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BEThe number one thing I see beginner gardeners doing 🙈 that breaks my heart a little 💔, is starting to seed or plant too early! All that effort and excitement only to watch their plants struggle, and possibly even die from lack of space and natural sunlight.
When it comes to seed starting, timing is everything! So, here are some tips 👇 to improve your chances of success by starting at the right time for your unique climate:
⭐️ In general, the only thing you should be starting in January or early February is herbs and some flowers - unless you live in a year-round warm climate
⭐️ Start anything edible 6-8 weeks before your outdoor planting date - unless you have a season extension like a greenhouse. Otherwise, you may get stuck with overgrown plants looking for more space to grow, before it’s actually safe to plant them outdoors.
⭐️ Start COOL Season veggies first - kale, lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, onions - as they will be the first to be planted outdoors.
⭐️DO NOT start large WARM Season veggies - zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins, sunflowers, even tomatoes - in the middle of winter, unless you have a greenhouse. These plants germinate quickly and get big FAST, and will not tolerate extended periods under artificial lighting. Instead, start these plants about 4-6 weeks before your expected last frost date.
⭐️ Start tomatoes and peppers roughly 12-14 weeks before your last frost date if you have somewhere to keep them growing as they expand. If not, focus your efforts on growing plants that can be planted outdoors within 6-8 weeks from the seeding date, and consider buying your tomatoes and peppers from the garden store.
⭐️ Watch for signs of yellowing leaves, and stunted growth indicating that it’s time to transplant into a bigger pot. If the next pot size up cannot fit under your grow lights and it’s not time to plant outdoors yet, it means you started too early ☹️
If you’re unsure of what the safe “planting out dates” are in your climate, follow me here as I break these confusing timelines down with a simple and super easy-to-apply method no matter where you’re growing! #yycgardening #seedstarting #zone3 #urbangardening
@beau.gardens
