When is a good time to plant seeds indoors?

[Usc529]

last year i started late april-may. this year i wanna do it early probably only doing corn seeds and a few tomatoes is now (feb) a good month to start your seeds? then transplant them in the ground around april 1? any help would be great thanks :tools

 

[wsmoak]

Most things I've read say to start them 6-8 weeks before your last frost date. I started spinach and broccoli a couple of weeks go, and am starting tomatoes and peppers now, betting on being able to put them out in early April.

 

[lesa]

In your zone, yes, I would think now is a good time. I can't really see why you would transplant corn? Even here in zone 4, we can direct seed that. Have you tried that before? What other things are you planning for your garden? So jealous that your spring is right around the corner!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

some veggies don't transplant very well. if you have an early corn i wouldn't worry about starting them indoors. if it is a late producing corn you can start them indoors. i have bought corn that had been started at a local greenhouse and they did well. if we didn't have such a dry summer last year and i didn't have 'giant' rodent issues i might have actually seen more ears out of my corn!

peppers would be good to start soon too!

if you know your area's last frost date you could use this handy tool! the neat thing is your frost date doesn't usually change from year to year! so print this out and keep it with your seeds! http://www.johnnyseeds.com/e-PDGSeedStart.aspx??source=HomeSeedCalc0111

 

[Usc529]

In your zone, yes, I would think now is a good time. I can't really see why you would transplant corn? Even here in zone 4, we can direct seed that. Have you tried that before? What other things are you planning for your garden? So jealous that your spring is right around the corner!

okay great i have already started some tomatoe seeds and im gonna plant corn to but wasnt sure if you could direct plant those. never tried corn before. my garden this year will consist of tomatoes,onions,cucumbers,corn,okra, and potatoes. pretty sure im gonna buy mostly plants,only gonna seed some tomatoes and all the corn. any good ideas on the corn? thanks for your information

 

[wifezilla]

If you have some cfl lights, you can start those indoor plants almost any time

 

[bid]

Hi Usc529 and welcome! I just have to ask. Based on your user name, will you be planting Clemson spineless for your okra?

 

[digitS']

Usc529 will get that Bid, for the rest of us -- it is a Clemson University vs USC thing .

Well, Clemson is the Cooperative Extension source for South Carolina AND they say about corn: "Not Successfully Transplanted by Usual Methods." Starting Seed Indoors (click). "These crops are best planted in individual containers, cubes, blocks or pellets by usual methods because any root disturbance hinders growth."

I don't know . . . corn is a grass. I think rice and most grasses transplants well. Honestly, I've been tempted to start corn indoors and transplant it.

Steve
Welcome Usc529,

 

[wifezilla]

I started some corn in jiffy pots as an experiment last year. They did fine.

 

[Collector]

USC welcome, I was just going to direct you to Steves post with frost charts and seed starting dates but I see that he beat me to it. Good info on that post for guys like me with not much experience at it.