SHIFTING ROOTS

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Indoor Seed Starting Schedule for Easy Vegetables & Flowers

Starting seeds indoors is fun, but it can quickly get complicated when you’re trying to figure out when to start flowers, vegetables, and herbs indoors. There’s no one-size-fits-all general guidelines, and many plants have a range of weeks that they can be started.

In this post I’ll break it down and show you the best (read: easiest) seeds to start indoors, when to start them indoors, and keep it easy with pretty charts for each week.

A few disclaimers before we start–I personally garden in zone 3, so my seed starting schedule will best suit zones 2, 3, 4, and 5, because we share a similar shorter growing season.

In zone 3 it is very difficult to stagger seed and have dedicated plantings for spring and fall crops. Because of the short amount of time, most plants get planted all at once or just a few weeks apart. However, the amount of time the seed needs to be started indoors before the last frost date should work for you, no matter where in the world you garden.

I’m going to assume that you already know the basics of seed starting indoors with a grow light. If you don’t have a grow light and need to start from a window, read this post. If you don’t have decent light or space in your home, you might enjoy trying this unusual method of seed starting.

With that out of the way, let’s figure out your indoor seed starting schedule!

Is it too late to start seeds indoors?

To find the answer to that question, you’ll need to know your last Spring Frost date. You can find yours in Canada here, or in the US here. From that date, you’ll count backwards to whatever date it currently is that you’re reading this post. For example, if your last frost date is May 21st, and you’re currently reading this on April 1st, you have 7 weeks left, and can probably start most of the plants you’re hoping to start, with a few exceptions.

Some plants like broccoli, cauliflower, zinnias, and marigolds can be both seed started and direct sown, and have a lot of flexibility in timing. Other plants like peppers, tomatoes, artichokes, and others that love heat and require a long growing season are much less flexible and can be direct seeded only in the very warmest growing zones.

My friend Julia from Julia Dimakos, Gardening Girl, has a wonderful seed starting chart that you can personalize to wherever you live.

This is me with most of the seeds I started in Spring 2019.

What are the best seeds to start indoors?

I’m going to answer this question by not answering it–instead, I’ll tell you the seeds that you really shouldn’t start indoors. Every other vegetable (and most flowers) can likely be started indoors.

Do not seed start. . . .

  • Corn
  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Turnips
  • Radishes
  • Peas
  • Beans
  • Amaranthus
  • Spinach
  • Potatoes

In general, root vegetables should not be started indoors, with the exception of onions if you are starting them from seed and not bulbs. I do not recommend complete beginners start onions from seed, as it’s a very long 2 year process. Please save yourself the headache and buy onions in the little bulb form instead.

Update: Now of course, once I posted this list, a bunch of people wrote to me in disagreement. You can seed start all of the things on this list if you really want to. But I personally wouldn’t.

Okay, But What Are the Easiest Vegetables to Start Indoors?

Beginner gardeners can have good success with seed starting peppers and tomatoes. As for flowers, you can’t go wrong with marigolds, zinnia, cosmos, and calendula.

I personally have found it very difficult to start cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. It has taken me 4 years of trying to finally grow decent seedlings, and even then, they were more stretched out than I would have liked.

Seed Starting Timelines

Here are some fun graphics I’ve created to help you know exactly when to start some of the most common vegetables and flowers.

I also go into more detail about when to start vegetables in my Growing Roots Gardening Guide, and when to start cut flowers in Cut Flowers Made Simple.

In general, the flowers and vegetables that need to be started at 10 weeks, 8 weeks, and 6 weeks, can not be direct seeded successfully in colder climates with short growing seasons. Or it they are successful, they will only bloom/ripen at the very tail end of the season.

The flowers and vegetables listed in the 4 weeks section could all be direct seeded.

It’s also okay to start these seeds the week after they are listed. For example, it’s okay to start Week 10 seeds in Week 9, Week 8 seeds in Week 7, and so on.

I hope this little seed starting guide helps you on your gardening adventures. What will you be seed starting this year?

10 Easiest Annual Cut Flowers to Grow From Seed and 2 to Avoid

Growing a cut flower garden, whether it’s a small plot in your backyard or for profit as part of a flower farm is extremely rewarding. While many perennial flowers make beautiful cut flowers, the true heart of a cut flower garden is annual flowers grown from seed.

Starting flowers from seed can seem intimidating, but it’s quite easy once you get the hang of it. I’ve compiled a list with pictures of my favourite annual cut flowers that are easy to grow, plus a list of those which are harder for beginners. It doesn’t mean you can’t grow the harder ones, they’re just a bit more challenging!

Hey! If you’re someone who likes videos better, this one is for you!

How Long Does it Take to Grow Cut Flowers from Seed?

The days to maturity of each annual flower will vary. The seed packet of each flower variety will give a range of how long the flower needs to grow. Most cut flowers that I grow have a range of 70-100 days to maturity.

One confusing thing about the term “days to maturity” is that it measures the time it takes from the seed being in the ground to the first bloom that opens. This means that you might have 70 days until the first bloom, but it might be more like 80 or 85 days until the flower really gets going.

This is probably not a problem in places with longer growing seasons, but I live in zone 3 in Saskatchewan, where we only have 90-100 growing days depending on what the frost decides to do that year.

Because I have a short growing season, I start almost all of my cut flowers indoors, then direct seed a second crop of the seeds with a shorter number of days to maturity. This way, I’m guaranteed flowers even if we have an early frost and something unexpected happens at either end of the growing season.

When Do I Start Flowers From Seed Indoors?

Generally, I start my flowers 4-6 weeks before I intend to set them outside. I have started them earlier, but I find that they are difficult to harden off and take forever to get going. I’m working on refining my hardening off process, and I promise to share it with you when I find something that’s a little more fool-proof.

That said, there are some varieties that need to be started 8 weeks or more before you intend to plant. Check your seed packets to confirm when it’s best to plant.

Where is the Best Place to Buy Cut Flower Seeds?

You can buy cut flower seeds at your local garden centre or from online seed companies. If you don’t care too much about specific varieties and colours, it’s fine to pick up whatever you find at a garden centre or even a big box store.

If you’re looking for specific specialty colours or the prettiest flowers to blow up your IG feed, you’ll probably need to order online. I’ve compiled a list of the best places to buy seeds for a cutting garden in Canada, the US, and Europe.

Related: The Best Places to Buy Cut Flower Seeds Online

The Best Annual Cut Flower Seeds for Beginners

With all that out of the way, here are my favourite easy-to-grow cut flowers that are perfect for beginners. At the end of the list, I’ll also include others which I think you should avoid, either because they have really long days to maturity, or are difficult to grow.

1. Amaranth

Amaranth is one of the easiest possible flowers for a beginner, especially the Love Lies Bleeding variety pictured here. Direct sow early in the spring, basically forget about them (an occasional watering is appreciated) and collect the blooms in the fall.

2. Calendula

Calendula is a multipurpose flower in the garden. It’s a beautiful and versatile cut flower, it is a beneficial flower in the vegetable garden, and it’s leaves are great dried in homemade beauty products. Who knew a flower that’s so pretty could have so many uses?

3. Cosmos

Cosmos are a wonderful cut-and-come-again flower. There are so many beautiful varieties available that you don’t have to just stick to the basic ones. Try the cupcake, double flowering, or lemon varieties.

4. Pincushions

Pincushions are amazing because they look good at every point in their life cycle. Whether you cut them when they’re just emerging, in bloom, or as a seed pod, they look interesting in the vase.

P.S. When you’re done planning your cut flower garden, come back and watch this video to make the best bouquets.

5. Rudbeckia

Rudbeckia is available in both perennial and annual varieties. This beautiful flower will bloom in late summer and last all the way into the fall until a hard frost.

6. Snapdragons

Snapdragons are easy to find in garden centres and big box stores if you aren’t able to start them from seed yourself. Look for the Madame Butterfly and Rocket varieties to ensure they grow tall enough for cutting.

Snapdragons are surprisingly hardy, and will survive the first frost of the season.

7. Stock

Stock is not a cut-and-come-again flower, but it’s so pretty and so easy to start from seed that it still makes my list. My stock plants also survived the hardening off process in the spring the easiest.

8. Strawflowers

Strawflowers are hands down my new favourite cut flower to grow from seed. Almost every seed I planted came up, they last a long time in the vase, are a cut-and-come-again flower, and are easy and fun to save seeds from. Just make sure you purchase a tall variety, and not a dwarf one that’s meant for pots.

9. Sunflowers

A fall garden isn’t complete without sunflowers! You don’t have to stick with just the yellow ones either. There’s a whole range of beautiful blooms in brown, red, pink, and orange too, with many variations in between. Choose branching varieties so you get the most blooms possible.

10. Zinnias

In my opinion, zinnias are the backbone of a cut flower garden. There’s so many varieties with gorgeous, vibrant colours, in any size. They’re easy to start from seed, and grow well direct soon too. For something different, try growing the Zinderella and Queen Lime varieties.

Cut Flowers Beginners Should Avoid

While I’m a firm believer that you should plant what you love, I also think a head’s up as to what might be difficult for beginners is good too. The following flowers on my list are either hard to grow, had some surprising negatives for them, or require an extra long period to maturity.

Please remember that it’s my personal opinion and what is difficult in my zone 3 garden on the prairies, might not be as difficult where you live.

Poppies

Okay, okay, stop sharpening your pitchforks! I love poppies, but here’s why I think they might not be the best choice for beginners.

  1. Icelandic poppies are finicky to grow in a short growing season. I was able to get them to work by starting them in compostable newsprint pots (Icelandic poppies don’t like to be transplanted, but have a longer period of maturity that doesn’t work in my growing zone). Clearly, from the photo above, I was able to get them to work. However, I don’t think most beginners would be willing to do all the extra steps.
  2. Poppy Blooms are short lived. Last year I planted Thai, Shirley, California, and Icelandic poppies. No matter what variety it was, the blooms barely lasted.
  3. Poppies tend to Re-Seed themselves. This can be a great thing or a terrible thing. The poppies I planted from seed two years ago reseeded themselves and I was thrilled. However, you might not be so thrilled if you didn’t know that poppies would reseed and you didn’t want them there every year.
  4. Poppy stems aren’t that strong. Again, this isn’t the end of the world. But I find it really annoying when I want to put them in a bouquet with other flowers.

Lisianthus

The lisianthus flower is stunningly beautiful, much like a rose. However, it takes around 200 days to mature and requires very specific growing conditions. Again, I realize that this flower is not impossible to grow, and with a bit of research you can figure it out. But if you’re a beginner, it’s probably best to wait a few years before you tackle it.

P.S. This is the only picture in this post that isn’t of a flower grown by me in my garden.

See what’s possible and learn how I designed my small space backyard cut flower garden in this video. . .

Ready to grow your own beautiful cut flower garden, without the hassel?

I’ve taken all the guesswork out of creating a cut flower garden with my e-book, Cut Flowers Made Simple. It’s the perfect way for beginner and intermediate gardeners to start their own cut flower garden with or without seed starting.

Click on the picture to find out more or get your copy.

So what do you think? Any flower you think should be added to this list? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Do This One Thing to Prevent Your Plants from Dying this Spring

You’ve started your seedlings or purchased plants from the greenhouse, and it’s finally time to plant them! In your rush to grow things you plop them into the ground and hope for the best, only to find your precious plants withered, burned, or looking scraggly at best.

What went wrong?

You, my friend, were probably unaware that plants need to be hardened off–a term to define the process of toughening up your plants to handle life outdoors. Thankfully it’s pretty easy to do, it just takes a little time and a little know-how.

It's time to put your seedlings into the garden, but if you miss this one crucial step they'll likely die. Don't let your vegetable and flower plants that you've been seed starting since February and March go to waste! #seedlings #seedstarting #garden #gardening

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Know Your Last Frost Date

The first step to properly hardening off your seedlings is to know the last frost date for your area. I like to use this finder from the Farmer’s Almanac.

You’ll then start the hardening off process a week before you intend to plant. For example, I typically plant my garden the third weekend in May, so I’ll start the hardening off process the 2nd weekend in May.

The one exception? My heat loving plants like peppers and tomatoes. I’ll start the hardening off process the 3rd week of May and set them out into the garden the 4th week of May, or even the first week of June.

It's time to put your seedlings into the garden, but if you miss this one crucial step they'll likely die. Don't let your vegetable and flower plants that you've been seed starting since February and March go to waste! #seedlings #seedstarting #garden #gardening

Find a Shady Spot

The difference between the amount of light a plant gets outdoors and indoors is huge–even if you grew that plant in a south facing window. Seedlings need to start the hardening off process in a shady spot outdoors and slowly be allowed more light as the week progresses.

Yes, this means you’re moving your plants around a lot. You’ll also likely need to bring them indoors at night, especially at the beginning of the week or if it gets too close to freezing.

If your seedlings live in a temporary greenhouse that zips open and close, it’s probably fine to open the door during the day and close it up at night.

Protect From Wind too!

Harsh winds can also ruin your seedlings. Some gardeners run a gentle fan breeze on their seedlings indoors to toughen them up and make the stems stronger. You don’t have to do this step, but your seedlings should be hardened off in an area outdoors that is safe from strong winds.

If your seedlings are going into a garden area where there is no wind protection, try and use pallets or something to provide a temporary wind break to the area.

It's time to put your seedlings into the garden, but if you miss this one crucial step they'll likely die. Don't let your vegetable and flower plants that you've been seed starting since February and March go to waste! #seedlings #seedstarting #garden #gardening

Cheat and Use a Cloche

A cloche is just a fancy word for a clear cover for plants. It can be something that you buy like these cloches, or you can cut up milk jugs. Whatever you use, they’re a great way to protect your plants and heat up the soil.

I also use mine to keep birds and unwanted pests away.

Do I have to harden off my plants?

Last year, somewhat by accident, I discovered a different way of making starter plants that doesn’t require them to be hardened off. I was trying out winter sowing in milk jugs for the first time and was curious if the method would work with vegetables. It did, and the resulting plants were already acclimatized to the outdoors and didn’t need to be hardened off.

This year I’ll continue to run experiments with more vegetables, but if you want to try it yourself, here’s how.

It's time to put your seedlings into the garden, but if you miss this one crucial step they'll likely die. Don't let your vegetable and flower plants that you've been seed starting since February and March go to waste! #seedlings #seedstarting #garden #gardening

Plant Like This for Best Success

Finally, when it comes time to put your seedlings into the ground, there’s a few simple things you can do to give them a head start.

  • Try and plant your garden in the evening or on a cloudy day.
  • Protect taller seedlings with a cloche, milk jug, or large coffee can from the wind for a few more days.
  • Wait until after the last frost date, and watch the weather to be sure it doesn’t go below freezing overnight.
  • Put your hand in the soil. If it feels cold, it’s probably still not time to plant most of your vegetables.

Hardening off your flower and vegetable seedlings is a little extra work, but that week of effort will pay off big time with a garden that you’ll be proud of.

P.S. If you’re seed starting for the first time and wondering what to use with a grow light, I use a system similar to this seed starting kit. I also love this window sill kit if you’re using natural light.

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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