It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.
Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
It’s March! That means one thing: SEED SOWING TIME!! My mailbox was graced by the presence of the first seed catalogs in December. Just after Christmas, I organized all of my seeds from last season. They’re now in a photo storage box, organized by the date I need to do something with them (whether that’s putting them in the cold or sowing them). There’s a lot on deck for March!
I also took the time to update my seed starting calendar. (Save it for your own use from here.) It keeps growing… If only buying a packet of seeds came with extra space to plant them in!
Winter Sowing
In late January, I decided to winter sow a few things: Verbena bonariensis (it’s thin and floaty and looks great with grasses), Yarrow, Heliopsis, Baptisia, perennial Phlox, Joe Pye Weed, and Wintergreen (a groundcover that gets red berries – new to me!). These are mostly perennials, aside from the verbena, which often self-seeds in the garden.
If you missed it, there’s a post that dives into Winter Sowing. The idea is to expose seeds to the freeze/thaw conditions they’d normally experience out in nature. You can leave them outdoors in their mini greenhouses and they will germinate a little ahead of “wild” seeds. I may bring my jugs indoors in late winter or very early spring to get a jump start over mother nature’s timing for germination.
Indoors or Out?
If you’re planning your season and wondering which seeds you need to start indoors versus which you can sow directly into the garden, here are a few tips.
Indoors
- Indoor sow slow growers.
- Perennial flowers and herbs (Or use the winter sowing method.)
- Annual veggies like artichoke, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, leeks, onions.
- Indoor sow heat-loving veggies
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Eggplant
Indoors, with Caution
- Be cautious if indoor sowing these plants – they don’t really like to have their roots disturbed and they grow quickly. In my case, I’ve started some of these indoors to protect the seeds from squirrels. If you go the indoor route, don’t start them too early (just a few weeks indoors), or be sure to give them large enough pots so the roots have plenty of space. They can all be direct sown.
- Corn
- Squash
- Melons
- Cucumbers
- Beans
Outdoors
- Direct sow things that don’t like to be transplanted.
- Often, seed packets will let you know when something does not transplant well or is sensitive to root disturbance. Other times, the packet will clearly recommend direct sowing.
- It’s best to direct sow root veggies or flowers with tap roots (carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips). FYI – I tried transplanting carrots when I was thinning them. I couldn’t bear to just toss the little babies. I ended up with wonky shaped roots!
- Direct sow things that like the cold or grow quickly.
- Poppies can be direct sown well before last frost, even sprinkled on top of the snow!
- Peas and flowering sweet peas: I’ve tried starting sweet peas indoors and saw no difference! They can be sprouted using the paper towel method to ensure germination. I put my veggie peas in the ground as soon as the snow melts and I can get them down into the soil, usually by Saint Patrick’s Day.
- Salad greens and radishes grow quickly and like cool weather. Radishes are on that list of things that don’t like root disturbance. You can start head-type lettuce indoors to get a jump on the season or to have some ready to replace heads that you harvest later in the season.
- Sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos. Sunflowers and zinnias prefer warmth and germinate quickly. I’ve decided it’s just not worth the time to harden them off! Sunflowers are also VERY dramatic when transplanted – expect them to droop completely for a couple of days if you do it. Cosmos won’t get a jump start on flowering if you start it inside. Its bloom time depends on daylight, so save yourself the indoor space.
I like to start a lot of things indoors. While I can typically grow frost-free from mid-May to late September, there can sometimes be a surprise later or earlier frost. Starting things inside, as space allows, lets me get a jump-start on the season and add a few extra weeks to the beginning of the growing window. I like to have flowers and veggies as soon as possible! The poster below from Hudson Valley Seed Co. is a great reference.
Seed Starting Reminders
- Check to see whether the seeds need cold stratification, or whether they germinate better with a heat mat. (Soil temperatures will be cooler than room temperatures.)
- Make sure to pre-moisten your seed starting mix before sowing. That dry, fluffy soil that comes out of the bag can be hydrophobic (fear of water!). If you place seeds on top of it, then try to water, the water will tend to pool on top, dislodging your seeds, and run unevenly straight through the mix, leaving it dry inside.
- Indoors, create humidity with a dome, plastic wrap (like covering a frosted cake – don’t let it touch the soil), or damp burlap. Remove it when the seeds have germinated.
- Make sure to have a light source indoors. Window light isn’t strong enough in winter and early spring and the seedlings will lean and get leggy. Generic shop lights are fine. I use broad spectrum/daylight LEDs and keep them just a few inches above the seedlings, adjusting the height as they grow.
