Hey fellow gardeners! I'm gearing up to start seeds indoors for the very first time, and I need some advice. I'm in zone 6b, hanging out around 7000 feet elevation, and our last frost date typically falls around May 25th. I'm curious about what I can kick off early. I'm considering starting onions, basil, and peas now, and then maybe tomatoes, cabbage, and squash around mid-next month. I'm not too worried about hardening off, but I'm a little concerned about the intense sun here, so I want to make sure my plants are mature enough before I move them outside. Any tips would really help out!
3 Answers
The Old Farmer's Almanac is a great resource! You can enter your zip code on their website and get a personalized schedule on when to start your seeds, both indoors and outdoors. Really handy!
Definitely check the seed packets you have. Most of the info you need for starting times is right there! It could save you some guesswork.
For peas, you can actually direct sow them and they'll usually be one of the first crops to pop up. Since you're in the same zone but at a lower elevation, you should be good to start anything that's frost-hardy now, and you can plant them outside in about 6 weeks. A good rule is to wait until around Memorial Day for your tomatoes, which means starting them about 8 weeks before. Just keep an eye on the weather, especially for hardening off; if you can find 5 days of overcast weather, that's ideal!
Johnny's Selected Seeds also has a fantastic seed planting schedule calculator you might want to check out. It’s super useful!