When to start the seeds?

[jmen24]

So, the wife and I are looking to try something new this year and that is start a garden from seeds indoors. I know I need about 6-8 weeks prior to good warm soil temp to start the seeds, but what I do not know is when that usally is. I have looked at the frost tables and they give a general scope of 2 months, not much help. When are you putting your seeds in the ground in the lakes region (central NH climate area)?

This is our first full on, in the ground garden and we wanted an earlier starting harvest, as well as reducing the cost by not having to purchase started plants. I have my techique ready, but would take any pointers from folks that have been starting seeds inside or on gardening in general. Our garden site is flat, with no runoff through it, gets early sun and late afternoon shade.

Also, I do not know if anyone else is doing this, but we have prevented ourselves from getting bit by the fungus on the tomato plants by keeping the plants in buckets rather than in the ground, they seem to drain alot better (drilled holes in the bottom with stone and filter fabric below soil) and were not affected by all the moisture in the last two years. We are thinking of using the spanish moss hanging baskets we have around the house for the cherry tomatos this year as well. Has anyone tried that, were the results good or bad?

[lawn psycho]

Based on your post, I assume you are talking about a vegetable garden. With winter sowing you won't do all plants at the same time. This is true for either flower or vegetable gardens. I assume you may already know that.

There are a ton of sites to look at to give rough timelines. Do a search for "winter sowing zone 5" and have fun reading. If you have specific things you want to plant I can give some suggestions.

We gave up on the veggy gardens a few years ago as it required extensive fencing to keep the rabbits, groundhogs, turkey, deer, and every other animal that came in and had all-you-could-eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even the fencing didn't stop 'em. The only thing we didn't give them was the croutons for the salad:liplick:

[Lakesrider]

Well....I tried this the year before last. I didn't have much luck with the moving them outside for the day to harden part. as I would get home late and it would be cold and all. So The next year I tried starting the seeds indoors and then transplanting them to containers. So basically I had a bunch of pots with flowers in them that I would place on my deck and around the plant beds of my normal perennials. Such as my Hosta, evergreens and azaleas, etc. I had much better luck, doing it that way. Just a thought. :D

[winnidiver]

I am not much of a gardener, but my wife is. She is starting seeds this week. We went out and got the trays and pots yesterday. good luck in the garden.

[jmen24]

We are doing both the flowers and the vegi's, but I will check out the info. Thanks for the information.

[tis]

I always start my tomato and pepper seeds indoors. I start them in April. If I started them now, they would be way too big by planting time the endish of May, depending on the weather of course. Unless you transplant them into bigger pots, (mine at least) get too tall and leggy so that's why I don't like to start them too soon. I would not suggest planting a whole package of tomato seeds as you will get way too many plants. Mine are usually smaller than a different variety I may buy from the nursery but they catch up very quickly outside.