I experiment all the time and this year I am starting some seeds now. The reason is my solar greenhouse is cold at nights and the plants grow slow. If I could start a tomato in nov or dec and have it 2 feet by april I will be way ahead of everyone because the plant would be hardened off some! Lettuce can grow now along with many other crops so I am planting lots of things!
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Alot of the seed starting soil is on sale now. Check for broken bags at half price! Does anyone start anything now?
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Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7415
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
It depends on where you live and what your going to plant.
Tomatoes and peppers are the only seeds I can think of that need to be planted in pots about 6 weeks before planting them outside. I have planted these in pots and directly in the garden too. They do better in the garden and they grow faster than in pots. Seeds planted in the garden in the spring will make 4" plants in 3 weeks but seeds in pots will make 4" plants inside the house in 6 to 8 weeks. If move your pots outside very day so they get fresh air and real sun light then they grow twice as fast.
Corn, beans, squash, potatoes, melons, all the large seeds need to be planted directly into the soil.
Certain small seeds like radishes or anything in that family of seeds all grow like weeds if you throw some seeds on the cement driveway they will try to grow there. Sprinkle the seeds in the soil they will grow fine.
Herb seeds are all heardy they can go either way start them in pots or sprinkle the seeds in the soil. Planting them in pots gives you the advantage of getting and earlier start. If you have a short growing season then maybe pots would be a good thing.
You can plant swiss chard and Kale now they will grow in the snow all winter.
Tomatoes and peppers are the only seeds I can think of that need to be planted in pots about 6 weeks before planting them outside. I have planted these in pots and directly in the garden too. They do better in the garden and they grow faster than in pots. Seeds planted in the garden in the spring will make 4" plants in 3 weeks but seeds in pots will make 4" plants inside the house in 6 to 8 weeks. If move your pots outside very day so they get fresh air and real sun light then they grow twice as fast.
Corn, beans, squash, potatoes, melons, all the large seeds need to be planted directly into the soil.
Certain small seeds like radishes or anything in that family of seeds all grow like weeds if you throw some seeds on the cement driveway they will try to grow there. Sprinkle the seeds in the soil they will grow fine.
Herb seeds are all heardy they can go either way start them in pots or sprinkle the seeds in the soil. Planting them in pots gives you the advantage of getting and earlier start. If you have a short growing season then maybe pots would be a good thing.
You can plant swiss chard and Kale now they will grow in the snow all winter.
Last edited by Gary350 on Sun Oct 30, 2011 9:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Nope, don't start anything until Jan. Partly just not to be using the electricity running the lights and heating pads so long, partly because the seed catalogs that I buy from don't even come until Dec or early Jan (not to get mixed in with all the rush of Christmas catalogs which has already started).
But there's not a lot that I would start this early anyway. If I wanted to be growing something, I could start rosemary from seed, which is VERY slow growing, and some cold hardy perennials. But I have found from experience that it does not benefit me to start for e.g. tomatoes too early. They get too big too soon, outgrow the space I have under the lights, get leggy and vulnerable to snapping in half when they are being moved in and out in the hardening off process. So even though people here (all those Carolina, TN people with milder climates than mine) start talking about planting their tomatoes, I have to resist until Valentine's Day.
But there's not a lot that I would start this early anyway. If I wanted to be growing something, I could start rosemary from seed, which is VERY slow growing, and some cold hardy perennials. But I have found from experience that it does not benefit me to start for e.g. tomatoes too early. They get too big too soon, outgrow the space I have under the lights, get leggy and vulnerable to snapping in half when they are being moved in and out in the hardening off process. So even though people here (all those Carolina, TN people with milder climates than mine) start talking about planting their tomatoes, I have to resist until Valentine's Day.
It depends . . . not just on climate but the indoor environment and the gardener.
I used to start tomatoes about February 20th. My indoor environment was not the best and the plants grew slowly. So, the plants would be small even when it was time to set them out in May.
If they receive better care (temperature/sunlight/larger containers), as they have the last couple of years, they become desperate for more space than I can give them in 4" pots! Moreover, once I set them out - they have to face cool growing conditions.
Now, they may have been hardened-off just fine -- altho' that can be hard work for Yours Truly. Lots of plants, lots of flats, little room, lots of bamboo stakes to poke out an eye
! But, out they go in the garden because not only are they desperate but I'm desperate to get them outta my way 
!
They promptly turn purple from the cold and fail to set fruit until the weather warms
.
To every thing there is a season . . . a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted . . . A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together . . .
Steve
I used to start tomatoes about February 20th. My indoor environment was not the best and the plants grew slowly. So, the plants would be small even when it was time to set them out in May.
If they receive better care (temperature/sunlight/larger containers), as they have the last couple of years, they become desperate for more space than I can give them in 4" pots! Moreover, once I set them out - they have to face cool growing conditions.
Now, they may have been hardened-off just fine -- altho' that can be hard work for Yours Truly. Lots of plants, lots of flats, little room, lots of bamboo stakes to poke out an eye
! But, out they go in the garden because not only are they desperate but I'm desperate to get them outta my way !They promptly turn purple from the cold and fail to set fruit until the weather warms
.To every thing there is a season . . . a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted . . . A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together . . .
Steve
I usually start my summer crop seeds in February, but this year ill be starting them earlier by using the sweat chamber doubledog introduced.
I plant seeds all winter long though, most of them seeds that need cold stratification. this way they come up earlier in the spring inside the greenhouse. and overall have a longer season once put outside for more first year growth.
I plant seeds all winter long though, most of them seeds that need cold stratification. this way they come up earlier in the spring inside the greenhouse. and overall have a longer season once put outside for more first year growth.
I know here in Florida I started after the first of year, and I had some seeds that of course did not grow and of the ones that did I think I was too late, it seemed that the humid heat was upon us by the end of April and my plants just stopped - I had some tomatoes but not what I had hoped for, this year I already have some in pots and another batch starting tomorrow and I have more on order. I plan to really keep 
good track of dates , types and time lapse till production this year. I also can pull them inside should we get any kind of cold snap. I personally think that putting all my eggs in one basket is not good, I'm not good enough at this to know the outcome, so until I find that perfect storm of type and time I am starting earlier. I know up north it is a different animal. I just hope I can figure it out sooner then later, get so depressed when they just don't produce. 
good track of dates , types and time lapse till production this year. I also can pull them inside should we get any kind of cold snap. I personally think that putting all my eggs in one basket is not good, I'm not good enough at this to know the outcome, so until I find that perfect storm of type and time I am starting earlier. I know up north it is a different animal. I just hope I can figure it out sooner then later, get so depressed when they just don't produce. 
Seeds need different temps to germinate so starting too early doesn't help at all. The seed won't germinate anyway.
I also found that tomatoes need heat in order to grow. If its too cool out they stop growing and don't restart til it gets warm again. Why waste all that effort trying to start things too early.
Example: Oregon Spring plants can be transplanted outdoors up to 4 weeks BEFORE last frost. I tried this with 3 plants. The soil and air were cool so the plants started to grow a bit then stopped. In the end, I got a harvest no sooner than Matt's Wild Cherry which didn't go outdoors til a week AFTER last frost. And Matt's tasted better.
I believe in experimenting. I'm in zone 5a (southwestern Maine) with raised veggie beds and will start my cool crops earlier this year because I'm going to use an A-frame, cold frame and plastic and heavy row cover to keep frost at bay for my cool weather crops. That means I'll start seeds indoors for some broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and parsley the end of Feb, but nothing in January. Some cool crops can be started indoors 12 weeks before our last expected spring frost and transplanted 5-6 weeks before last frost date.
Last year we got unusual 90" plus heat in the spring and I lost several of my cool crops to heat. I want to prevent it happening this year by jumping ahead a little.
I suggest you don't waste time and energy starting much too early on your warm-weather crops. If planted when warmer, they'll catch up and pass those started too early.
I also found that tomatoes need heat in order to grow. If its too cool out they stop growing and don't restart til it gets warm again. Why waste all that effort trying to start things too early.
Example: Oregon Spring plants can be transplanted outdoors up to 4 weeks BEFORE last frost. I tried this with 3 plants. The soil and air were cool so the plants started to grow a bit then stopped. In the end, I got a harvest no sooner than Matt's Wild Cherry which didn't go outdoors til a week AFTER last frost. And Matt's tasted better.
I believe in experimenting. I'm in zone 5a (southwestern Maine) with raised veggie beds and will start my cool crops earlier this year because I'm going to use an A-frame, cold frame and plastic and heavy row cover to keep frost at bay for my cool weather crops. That means I'll start seeds indoors for some broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and parsley the end of Feb, but nothing in January. Some cool crops can be started indoors 12 weeks before our last expected spring frost and transplanted 5-6 weeks before last frost date.
Last year we got unusual 90" plus heat in the spring and I lost several of my cool crops to heat. I want to prevent it happening this year by jumping ahead a little.
I suggest you don't waste time and energy starting much too early on your warm-weather crops. If planted when warmer, they'll catch up and pass those started too early.
Yeah I can't speak for areas up north for sure, but in Florida and I have lived here 40 some years, it usually is warmer then colder during the winter, we have had two years in the last ten that were way off that - super cold. This year I am lucky I started early and we have had great weather, in the upper 70's and 80's - I did mine alittle at a time and plan to keep good records on dates and performance. I do agree they need warmth were ever they are, I move mine seedling out to my driveway, I have a great potting cart (I know the neighbors here love that) and they get alot more sun then my backyard and they have taken off. I just roll them in every night in case the temps dip lower then I am happy with. So I am thinking maybe a garden in the Front Yard - don't think HOA will go for that, but those seedings look great. I do realize that sometimes it is a crapshoot. But if this winter continues mild I feel I will be in a better position, because a warmer winter here means a earlier summer and the heat/humidty kills the tomatoes so fast and with it come the bugs.
I started some squash that I got from a guy at the feed store where I live. I don't know what type they are but they are growing fast, almost too fast for me to wait til spring to put them in the groumd. I am doing a 5 gal. selfwatering garden I think I will put them in a few pots here in a few weeks depending on how much faster they grow. Also have some mustards, spinach, and calliflower and they are doing prety good.