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| Tomato plants sprouted from seeds. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Whether you’re going to start a plant or flower garden you don’t have to be a meteorologist, farmer, or another specialist to figure out when is the best time to begin planting. One of the most common questions asked by beginning gardeners is when to start planting the seeds. If you’ve done any research on this topic you are likely met with a bit of confusing information: certain plants need to be grown in certain seasons, some plants thrive better indoors and, pay attention to charts and calendars.
While it is true that each plant type will have its own plant and harvesting time and different requirements for each, there is a much simpler way to determine when to start planting. All you need to have is an idea of the last frost date in your location, a calendar, and your seed packets.
Follow the Instructions
There are instructions on the back of all seed packages that states how many weeks your seeds need to develop prior to planting them outside. Again the time you can begin planting will depend upon the last frost date in your area, the type of seasonal plants you have, and instructions provided on the packet.
Tips for Known When to Plant
If you’re new to gardening you might find some of the instructions on the seed packaging to be confusing. Below are a few hints to help you out:
When the ground can be worked: This means that the seeds you’ve purchased can withstand the frost. Since during the winter months the ground is cold and firm it is not easy to work with thus the instructions say as soon as the ground can be worked on. Typically you will find instructions such as these on peas and spinach.
Begin Sowing About Two Weeks Prior to the Last Frost Date (Soil Temperature at least 40 degrees): There are some seeds that prosper much better when planted directly into the ground rather than a transplanting process. These crop types typically adhere to things that can tolerate a little frost.
Plant When All Frost Dangers Have Passed: These plants are very sensitive to frost conditions. Planting these prior to the last frost date could potentially ruin the crops before they start to grow. To provide extreme precautions it is best that you wait a few weeks after the last frost date in your area before transplanting these particular seeds outside.
So to sum it all up the ideal plant that is ready to be placed out into the garden is going to be one that does not have leggy stems, and that has a decent root system, however, one that is not yet pot bound. The best time of year to set out those transplants are when both the soil and air conditions have reached the right status as it pertains to the particular species of plant you intend to grow. It will require a bit of research, a little guesswork, and with any luck, your garden should be blooming as the seasons' change.
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