Start seeds indoors this year. If you’re new to gardening we’ll show you how to plan now and start seeds indoors for a massive fall harvest. If you live in a colder climate you have a much shorter growing season. Late spring and early fall frosts can wreak havoc on tender plants. If you plan to sew seeds directly in the ground this will limit the number of plants you can grow in your garden. Starting plants indoors is an easy way to extend your growing season.
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How To plan now to start seeds indoors. Turn dreary January into the most wonderful time of the year!
There are several inches of snow on the ground here in Wisconsin. Last week we had a day where the high temperature made it to zero! It seems like spring will never come. If you’re like me the longest weeks of the year are right after Christmas. Still, there is plenty to be done. See our post, Get your Garden Ready for Spring: 5 January Tasks.
But then, a ray of light appears in your mailbox. It’s a seed catalogue. That little booklet can be the hope you need to get through the cold days and long winter nights of January. You leaf through its pages and you see photo after photo of the most gorgeous vegetables and fruits. The descriptions of new varieties of tomatoes or peas fills you with hope and anticipation. But then you look out the window and think, “Spring will never get here!”
Plan now to start your seeds indoors
Do not despair! Now is the time to begin your plan for this year’s garden. With careful planning we’ll show you how you can begin to start seeds indoors soon to get a head start on this year’s harvest.
Order Catalogs
The first step is to decide what plants you want to grow in your garden. Now here comes the fun part! Looking through seed catalogs is a great way to get inspiration on new varieties of plants. You may also decide that this is the year to venture into uncharted territory and try growing artichokes, or kohlrabi. Most seed catalogs are free to order and you’ll likely receive the annual catalogs each year in late December or Early January.
The Farmer’s Almanac has a great article linking to several different seed companies. If you don’t want to bother with recycling all the catalogs you can always search for options online. Order as many as you want but keep in mind that you may be overwhelmed with too many options. Or if you’re like us you’ll end up overspending because you have to have all the plants!
Take your time and imagine what it will feel like to be out in the warm sun. Picture yourself transplanting those young starts you tended so carefully on a glorious afternoon in early May. This kind of daydreaming will help take your mind off the reality of being cooped up inside for the 5th day in a row because outside is cold and yucky.
Make a list of the varieties that interest you. Jot down the pros and cons of each variety to help narrow down your choice. Remember unless you have unlimited acreage and all the time in the world your dream garden and your ambition may not match the reality of the space and time you can devote to caring for it.
Make Your Plan to Start Seeds Indoors
Once you’ve selected the plants you’d like to include in your garden it’s time to come up with a game plan for how you’d like to set up your garden. Here are a few things to consider when making your garden plan:
Growing zone:
Enter your zipcode into the USDA Hardiness Zone Map to determine your growing zone. Once you know your zone you can calculate when it’s safe to transplant your starts into the garden.
Rotational planting:
Planting the same vegetable in the same spot in your garden year after year is not ideal. If you are replanting in an existing garden, you’ll want to rotate what grew in each area from year to year. Your garden will provide larger yields if you move plants around yearly and plant something from a different major plant family.
The size of your garden:
Next, you’ll want to determine how large of a garden you’ll want to plant. You may only have limited space for your garden. If this is the case then you’ll need to prioritize must have vegetables fist and then if there is still leftover space you can look to add other varieties you’d like to try.
What your family will actually eat:
If no one in your family likes zucchini then there’s no sense in growing 4 plants. Growing the vegetables that your family will actually eat will also mean there will be less grumbling when you need help this summer weeding or harvesting.
How much time you have:
We all get a little heady in our ambitions in January about how wonderful having a large garden overflowing with produce will be. If you’re new to gardening, it might be best to start with a couple of small beds that won’t seem overwhelming when everything is coming on all at once.
Sunshine available:
Depending on the location different parts of your garden may receive more shade than others. Generally speaking most vegetables will do best in full sun. The plant descriptions in seed catalog will provide the light requirements to help determine where your plant will be happy.
What has previously worked in your garden:
While you may want to be bold and try a bunch of new varieties, nothing beats actual experience. Find what you like and what works well in your garden and stick to these plants as the backbone of your vegetable or fruit garden. If the majority of your garden is thriving you’ll feel better about your efforts and outcomes!
In a future post we’ll go into more details on drawing up a map of where to plant your crops in the garden space you have. For now, take a look here for some basic ideas of how to plan out your garden.
Pick the plants you want to start indoors
Now comes the fun part. It’s time to order your seeds. It’s best to order early as some varieties of seeds may have limited quantities. Ordering early will also ensure that there aren’t delays in shipping.
Order Your Supplies
You will also want to plan accordingly for the supplies you’ll need to start your seeds indoors. You can potentially save on shipping costs by purchasing seed starting trays, warming mats, grow lights, seed starting mix, plant markers, fertilizer and other seed supplies while you’re ordering your seeds. If that seems a little complicated there are also kits that will have most of the supplies you’ll need to get started.
Sit back and dream of Spring while you wait to start seeds indoors next month
Now that you’ve ordered your seeds and seed starting supplies you can sit back, relax and dream of spring! Your seeds will arrive soon and then it’s time to start planning your calendar for planting indoors.
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