, are containers with individual pockets for each seed. They remove the need to transfer seedlings as often, minimizing root disturbance. Simply sow them into the plugs then grow them on until it’s time to plant them, though they may need transplanting into bigger plugs or pots if the roots fill their plugs before it’s time to plant them out.
Two or more seeds are usually sown per plug and then the germinated seedlings are either left to grow on as a cluster or thinned out to leave the strongest seedling in each plug. Trays with smaller plugs suit most leafy greens and radishes, especially if they will be transplanted promptly (within three or four weeks of sowing). We also like this method for cluster-grown crops such as beets or beetroot and salad onions.
Recycled containers
We often repurpose food containers such as yogurt cups and sour cream containers as seed starting containers. Simply clean them out and poke a few drainage holes in their bottoms. They are generally large enough to house one or two small seedlings for a few weeks. Eventually, seedlings will need to be transplanted into their own pots.
Well-made containers and trays of rigid plastic can potentially last for many years, but if you want to avoid plastic, look for alternatives made of biodegradable fiber.
Using wide, shallow, flat containers to start rows of seedlings.
How to Sow Seeds
Sowing in a pot or a plug tray is really easy to do.
- If sowing in a pot, fill it to the brim with the potting mix, then tamp down to a firm level. It’s hard to over-firm, and seedlings prefer plenty of potting mix to sustain them. If you are using plug trays, fill the plug trays right to the top then tamp down to settle. Top up with a little more of the mix, then brush off the excess.
- Be sure to plant your seeds into the depressions at the depth listed on the seed packet. Most seeds can simply be gently pressed into the mixture with your fingers or you can use the eraser end of a pencil to do so. When choosing which seeds to plant, choose the largest, healthiest-looking seeds in the packet for the best chance at germination. Many vegetables, including common crops such as salads, onions, beets, peas, and radishes, may be sown in pinches of three to five seeds per plug for planting out as a cluster of seedlings (to later be thinned out).
Larger seeds, like beans, are sown individually into deeper holes made with a finger, pencil, or dibber (a special seed-sowing tool). - Once done sowing, cover the seeds with potting mix so that they’re at the right depth (as listed on the seed packet).
- Label your sowings, especially different varieties of the same type of plant. This is important! You might think you’ll remember, but it’s way too easy to get confused, particularly if you’ve got seedlings with very similar leaves. Pop on the date of sowing and the variety you’ve sown.
- Water the pots or trays carefully using a watering can fitted with a fine sprinkling rose or a clean turkey baster. A pitcher may let the water out too forcefully, dislodging the seeds or young seedlings’ fragile roots. A mist sprayer is gentle, but can take a long time to actually get the mix properly saturated. Leave to drain through from the surface and then repeat. You really want to wet the mix, so the seeds are woken up from their slumber! Don’t worry, if it’s a good mix, it’s hard to overwater at this point; any excess will just drain out of the bottom.
Speeding Up Germination
We’re all impatient and want to see those seedlings push through as quickly as possible. The best way to achieve that is to give your seeds as close to ideal conditions as possible, which in most cases means a little warmth, so bring these early sowings indoors to germinate.
- The seed packet should give an indication as to the ideal temperatures. In most instances, a tucked away corner of a warm room should work just fine, or on top of any appliance that gives off a little warmth—the top of fridges or freezers for example, or on a warm mantelpiece for warm-season crops like tomatoes, for instance.
- Keep the potting mix from drying out and conditions nice and toasty by covering the plug tray or pot with some sort of clear cover.
You could use a purpose-sold humidity dome or propagator lid for this. Or, just cover loosely with plastic and poke a few holes in the plastic with a toothpick for ventilation; mold growth can occur if containers are not allowed to “breath.” - Seed packets usually give you an idea of how long germination should take, but nevertheless, nothing beats regular inspections—and that’s half the fun anyhow!
- Once around half of the seedlings are sprouted, remove them from the humidity dome or remove from the plastic covering; then move the seedlings to somewhere with good, strong light.
Hang the lights so they can be adjusted to keep them 4 inches above the plants as they grow.
Let There Be Light
A common mistake is to place seedlings on a windowsill, which rarely gives the same quality of light as outdoors. You can try turning seedlings daily to help them grow straighter, but more often than not the result is leggy seedlings that struggle to recover.
Poor light levels are often the killer at this time of year, rather than cold, at least for cool-season crops. So, if it’s early in the season and you don’t have a suitable outdoor protected structure such as a greenhouse or cold frame, it might be worth investing in some full-spectrum grow lights.
- Grow lights don’t need to be anything particularly fancy. An LED or fluorescent light fixture that’s “full-spectrum” (i.e., produces light in the full range of the visible spectrum—like the Sun) can usually be found for under $40 at a local hardware or department store.
- With inexpensive grow lights, the lamp unit can be adjusted up or down. Ideally, you want the lights to be about 4 to 6 inches above the canopy of the seedlings. That’s far enough above not to be too warm, but to give a good, strong light. Move the lamp unit up as the plants grow and need more space.
- Up to 16 hours a day of light is fine. In fact, in most cases, the longer you leave them on, the quicker seedlings will grow, so this is a good way to catch up on growth early on in the season.
(Note that plants do need a period of darkness, too, so don’t leave your lights on 24/7!) Many gardeners switch lights on when getting up in the morning, then switch them off when heading off to bed, which means they’re on for around 15 to 16 hours. Or you could, of course, put your grow lights on a timer. - Plants can move from grow lights to outdoors or under protection outside when it’s either warm enough or, more usually for cool-season crops, once the light levels have improved just a bit more.
How to Transfer Seedlings
If you grew seedlings all together in a tray, you’ll often need to transplant—or prick out—seedlings into their own pots once they have germinated. The best time to do this is once they have two pairs of leaves—usually a set of seedling leaves and the first set of true or adult leaves. (See video below.) That being said, it’s fine to move seedlings on a lot earlier than this—as soon as the seedlings are big enough to handle. Don’t delay transplanting your seedlings, as you don’t want them to become overcrowded, which can cause all sorts of issues such as leggy seedlings or disease.
It’s also a lot easier to separate seedlings out when they’re small.
Hardening Off Seedlings
Seedlings of tender crops must be gradually introduced to outside conditions before they are planted, a process known as “hardening off.” Suddenly moving plants from a stable environment to one with wide variations in temperature, light and wind can seriously weaken plants.
For most plants, start hardening off about 7 to 10 days before the final frost date for your area. Check our Planting Calendar for safe dates to plant outside and work back from there. Withhold fertilizer and water them less often.
- About 7 to 10 days before transplanting, set the seedlings outdoors in dappled shade for a short time. Make sure the spot is sheltered from winds.
- Start with an hour a day, then gradually extend the amount of time that plants are outside, until they’re staying out all day.
- Keep the soil moist at all times during this period. Dry air and spring breezes can result in rapid transpiration. If possible, transplant on overcast days or in the early morning, when the sun won’t be too harsh.
- Cool-season crops don’t really need as much hardening off. Crops such as lettuce, onions, beets, or peas can go straight outside as soon as the ground is ready, meaning that the soil is no longer cold and wet, and has reached around 50ºF (10ºC). But warm-season crops such as tomatoes and peppers will need acclimatizing.
- A great way to toughen up plants—whether indoors or under cover in a greenhouse or cold frame—is to run your fingers lightly over the foliage. This mimics wind to create sturdier plants. Indoors you could also use a fan for this.
- If outdoor conditions allow, plant seedlings out while they are still quite young—sometimes as soon as 3 to 4 weeks after first sowing. Younger seedlings tend to establish quicker than those that have become root bound in their containers.
If you’re not able to be around to bring your seedings back and forth from the outdoors, another option is to place your seedlings into a cold frame and gradually increase the amount of ventilation by opening vents progressively wider each day. Make sure to shut them down completely before dark. (See how to make a cold frame for cold-weather protection.)
Final Thoughts and Tips
- Be seed-savvy. Obtain seed catalogs from several companies and compare their offering and prices. Some of the regional companies may carry varieties better suited to your area.
- Make a list of what you’d like to grow. A good rule-of-thumb is to imagine your garden one-quarter the size that it really is. This allows for good spacing practices! See Vegetable Gardening for Beginners for popular beginner vegetables.
- Experienced gardeners always hedge their bets and prepare for some losses.
Successful gardening depends on so many factors. Is the season unusually warm or cold this year? Are your first seedlings going to be eaten by pests like slugs or birds? That’s why it’s a good idea to sow seeds in small batches a few weeks apart. - It’s worth making an early start, because if you lose those seedlings it doesn’t matter so much; you can always sow some more.
- The Garden Planner shows you exactly how many plants you’ll need, based on your layout. But, hey, sow a few more than you’ll need as spares, just in case, or so you can select the very biggest, healthiest seedlings to plant out.
- If you have extra seeds that you’ll be pouring back into the packet, do this over the pot you’ve just sown. That way if you drop any, they’ll end up sown with the right batch of seeds, rather than being wasted or mixed up in the spare potting mix!
- Put in place pest prevention techniques—row covers like netting or fleece for bird protection, and slug traps.
- Many quick-growing crops are harvested often. Take lettuces or radishes as an example. Sow a small plug tray every couple of weeks throughout the growing season and that way you can look forward to a succession of harvests, rather than them all coming at once. That’s smart planning!
More Reference Material
Consult the Almanac’s library of Growing Guides, which provide planting, care, and harvesting information for each of the common vegetables, fruit, and herbs.
We’ve also gathered all of our best beginner gardening articles in one place with the Learn to Garden series. From selecting the right gardening spot to choosing the best vegetables to grow, our Almanac gardening experts are excited to teach gardening to everyone—whether it’s your 1st or 40th garden.
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(Image credit: Dougal Waters / Getty Imabges)
Knowing when to plant vegetables is essential if you’re looking to grow your own edibles. Growing your own vegetables from seed is a great way to give a supply of fresh organic produce as part of a healthy diet, but it is also highly rewarding and good for wellbeing.
While you can buy seedlings and plug plants from garden centres and online suppliers, planting vegetables from seed is the most economical way of growing produce, plus it also offers the opportunity to try all sorts of different vegetable varieties. However, with a dazzling array to choose from, it can be tricky to know where to begin.
Whether you’re in the process of creating a kitchen garden or simply want to grow a few veggies in containers on your patio or balcony space, this handy vegetable calendar will help get your kitchen garden ideas get off to the best start.
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
When to plant vegetables – points to consider
Planning when to plant vegetables can be confusing as there are a huge array of vegetable garden ideas, plus there are vegetables that can be planted in every month of the year, right through from January to December.
A vegetable calendar is a great place to start when planning a kitchen garden as it will help you know when to buy seeds so that you don’t miss out on growing your favorite vegetables, plus will it help you organize crop rotations on your patch. It is also a handy source of inspiration for what to plant.
Exactly when to plant vegetables will depend on your climate and weather conditions, so while a vegetable calendar is a handy guide planning tool, it is also important to keep a tab on temperates in your region.
Throughout the gardening year it's a good idea to note down key information on weather conditions to help build your own personal vegetable planting calendar. The last frost date is particularly useful for gauging when to start sowing and planting out tender crops.
The temperature of the soil is a key factor in the germination of seeds, and different seeds germinate at different temperatures, so consider buying a soil thermometer to check the temperature is right for sowing.
Different varieties of the same type of vegetable can have different sowing and planting times, so always refer to the instructions on the seed packet.
(Image credit: Future/Annaick Guitteny)
January
With the ground still very cold, January is a quiet time for sowing and planting vegetables, so this is the perfect opportunity to plan for the year ahead. Take time to look through seed catalogues and make a plan of your plot.
However, there are some things that can be planted under cover to get your growing season off to a head start.
Onions – if growing from seed then onions can be planted under cover in a greenhouse in January and February. While growing onions from sets (immature onion bulbs) is often the easiest method, knowing how to grow onions from seed may be useful as it is a more economical way of growing them if you are looking for a larger crop.
Potatoes - For those keen on learning how to grow potatoes then January is the time when you can begin the process by chitting your Early potato varieties.
Chitting encourages potatoes to sprout prior to planting and is usually done 6 weeks before seed potatoes are planted into beds.
Lay seed potatoes in a tray – egg boxes are often used – with their eyes point up and leave in a light, cool, frost-free place. When the shoots are 1/2-1 inch tall (1-2cm) then the potatoes are ready to plant.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
February
The weather is unpredictable in February but there are some vegetable varieties that can be sown under cover in the greenhouse or on a warm windowsill to kick start the growing season including hardy vegetables.
'In February, you can start sowing choices such as broad beans, peas, carrots, onions, the first potatoes and salad crops under cloches,' explains gardening expert Leigh Clapp.
Edibles that need warmth and are suited to growing in a greenhouse can also be planted under cover in February including tomatoes, peppers, cucumber and eggplant.
With spring around the corner, February is a good time to prepare your beds for the growing season.
You can also cover them with a plastic tarpaulin or cardboard to prevent the soil getting waterlogged.
(Image credit: Crocus)
What to plant indoors:
Fava beans – grow fava beans, also known as broad beans, by sowing them indoors into individual pots or modular trays ready for planting out 4-6 weeks later. Alternatively sow directly from March to May or in October to November for an early spring crop. You can also sow directly in February under cloches.
Tomatoes – sow tomatoes in a propagator in late February – this is the best time to sow if you are thinking of growing tomatoes in a greenhouse. Sow in seed trays or in individual pots if you want just a few plants.
Peppers – sow under cover from February until March. Sow seeds into pots or seed trays and place in a heated propagator 65–70°F (18–21°C) or on a sunny window sill covered with a plastic bag.
Eggplant – growing eggplant – or aubergines – in a greenhouse sow seeds in individual pots in February and plant out in April.
Alternatively sow from January for cultivation in a heated greenhouse. If transplanting outside, sow seeds undercover in March and plant out once the risk of frost has past in later May.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
What to sow outdoors:
Radish – sow seeds direct where they are to grow in short drills 12 inches (30cm) apart from February until August. Sow little and successively for a continual supply. If sowing in February consider using a cloche.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
March
In milder regions and areas with light, sandy soil, March is the time when you can begin to sow some vegetable seeds outside. Sandy beds will benefit from the addition of organic matter to help the soil retain moisture. In cooler regions, and areas with heavy clay soil, outdoor sowing may be a little later, explains gardening expert Leigh Clapp.
'Clay soil needs breaking up and takes longer to warm up so suits later crops, whereas light soils are good for early vegetables but will need large quantities of manure and compost to avoid water draining away too rapidly.
The ideal is loose, crumbly loam, which absorbs and holds water and nutrients, is well aerated and drains freely.'
If you live in a cooler region you may want to wait until April to begin direct sowing some of the vegetables on this list, however there are vegetable varieties that can be started off in the greenhouse in March, too, including: sweetcorn, spinach, parsnips, leek, kale, cauliflower, beetroot.
You can also continue to sow tomato, eggplant and peppers under cover.
(Image credit: coldsnowstorm / Getty Images)
What to sow indoors:
Pumpkin – sow under cover from March until May or sow direct from late May once frosts have passed.
Cucumber – if you are planning to cultivate cucumbers a greenhouse sow seeds now ½–¾in (1–2cm) deep, in small pots. Be sure to familiarise yourself with how to grow cucumbers before you start out.
Tomatoes – sow seeds under cover in March if you are planning to transplant them outside.
(Image credit: merlinpf / Getty Images)
What to sow outdoors:
Asparagus – plant asparagus crowns in late March and April.
Beetroot – direct sow in rows 12 inches (30cm) apart from March to July for harvesting in as little as 7 weeks. Thin out seedling to 4 inches (10cm) apart at about 1 inch (2.5cm) tall. Sow every few weeks for continual supply.
Broad beans – sow seeds direct outside into rich fertile soil enriched with manure or organic matter. Sow in seeds at 9 inch (23cm) intervals in double rows set 9 inches (23cm) apart, with 24 inches (60cm) between each double row. Be sure to familiarise yourself with how to grow fava beans beforehand.
Leeks – sow leeks in March and April in a prepared seed bed for transplanting to their final position in early summer. Alternatively they can be sown under cover from January to March in modules and placed in a propagator ready for planting out later.
Harvest from October to March.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Onions – plant onion sets from mid March to mid April. Alternatively plant from October and November.
Parsnips – direct sow from March to May in a prepared bed in a sunny position. The soil should be friable and stone-free.
Peas – sow peas direct from March until July for picking from July to October. To grow them outdoors sow in trenches 2 inches (5cm) at around 3 inches (7.5cm) apart.
There are three types of pea: Early, Second early and maincrop peas, and each is best planted at different times so be sure to research how to grow peas before starting out.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Potatoes – plant chitted First Early potatoes in mid-late March ready for harvesting in 11-13 weeks. When to plant potatoes will depend on what variety they are so be sure to do your research first.
Spinach – sow summer spinach direct from March to June.
Sow every three weeks for picking from May to October. Sow thinly in drills 1inch (2.5cm) deep set 12 inches (30cm) apart.
Spring Onion – sow seeds direct from March until August. Sow thinly in drills every three weeks for a continual supply. Spring onions can be harvested in just 8 weeks from sowing.
(Image credit: Future)
April
April is a busy month in the vegetable garden as it is when the outdoor sowing season gets into full swing.
Be sure to label your sowings with the vegetable variety and date as you go. If sowing direct avoid treading on freshly dug soil, instead use boards to stand on.
What to plant indoors:
Zucchini – you can grow zucchini by sowing zucchini seeds in 3 inch (7.5cm) pots and place in a propagator or on a sunny windowsill.
Sweetcorn – for best results sow sweetcorn seeds under glass in mid April and early May and plant out in late May to early June.
To avoid root disturbance sow in 3 inch pots, sow two seeds about one inch deep. Alternatively sow outdoors in mid May – sow in blocks with 2 seeds every 18 inches and 1 inch deep.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
What to plant outdoors:
Broccoli – to grow broccoli, sow direct outdoors from May to April. Sow where they are to grow or alternatively sow in a seedbed or under cover, and transplant them to their final position 5-7 weeks after sowing.
Carrots – If you're wondering how to grow carrots, April is the month to start sowing the seeds outdoors – sow thinly ½in (1cm) deep in rows 6–12in (15–30cm) apart. Ensure the soil is well dug over and raked to a fine tilth – it needs to be free from stones as this can result in forked carrots.
‘For sweet, small carrots, sow every few weeks from early spring to late summer for a successional harvest from June to November,’ says gardening expert Leigh Clapp.
Alternatively, for an early crop, sow varieties such as 'Nantes' under cloches or in the greenhouse in February and March.
Cabbage – sow winter cabbage April and May. Transplant seedlings to their final position in late June to July and when the plants have 5-6 true leaves.
(Image credit: Miracle Gro)
Cauliflower – sow outdoors in April for transplanting in June. There are three types of cauliflower – spring, summer and autumn and sowing times will vary on what type you choose to grow.
Chard – chard, also known as beet leaf, is a tasty and versatile hardy biennial that can be sown direct from March to September however sowings in April and July are a good way to ensure a continual crop throughout the year.
'For great-value yielders you can’t beat Swiss chard and perpetual spinach that will crop for a whole year and throughout winter,' says gardening expert Leigh Clapp.
Potatoes – plant Second Early potatoes in early to mid April and maincrop potatoes in mid to late April.
Salads and lettuce – direct sow rocket, salads and summer lettuce. Or sow from March under cloches.
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
May
May continues to be a busy month for sowing vegetable seeds. From mid-May the risk of frost in the UK has usually passed, meaning you can begin to direct sow half-hardy annuals and begin to harden off tender vegetables grown under cover ready for planting outside including courgettes, pumpkin and French beans.
Hardening off is where tender plants are gradually brought outside to acclimatise them to cooler temperatures. If raised in a heated greenhouse, move plants to an unheated greenhouse for around two weeks before then moving them to a cold frame.
If you do not have a greenhouse or cold frame then move the plants outside into the sun for a couple of hours a during the day and slowly increase the time period.
You can continue to direct sow broccoli, cabbage, carrot, parsnip, peas and spinach.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
What to plant outdoors:
French beans – direct sow French beans from May when the risk of frost has passed, or sow under cover from March for transplanting later. Make successive sowing until the end of June for picking until early October.
You'll know when to pick green beans and French beans by the appearance of the crop. The beans should be pencil thin, around 4 inches long, and without any visible bumps along the pod.
Zucchini – direct sow zucchini outside in late May to June. Plant out courgettes grown under cover from late May but be sure to harden them off beforehand.
Pumpkin – to grow pumpkins, direct sow pumpkin seeds where they are to grow in late May or early June. Pumpkins grow best in warm weather so cover with cloches to give them the best start.
(Image credit: PhotoAlto/Jerome Gorin / Getty Images)
June
In June you can continue to make successive sowings off radish, salad and carrots, as well as direct sow zucchini, beetroot, peas, French beans and parsnips.
What to plant outdoors:
Fennel – Sow seeds direct in late June in fertile, moist soil. Thin to one plant every 10in (25cm) in rows 18in (45cm) apart, and water during dry spells.
Brassicas – direct sow brassicas such as kale cabbage, broccoli and Brussel sprouts for harvesting in winter
(Image credit: Getty Images)
July
July is the last chance to sow French beans and you can also plant out winter winer leeks into their final position. Fast-growing vegetables can still be sown including radish, spring onions and beetroot.
There is plenty of harvesting to be done in July which will keep you busy including, carrots, radish, beetroot, chard, peas, salad leaves, broad beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and more!
(Image credit: Getty Images)
What to sow outside:
Chard – Sowing a second crop of chard in July will give you a fresh supply through autumn.
Sowing made in July can also be overwintered for picking the following spring.
Spring cabbage – sow spring cabbage in July and August in seed beds and transplant to their final position in September and October ready for picking the following spring.
Pak choi – great in soups and salads and easy to grow from seed, pak choi can be harvested in as early as 30 days in baby leaf form or in 45-70 days as semi-mature to full size heads.
They can be grown outside over winter, providing you with fresh greens all the way through to spring but will benefit from some protection. Sow seeds thinly at a depth of 1/2 an inch (1cm) in rows 15 inches (38cm) apart. The seedlings will need thinning to different distances depending on how mature you want to grow your pak choi.
(Image credit: coldsnowstorm / Getty Images)
August
In August your vegetable plot will be at its peak with a glut of produce ready for harvest, however there are some things you can plant including winter crops such as spinach, kohl rabi, and spring cabbage as well as winter salad leaves.
(Image credit: Dougal Waters / Getty Images)
What so plant outside:
Spinach – late august is a good time to sow a second crop of spinach.
Spinach is a cool season crop which can easily go to seeds in the heat, so seeds are best grown in early spring as well as in late summer and early fall.
It can also be over wintered with protection. For later sowings look for 'long-day' varieties. Check out how to grow spinach for more tips.
Kohl rabi – If sown in August this brassica can be harvested up until November. Sow direct in drills 12 inches (30cm) apart and at a depth of ½in (1cm) deep. Thin out seedlings at 1in 2.5cm tall to a final spacing of 6in 15cm (15cm) apart and keep well watered in hot weather. Pick when between the size of a golf and tennis ball.
(Image credit: The Garden Smallholder)
September
Winter salads – there are many hardy salads that will grow over winter including Lamb’s lettuce, mustard greens, 'Winter Gem' lettuce, arugula and oriental leaves such as mibuna and mizuna.
Early fall is the perfect time to sow these as the soil is still warm. Seeds can be sown in seed trays or direct into finely raked soil.
You can also continue to make sowings of chard.
(Image credit: Jonathan Buckley for Sarah Raven)
October
What to plant outside:
Garlic – October is when you can start growing garlic. Garlic is often grown from sets rather than seed and is best planted in autumn as it needs a cold spell to stimulate growth. However there are varieties that can be planted in early spring.
Sets should be purchased from garden centres or specialist mail order supplier and not from the supermarket. There are two main sorts to choose from: hardneck and softneck.
To sow, split the bulb into cloves and plant in rows 4-6 inches (10-15cm) apart, 1 inch (2.5cm) deep with the pointed end facing up.
Garlic can rot in waterlogged soil so is you have heavy clay soil consider starting them off in modules finding out more on how to grow garlic will ensure your crop is a success.
Broad beans – if your vegetable garden is in a sheltered position early varieties of broad beans can be planted direct in October for an early crop the following year.
(Image credit: Trine Loklindt EyeEm/Getty Images)
November
As the temperature drops there are little sowings that can be made in November, but there is still plenty of edibles to harvest including brassicas such as kale, cabbage, Brussel sprouts and kalettes.
Root vegetables can be lifted including the last of the carrots, parsnip, beetroot and celeriac, plus hardy salad leaves can be picked.
Asparagus – while the crowns are traditionally planted in spring, you can grow asparagus by planting in fall, too, to help give the crop a head start.
(Image credit: Alamy)
December
December is a good time to plan what you are going to grow in the year ahead and crisp winter days can be a good opportunity to prepare the soil for the coming growing season.
Take notes of what worked well and plan crop rotations for the year to come.
Winter salad – seeds of mustard greens, mizuna, corn salad, lambs lettuce and ‘Winter Gem’ lettuce can be grown outside in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse. If you live in a mild area you can grow them in the ground and use cloches to protect them if temperatures dip dramatically.
Garlic – December is the last chance to plant fall garlic varieties.
If you live in a mild climate and you have free-draining soil sets can be planted directly – they do not grow well in waterlogged soils.
(Image credit: RHS/Georgi Mabee)
What month do you plant vegetables?
There are vegetables that can be planted right through the year from January to December. Using a vegetable planting calendar is a handy tool for planning when to plant vegetables, but ultimately what month you plant vegetables will depend on your climate and growing zone, as well as the last frost date in your area.
Generally March and April, when the soil begins to warm, are the best months to begin sowing many hardy annual vegetable seeds outdoors including broccoli, cabbage, chard, carrots, peas and parsnips. Some of these can be started off under cover in a greenhouse or on a sunny window sill from February to help give them a head start, ready for planting outside once the weather warms.
Vegetables suited for growing in a greenhouse such as tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, tomatoes, cucumbers and chilli peppers can also be planted undercover from February.
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
From March, frost-tender, half-hardy vegetables can be started off under cover ready for transplanting once the risk of frost has passed including zucchini, pumpkin, sweetcorn and aubergine. After this time, generally from late May and June, frost tender half-hardy annual vegetables can then be planted out into their final position or sown directly outside.
Successive sowings of many fast maturing vegetables can be sown from March up until July including radish, beetroot and spring onions.
In July and August many hardy vegetables can be planted for winter harvesting including cabbage, pak choi, spring cabbage, spinach and chard.
The growing season slows from October when temperatures begin to dip but this is the prime time to plant garlic. winter salads can continue to be planted and broad beans can be sown for an early spring crop.
Pippa is Content Editor on Homes & Gardens online contributing to Period Living and Country Homes & Interiors print issues. A graduate of Art History and formerly Style Editor at Period Living, she is passionate about architecture, creating decorating content, interior styling and writing about craft and historic homes. She enjoys searching out beautiful images and the latest trends to share with the Homes & Gardens audience. A keen gardener, when she’s not writing you’ll find her growing flowers on her village allotment for styling projects.
When to sow seeds for seedlings: timing of sowing vegetables
When to sow seeds for seedlings? Perhaps this is one of the most burning questions of summer residents at the end of winter and early spring.
The quality of seedlings directly affects the future harvest, and planting seeds on time is very important. On the one hand, the seedlings must fulfill their main function: to ensure early fruiting, on the other hand, it is also impossible to outgrow the seedlings, the crop will suffer.
The timing of sowing seeds for seedlings depends on many factors: time for germination, vegetation period, variety, etc. Knowing some characteristics of seeds and crops, it is possible to calculate the date of sowing to the nearest day.
Gardeners have a special method to do this. Countdown formulas come to the rescue.
When to sow seeds for seedlings: formulas for calculating the date
What do we need to know in order to use this or that formula? You will need information that is usually found on seed bags: the time of emergence of seedlings, the recommended age of seedlings, or the length of the crop's growing season.
The first formula for calculating the date of sowing seeds for seedlings is based on the planned date of planting this seedling into the ground.
For example, every year we plant tomato seedlings in the greenhouse on May 5 and we are not going to deviate from this tradition. In this case, we need to take into account two factors: the age of the seedlings and the time for germination. On a bag of seeds we read that seedlings are recommended to be planted at the age of 50 days, and seedlings appear 5-7 days after sowing. We subtract 50 days from May 5 and another 5-7 days. It turns out that we need to sow seeds for seedlings on March 9-11.
The second formula can be used if we have not yet decided on the date of planting seedlings, but we know exactly when the first harvest is needed.
For example, my grandson's birthday is June 28, and we desperately need the first tomatoes for the table. This time we will have to find on the bag information about the period of seed germination and the length of the growing season.
We find: the seeds germinate in 6-8 days, and the growing season is 125-130 days. We act in the same way as in the first example: June 28 - 125-130 days - 6-8 days. Seeds must be sown on February 10-12.
These simple calculations give us quite definite dates for sowing seeds for seedlings.
If you don't see the information you need on the seed packets, use our reference table for all major crops.
Data for calculating the date of sowing seeds for basic cultures
| |
| Average vegetation period : early grades-65-80 days, mid-generation-mid-generation-midday and mid-private-midomitement , late varieties - 88-110 days. Seedling age: 20-25 days. The time of the appearance of seedlings: 3-7 days |
| Basil |
| Average vegetation period : 140-160 days Extrays 5-7 days.  |
| |
| Seedling age: 50-60 days. Germination period: 7-10 days. |
| |
| Seedling age: 20-25 days. Germination period: 3-7 days. |
| |
| Average growing season : perennial crop. Seedling age: 50-70 days. Germination period: 10-30 days. |
| |
| Average growing season : 40-60 days. Seedling age: 20-25 days. Germination period: 2-4 days. |
| |
Average vegetation period : early varieties - 85-100 days, middle varieties - 100-130 days, late varieties - 140-180 days. Seedling age: 45 days. Germination period: 3-4 days. |
| |
| 0 days, late varieties - 95-120 days. Seedling age: 30-40 days. Germination period: 5-8 days. |
| |
| Seedling age: 20-25 days for outdoors, 30-35 days for greenhouses. Seedling time: 2-4 days. |
| Peretz |
| The average vegetation period : early grades-80-110 days, mid-season varieties-110-125 days, later varieties-130-150 days. Seedling age: 50-60 days. Germination period: 7-10 days. |
| |
Average growing season : 140-200 days. Seedling age: 60-70 days. Germination period: 7-10 days. |
| tomatoes |
| The average vegetation period : early grades-70-100 days, mid-season varieties-111-125 days, late grades-115-130 days. Seedling age: tall - 50-60 days, medium-sized - 50-55 days, standard - 40-45 days. Germination period: 5-8 days. |
| Pumpkin |
| The average vegetation period : early grades-95-100 days, mid-season varieties-100-120 days, late varieties-125-150 days. Seedling age: 20-25 days. Germination period: 2-4 days. |
For those who do not want to calculate the sowing dates for seedlings according to the formulas, we have another small reference table.
It provides approximate planting dates depending on the region.
The conditions for growing seedlings, the possibility or impossibility of additional illumination, the quality of seeds, the weather outside the window, and much more make their own adjustments to our plans.
Nevertheless, seedlings planted in due time are the first step towards a good harvest.
We wish you success and great harvests!
Sowing vegetables for seedlings: calculating the optimal timing
The key to a good harvest of vegetables is well-grown seedlings. We understand how to correctly calculate the time of sowing seeds so that the result exceeds all expectations!
Cultivation of seedlings requires a responsible approach, because the harvest depends on how the "seedling" period of a plant's life passes. Compliance with the temperature regime, timely watering, providing seedlings with a sufficient amount of light - all this, no doubt, is part of the normal development of the plant, but it is equally important to sow seeds for seedlings on time.
Heat-loving or cold-resistant?
Plants that are grown through seedlings are mostly heat-loving (except, perhaps, white cabbage and cauliflower, which easily tolerates slight frosts). This parameter should be taken into account when planning the sowing time, since later the time of planting seedlings in the ground will also depend on these characteristics of the vegetable crop.
For example, peppers and eggplants are heat-loving vegetables, which means that they can be planted in the ground (even in a greenhouse) after the threat of return frosts has passed. But some varieties of vegetable crops, bred by breeders specifically for the northern regions, are able to endure low temperatures, so they are planted in open ground or a greenhouse before other representatives of the species.
Weather conditions
Depending on the climatic conditions characteristic of your region, the time of sowing seeds for seedlings changes. The table below shows averaged data on the terms favorable for sowing vegetables.
| Culture | Southern regions | Central Black Earth region | Middle band | Ural and Siberia | Far East |
| Eggplant | February 5-10, | February 10 - March 15 | March 21-31, | 5-10 April | February 25 - March 10 |
| Zucchini | 1-10 May | April 25 - May 15 | May 10-15 | 10-20 May | 15 May – 10 June |
| White cabbage | February 10-15 (early), March 20-25 (middle) | March 1-15 (early), March 25 - April 15 (late) | March 15-25 (early), April 25-30 (middle) | March 5-10 (early), April 25-30 (middle) | March 10-15 (early), March 20 - April 20 (middle) |
| Cucumber | April 10-15 | April 5-30 | 1-10 May | April 25-30 | April 1-15 |
| Pepper | February 5-10, | February 10 - March 15 | March 11-20, | March 10-20 | March 1-15, |
| Tomato | February 25 - March 5 (early), March 1 - 10 (middle) | March 10-25 (early), March 10-25 (middle) | March 10 - April 15 (early), March 11 - 20 (middle and late) | April 1-5 (early), March 10-22 (middle and late) | March 1-25 (early), March 20-30 (middle and late) |
The dates in the table are approximate and not strict, for a more accurate calculation of the time for sowing vegetables for seedlings, we suggest trying the countdown method, which we will discuss below.
What is important to consider
In order to get the first harvest of vegetables by a certain time, it is necessary to correctly calculate the time in which seeds should be sown for seedlings. To do this, you will need information:
- about the duration of the growing season of vegetable crops;
- about the time required for seed germination (germination).
If you take into account these variables, then it will not be difficult to calculate the sowing time for seedlings. Now let's dwell on each factor and consider it in more detail.
Seed germination time
When calculating the time of sowing certain crops, we often forget about the need to take into account the time of seed germination. The time of emergence of seedlings and the friendliness of germination depend on the conditions of storage of seeds, their pre-treatment, and the favorable conditions created for growing seedlings. The average numbers for this parameter are:
| Vegetables | Germination time (days) |
| Eggplant | 8-14 |
| Zucchini | 4-8 |
| White cabbage | 3-6 |
| Cauliflower | 3-6 |
| Cucumber | 4-8 |
| Pepper | 8-15 |
| Celery | 12-22 |
| Tomato | 4-8 |
| Pumpkin | 4-8 |
Use seeds that you collected and stored yourself, or buy seed from specialized stores to protect yourself from scammers and be sure of a good harvest.
Growing season
The time from germination to harvest is called the growing season. The duration of this period varies among plants, moreover, it can be different for varieties of the same species - hence the division of varieties into early-ripening, mid-ripening and late-ripening.
Early maturing varieties need much less time to ripen than late and mid-season varieties. As a rule, in the middle lane, plants with a longer growing season are grown by seedlings so that they have time to produce a crop.
Seed producers usually indicate the length of the crop's growing season on the packaging. On average, the growing season lasts:
| Vegetables | Average growing season (days) |
| Eggplant | 100-120 |
| Zucchini | 40-60 |
| White cabbage | 50-200 |
| Cauliflower | 70-120 |
| Cucumber | 35-60 |
| Pepper | 80-120 |
| Celery | 80-180 |
| Tomato | 90-130 |
| Pumpkin | 90-130 |
This indicator depends on many circumstances: seed storage conditions, biological characteristics of vegetable crops, growing conditions, etc.
How to calculate the sowing of seedlings
The information given in the tables above can be used to calculate the sowing time for seedlings. To do this, to the number indicating the length of the growing season, add the number of days required for seed germination, and 5 days (approximately) for plant adaptation after planting in the ground. Then subtract the resulting number from the date on which you planned to harvest.
For example, you want to harvest tomatoes by mid-July (let's say 20.07). The packaging indicates that the growing season of your chosen variety lasts 130 days: 130 + 7 + 5 = 142, which means that 142 days must be taken from July 20. It turns out that you need to sow tomato seeds for seedlings on February 28th. Of course, the dates are approximate, since a large number of factors influence the development of the plant.
When to plant seedlings in the ground
When planning the time for sowing seedlings, do not forget to take into account the conditions in which you are going to grow the plant after it "moves" - whether it will be a greenhouse or greenhouse (protected ground) or just a garden bed (open ground) .
It is possible to plant plants in protected ground already from the beginning of May, and in open ground - not earlier than the end of May - the beginning of June. It is from these terms that one must build on when calculating the time for sowing seeds.
We suggest you familiarize yourself with the table, which indicates the optimal age of seedlings for planting in the ground.
| Culture | Seedling age (days) |
| Cucumber | 20-25 (open field) |
| Tomato | 50-60 (protected ground) |
| Pepper | 50-60 |
| Eggplant | 50-70 |
| Early cabbage | 45-55 |
| Medium cabbage | 35-45 |
| Late cabbage | 35-50 |
| Celery | 70-75 |
| Zucchini | 25-35 |
| Pumpkin | 25-35 |
When planting seedlings in the ground, you need to be very careful not to harm the young plant, because this is stress for the seedlings.
