Spring Seed Starting Guide – How to Start Seeds Inside and Outside

Seed starting both inside and outside needs to have a little bit of planning to be successful. Read on to learn about what you need to do to ensure a good start for your seeds you want to plant in your garden this year.

Right now there is snow on the ground and the dirt in my garden is frozen solid.

And it is the perfect time to be planning my garden and even starting some seeds here in the next few weeks.

Why You Should Grow Seeds instead of Buying Plant Starts

No matter where you are in your gardening journey, it is a good time to learn about planting seeds versus purchasing already grown plant starts at the big box stores or a local nursery.

When I first started out, I did not know much about planting with seeds and mostly purchased starts at the store.

Since then I have learned a lot and why it is good to know about planting seeds. Here are some of them:

• You save a lot of money (seeds are much cheaper than plant starts)
• You can grow more varieties (the variety of plants you can get with seeds is much better than when you only purchase what local stores have in stock)
• An earlier harvest of produce from your garden when seeds have a chance to start inside

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Step One – What to Grow

Decide which produce your family enjoys eating and that you think you would like to grow this year.

People keep trying to convince me to grow radishes because they are an easy to grow crop. But they are not real popular around here and end up wasted.

So, once again, don’t bother growing what won’t be eaten.

That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try something new each year. So many things taste so much better when you grow them than what you can buy, so its always worth growing something new to see if your family enjoys it out of the back yard.

Making a list at this point is a good idea so you don’t get overwhelmed when you go to buy seeds.

The things I think of when I make my list are: What do we purchase a lot in the store? Also, what is hard for us to get organically or on the dirty dozen list that has a lot of chemicals on it from growing conditions? Can I easily get it at a u-pick for a great price? And most of all – what just tastes so much better from a home garden?

For us this is (for starts):

• Green beans
• Tomatoes
• Strawberries
• Peppers
• Greens (chard, kale)
• Lettuce

Step Two – Getting your Seeds

Right now in 2021 seeds are being sold at a much higher rate than most years. People are wanting to grow their own food, which is a good thing. However, you might need to work a little harder to get the seeds you want right now.

If you haven’t seen my article on how to get seed catalogs for free, it’s a great resource for dreaming up what you would like to have in your garden. Depending on what time of year you are reading this, you might have time to request some catalogs. If not, heading online or to your local nursery is your best bet for your seed purchasing.

I started my ordering in October and have ordered up though February. Some of the companies that I have ordered from this year or last are:

• Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
• High Mowing Organic
• Territorial Seed Company
• MIGardener
• Wood Prairie Farm
• St. Clare Heirloom Seeds

I also participated in several seed swaps through Instagram this year, which I loved. I sent off 25 or 50 seed packets and a month later I got the same amount in all kinds of different seeds. It is such a cool deal. Watch out for these exchanges usually starting in November through February.

Step Three – Figuring out When and Where to Plant the seeds

When I first started gardening all I did was go to the nursery and buy plant starts. I knew my last frost date was mid May and people around here always said to wait until after Mother’s Day. So that’s what I did. I planted out everything then.

I had no idea that I could start planting a lot sooner.

Now I know that there is such a thing as cold weather crops that can be planted as soon as the ground is defrosted.

Now I know that there is a progression to planting seeds and seed starts and it starts well before your last frost date.

There are two great resources for knowing when to plant your seeds.

I use the app Seed to Spoon on my phone to look up information on seed starting specific to my region. They give date ranges for seed starting indoors and direct seeding (outdoors) and also so much more like how to best water, fertilize, and common pests and treatments for each plant. I highly recommend this app, especially since it will be handy on your phone.

The other source that has a ton of information for all things planting and growing, but is also good for seed starting is The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Type in your zip code for the best information on when to start seeds in your area.

Step Four – How to Organize all the information

For me, this is the time to grab a notebook and extra calendar. With the above app and website in hand, I look up each type of plant I am planning to start from seed and write it down. I then write down if the seed should be started indoors or direct seeded in the ground outside.

I then sit with my calendar and write down the ideal dates all this will happen.

So for me it might look like this:

Tomatoes –

I know that I have to start these seeds inside as they will never produce if I planted them directly into the ground. Also, I know that tomatoes are not frost tolerant and need to be planted outside after the last frost (mid May here). In order to have my plants ready by then, I will need to plant the seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before I plan to put them outside. That puts my seed starting date for tomatoes mid-end of March. More on how to do this below.

Peas –

Peas are a plant that does best if it is directly seeded into the dirt in your garden. They do not like to have their roots disturbed. They are also cold tolerant (can tolerate a light frost) and can be planted as soon as the ground isn’t frozen anymore. That means late March here, and sometimes earlier as we don’t get too many deep frosts late in March.

Green Beans –

Green beans also like to be direct seeded. But they are frost sensitive and need to be planted out after the last frost. So for us that means they get planted out in the garden directly into the dirt after Mother’s Day.

As you can see, there is some planning and forethought needed. I do a lot of planning in January and February, but don’t start any seeds indoors or out until March (mostly). It also means that March, April, and May are very busy with seed starting.

However, I also tried something new this year for seed starting and actually did plant the majority of my seeds much earlier due to doing Winter Seed Sowing. More on that later.

Step Five – Supplies you will need for seed starting

Indoor Seed Starting

There are a few supplies you will need for indoor seed starting to be successful. Most of them can be used year after year.

Here is a list below of what you need with easy delivery if ordered through the links. But if you want to get better prices, check around at your local nursery to see what their prices are.

Must Have Items

• Seed Starting Cells – these are the containers you will fill with seed starting potting mix
• Seed Starting Trays – these trays are what you put the cells into to keep them together and for watering
• Dome for Trays – the domes keep the newly planted seeds moist while germinating and are removed after a sprouts are up
• Potting Mix – you don’t want to use just any dirt to start seeds and this is a good choice

Nice to Have Additions

• Grow Lights – For most people these are a necessity and are best for your plant starts. Sometimes you can get away with a warm sunny window, but your plants will probably be less robust. Deanna over at Homestead and Chill has a good article on how to purchase grow lights.
• Seedling Heat Mat – These waterproof mats are great for under the trays to warm up and start off your seedlings well. I am getting some of these ordered soon.
• Sprinkler Nozzle for bottle tops to water your seedlings

How to Do it on the Cheap

In place of the seed starting cells and trays you can use several items from around your house such as:

• Egg cartons (cardboard or plastic with holes punched in the bottom) or plant right into the egg shells like in the picture
• Toilet paper rolls
• Any other plastic container destined for the recycle bin as long as you punch holes in the bottom and have something to set it in. I tend to save these throughout the year so that I have what I need when it comes to seed starting. The clear plastic clam shell containers with holes that many fruits come in are good for this too and usually have holes already in the bottom.

Outdoor Seed Starting

The only thing you need to start your seeds outdoors is your prepared garden bed and the right timing.

Seed Starting Fun

I hope you have enough information now to get your garden dreams going with new types of plants you have grown from seed. It is so much fun to see the whole process from tiny seed to full grown plant and know that you did it all yourself.

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