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Starting Seeds - The planting
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The Starting Seeds Indoors And Out Planting Seeds Guide For The Home Garden

Starting Vegetable Seeds

Everything has a beginning and so it is with planting seeds for the vegetable garden. Vegetable seeds can be either direct sown to the garden or sown and raised indoors in a controlled environment for later transplanting as seedlings to the open garden.

However before you rip out into the garden and threw some seed in the ground or go to the trouble of diligently sowing seed in flats or seed cells. Take a moment to find out what the different types of vegetable plants require for both good germination and growing trouble free.




vegetable types

There is no cut and dried answer to which seeds should be started where for every garden situation in every area of the country. However there are some basic guidelines that will help and the two lists below will make the job a lot easier .



Seeds To Germinate Indoors
ArugulaBroccoliBrussel Sprouts
CabbageCauliflowerCeleriac
CeleryCollardCucumber
EggplantEndiveKale
KohlrabiLeeksLettuce
MelonsMustard GreensNew Zealand Spinach
OkraOnionsPeppers
PumpkinRadicchioSpinach
Squash SummerSquash WinterSwiss Chard
Tomatoes

This list is of all the vegetables covered on this site that can be sown indoors and raised under controlled conditions that will later successfully transplant as seedling to the main garden.

Traditionally,  Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Leeks, Lettuce, Onions, Peppers and Tomatoes are started as seedling in the main garden. This is because very few areas have growing condition suitable to go from seed to harvest in the open garden. Often it is just easier to plant grown seedling rather than spend the extra time looking after young plants out in the open garden.



Unlike planting seeds indoors there is less decision making regarding which vegetable seeds should be direct sown to the garden. Regardless of your desire to kick start the growing season, most of these vegetables will not transplant very well and should always be direct sow into the garden.

Seeds Best to Direct Sow
BeansBeetsCarrots
ParsnipsPeasRadishes
RutabagaSouthern PeasSweet Corn
Turnips


Right Time - right type

Timing is the secret to successful vegetable gardening. While a seed might germinate well when sown,  if the timing is wrong the crop may never reach maturity before conditions become unfavorable.

Plants can be broken roughly into two groups, cool season vegetables and warm season vegetables

Cool season vegetables

These vegetables prefer cool growing temperatures 50-75 F (10-24 C) The seed of most vegetables in this category will germinate at temperature between 40-50 F (4-10 C). Early spring sowing is common for most of these vegetables, however many will produce as well if not better when sow in midsummer so they mature in the cool weather of fall.

Warm season vegetables

The vegetables that fall into this category love warmth and the sun, require growing temperatures, above 60 F (16 C) preferring consistent temperatures of 70-95 F (21-35 C). While these vegetables can only be grown in the summer in most areas, successive plantings throughout the growing season will ensure a continuous supply.

Now you know the secrets of the  "which vegetables and when to plant them"  follow the links below to the many  different way of the  "how-to start vegetable seeds".  



more starting seeds pages


While any seed can be sown directly into the garden, there are many, which for one reason or another, starting vegetable seeds indoors is a better option. It could be climate, season length or to .........


Starting seeds in flats and trays is a little extra work than sowing into seeds cells because they will need to be pricked out into seed cells or individual pots later on. The main reason for using this method.......


The methods and care of sowing seeds in seed cells and pots differs only slightly from sowing seeds in flats and trays. There are advantages.......


Growing seedlings using peat pellets or any of the seed starting pellet types are an excellent way for a novice or......






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