What seeds to start indoors now (6 weeks before last frost)

Starting seeds in peat pods and Aerogarden

Saturday, February 22, 2025

There are several varieties of herbs, veggies and flowers that can be started this week indoors.  Many are the same that you could have started last week.  Planting another round will extend the harvest.  I like to start every 2 weeks for succession planting.  The other option is planting different varieties of the same vegetable or fruit that have different days to harvest.  We are getting more of the summer lovers and less of the cool season crops.  Shortly, it will be time to start seeds outdoors for cool season lovers.  

For our zone 7 garden, here are the ones you can sow indoors now: 

Herbs 

*Borage

*Chives

*Feverfew

*Lavender

*Lovage

*Oregano

*Parsley

*Red Shiso

*Rosemary

*Sage

*Salad burnett

*Spearmint

*Stevia

*Thyme

*Valerian

*Woad

Veggies/Fruits

*Alpine Strawberries

*Amaranth

*Artichoke

*Asparagus

*Basil

*Broccoli

*Cardoon

*Cauliflower

*Eggplant

*French Dandelion

*French Sorrel

*Huckleberry

*Kohlrabi

*Spinach

*Cabbage

*Lettuce

*Okra

*Parsnip

*Peppers

*Red Malabar Spinach

*Russian Tarragon

*Tamarillo

Flowers and Ornamentals

*Allyssium

*Blazing Star

*Blue Fescue

*Castor bean

*Celosia

*Coleus

*Cosmos

*Daisy

*Delphinium

*English Wallflower

*Forget-Me-Not

*Fountain Grass

*Heliotrope

*Hibiscus

*Hollyhock

*Love-in-a-Mist

*Lupine

*Verbena

*Datura

*Salvia

*Marigold

*Milkweed

*Morning Glory

*Pepper, Ornamental

*Petunia

*Phlox

*Statice

*Sweet Pea

*Sweet William

*Torch Lily

*Verbascum Mullein

*Zinnia

*Black-eyed Susan

*Safflower

*Snow-on-the-Mountain

*Nigella

*Painted Tongue

*Pincushion flower

Fewer of the veggies and herbs listed are cool season producers.  For more on cool season gardening, see A spring edible garden. At this point, we are adding more of the staples of the summer garden like tomatoes, basil, peppers and eggplant.  For more on summer gardening, see  All about the summer edible garden 

For indoor seed starting how-to and tips:  Indoor seed starting how to and tips

For making your own seed starting pots:  Make your own peat pots 

If you are transplanting seedlings from indoors to outdoors, be sure to harden them to the conditions they will be transplanted to.  If in a greenhouse, cold frame or hot bed, you can take outdoors when temperatures are warm or maybe an unheated garage if the temps are close to the covered location you will be placing them.  "Hardening off" seedlings 

Now, if only spring would come!