When to Start Seeds Indoors

Spring cannot get here soon enough! I'm tired of winter, and I'm ready to get started on my garden! While it's still too wet and cold this time of year in central Kentucky to plant much of anything outside, I can soon start some of my seeds indoors where it's safe and warm. It's important to be patient and start seeds indoors at the appropriate time before the last frost date so your plants aren't ready to transplant before the weather is right! Let's take a look and determine when we should start our seeds indoors!

The data map below shows the average last freeze date (last frost date) over the last 30 years in the contiguous United States:

Image: Map of Average Last Freeze Dates in the U.S. Source: When to Expect Your Last Spring Freeze. National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). (2023, July 27). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/last-spring-freeze

Finding your approximate location on the map and then referring to the color key at the bottom of the map will tell you the approximate last frost date in your area (always keep check on your local weather for the most accurate forecast). According to the data from the map, my approximate last frost date will be April 1-15. Now that I know my approximate last frost date, I can refer to the info on the back of each seed packet to determine when to start my seeds indoors!

Image: Seeds on Table. Source: Gardenbythetracks

I save and trade/share seeds with family and friends each year and, therefore, usually end up with several seeds that do not come with any information. For those seeds which we do not have any information on, let's refer to the chart I've compiled below to determine when we should start certain seeds indoors:

Image: When to Start Seeds Indoors Chart. Source: Gardenbythetracks

Using the info in the chart above and my last frost date of approximately April 1-15, I can plug in the dates and subtract the weeks in this Date Calculator from TimeandDate.com to calculate when to start each type of seed indoors!

Date Calculator

Image: Screenshot of Date Calculator. Source: Calculator: Add to or subtract from a date (timeanddate.com)

I should be able to start my seeds indoors somewhere in these date ranges:

Image: When to Start Seeds Indoors in Central Kentucky Chart. Source: Gardenbythetracks

What about beans, beets, carrots, corn, potatoes and all the other vegetables? Unfortunately, those other veggies we love so much don't transplant well and should not be started indoors. When it comes to starting the seeds we're able to indoors:

• Determine your last frost date using the map above

• Subtract the weeks before last frost date from the Hi/Lo last frost date

• Talk with other gardeners in your area and get their insights and opinions

• Watch the babies of your future garden grow!