Gardening with Allen: Start plants in a sunny window

I have been considering starting some of my own vegetable and flower plants inside this spring. Have you had experience that might be helpful to me?

I have started some of my own plants for many years in two sunny windows with good success. I will be starting some very soon. South-facing windows work best but east and west windows are also OK.

For best success, there are two pieces of equipment that I would recommend. I use a heated seed starting mat to speed seed germination. I also use some grow lights to add to the natural light from the window. Seed starting mats are available for as little as $10. LED grow lights are about twice that amount. Seeds stay on the mat until they have sprouted. They go under the lights as soon as they sprout. I leave the lights on 24 hours a day.

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard, kale, collards, pak choi and kohlrabi are cold-tolerant vegetables which can be planted outside as early as March. They need about six to seven weeks from seed sowing to outside planting. Seed could be started in early February. Onion and celery are similar but take about eight weeks.

Tomato, pepper and eggplant are frost tender vegetables which should not be planted outside until late April. Tomato and eggplant require about eight weeks to grow a transplantable plant. Peppers require about 10 weeks. A good date for starting tomato and eggplant seed would be about March 1. Peppers should be started about two weeks earlier. Start sooner if you want larger plants

Cucumber, melon, squash and pumpkin seed only require about four to five weeks from seed planting to outside transplanting. None of these do very well until weather has warmed so I seldom plant them outside before early May. Appropriate seed planting time would be about late March.

Flowers are divided into three groups. Perennial flowers and the following annuals need 12 or more weeks to grow transplantable plants: alyssum, begonia, candytuft, carnation, dahlia, dianthus, gazania, gerbera, heliotrope, impatiens, lobelia, pansy, petunia, portulaca, salvia, snapdragon, verbena, vinca. Eight week group: calendula, celosia, hibiscus, marigold, nasturtium, zinnia. Sunflowers only need four or five weeks.

As soon as daytime temperatures reach 50 degrees, I put plants with four to five leaves outside in the daytime and bring them in at night. This combination of cool bright days with warmer nights causes plants to become more compact. Place plants in the shade the first few days outside until they get used to the bright sun. Plants dry out faster outside than inside and may need to be watered more than once.

Related Stories