when to start seeds in zone 4
I have all the goodies, soil, trays, seeds, lights,everything and I'm dying to get my plants started...I have even bought some house plant seed to try to get my plant fix lol...Is there anything I can start...veggies, flowers anything???I have looked and looked and found a lot of different info...
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rainbowgardener
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Sure! There's always something you can start. Start the slowest growers (eg rosemary, lavender), start any cold hardy perennials you are doing from seed, and then start cold hardy annuals like pansies, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower.
You didn't say where you are. Zone 4 is places like Montana, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, parts of New England... If you have an average last frost date in mid_May you could start all of the above now.
You didn't say where you are. Zone 4 is places like Montana, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, parts of New England... If you have an average last frost date in mid_May you could start all of the above now.
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applestar
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If you have lights, you can start lettuce or mesclun and eat them while you're waiting. 
When you start your other seeds and the taller lettuce gets in the way, start harvesting the bigger outer leaves. 
Or set up a low tunnel or coldframe outside and try planting them out. I just read (again - I saw this last year too, but it seems hard to believe) that young healthy leaf lettuce seedling if hardened off near 32ºF can survive down to 20ºF. (stokes seed website) I'm going to be putting this to the test this year.
When you start your other seeds and the taller lettuce gets in the way, start harvesting the bigger outer leaves. Or set up a low tunnel or coldframe outside and try planting them out. I just read (again - I saw this last year too, but it seems hard to believe) that young healthy leaf lettuce seedling if hardened off near 32ºF can survive down to 20ºF. (stokes seed website) I'm going to be putting this to the test this year.
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rainbowgardener
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BrianSkilton
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Call me crazy but I've already started peppers in South Dakota I'm between zone 4b and 5. Next thing I will germinate is the cold weather veg like cauliflower, kale, endive, romanesco, calveo nero, bok choy. all that kind of stuff. Peppers just seem to take forever, whatever you do though, don't start tomatoes yet. I would start tomatoes probably around mid March (heck maybe even April) or so.
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gixxerific
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I use [url=https://davesgarden.com/guides/freeze-frost-dates/index.php?q=plover+wi&submit=Go]this[/url] for a starting point on frost dates. Put in you zip for a more accurate reading. Do you know what you want plant? That would help the forum give you a better answer. Normally most plants want 6-8 weeks plus germination period before last frost. Some of us use the 50% date as a guide. Than again some of us do what feels right to us. You said you have found a lot of diff info, I totally believe that. I don't think any 2 gardeners do the exact same thing.
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applestar
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Each plant has optimum soil temperature for germination and best soil and air temperature for seedling growth. I've been looking in seed catalogs and on-line searches. So far, Johnny's, Stokes, and Territorial seem to have good info to draw from and compare.
For instance, LETTUCE from Territorial: "Will germinate ...at ...as low as 40ºF" but "Optimum soil temperature range for germination: 40-75ºF. Days to emergence: 2-15." I would read that to mean it takes at least 2 days to germinate at 75ºF and as much as 15 days to germinate at 40ºF. (which seems about right because if you look at people talking about each season's earliest direct sowing in the ground outdoors, they sow and don't expect anything to start growing for 2 weeks) It also says "do best when the air temperature is between 60-70ºF". Contrast this with what I said was from Stokes.
Now compare that with PEPPERS, also from Territorial: "Optimum temperature fro germination is 70-85ºF. Days to emergence are 8-25 days." "... can be grown at 70ºF during the day and 60ºF during the night"
A lot more info there as well as others, Johnny's even has line graphs of germination temp ranges for many plants.
For me, since I need the lettuce to move OUT and make room for the warm season starts, I need the lettuce growing at lower temps like about 65~70ºF day and 45~50ºF night or even somewhat lower, while the peppers need to be kept a lot warmer. Despite the above, in my experience, peppers sit and sulk at 60ºF and do better at more like 75ºF day and 65ºF night.
For instance, LETTUCE from Territorial: "Will germinate ...at ...as low as 40ºF" but "Optimum soil temperature range for germination: 40-75ºF. Days to emergence: 2-15." I would read that to mean it takes at least 2 days to germinate at 75ºF and as much as 15 days to germinate at 40ºF. (which seems about right because if you look at people talking about each season's earliest direct sowing in the ground outdoors, they sow and don't expect anything to start growing for 2 weeks) It also says "do best when the air temperature is between 60-70ºF". Contrast this with what I said was from Stokes.
Now compare that with PEPPERS, also from Territorial: "Optimum temperature fro germination is 70-85ºF. Days to emergence are 8-25 days." "... can be grown at 70ºF during the day and 60ºF during the night"
A lot more info there as well as others, Johnny's even has line graphs of germination temp ranges for many plants.
For me, since I need the lettuce to move OUT and make room for the warm season starts, I need the lettuce growing at lower temps like about 65~70ºF day and 45~50ºF night or even somewhat lower, while the peppers need to be kept a lot warmer. Despite the above, in my experience, peppers sit and sulk at 60ºF and do better at more like 75ºF day and 65ºF night.