February:
Spring is right around the corner.
February 2 marks the official midpoint of winter. Most plants will either still be dormant or just beginning to stir.
Start your spring planting indoors. The timing is very important, the plant needs to be large enough to move outdoors without being spindly and overgrown.
To figure out when to start your seeds, you need to know three things:
Frost Date: Your average last spring frost date is the key to planting in your area.
Growing Time: You need to know the average number of weeks between planting seeds and transplanting seedlings. The growing time varies depending on what you’re planting and should be on the seed packet label. The average growing time is usually between 4 and 12 weeks.
Planting Time: Warm-season vegetables can’t go outside until after the last frost, while cool-season veggies can go outside up to a month before the last frost.
Be sure to check the label of each seed packet, since different varieties of a particular vegetable may have different levels of cold tolerance. Here’s a general guide to help you plan your spring planting times:
| Vegetable | Indoor Growing Time | Outdoor Planting Time |
|---|---|---|
| Broccoli | 5-7 weeks | 4-6 weeks before last frost |
| Cabbage | 5-7 weeks | 4-6 weeks before last frost |
| Corn | 4-5 weeks | After last frost |
| Cucumber | 3-4 weeks | After last frost |
| Eggplant | 6-8 weeks | After last frost |
| Lettuce & Spinach | 4-6 weeks | 4 weeks before last frost |
| Okra | 6-8 weeks | After last frost |
| Pepper | 6-8 weeks | After last frost |
| Pumpkin | 3-4 weeks | After last frost |
| Summer Squash | 3-4 weeks | After last frost |
| Tomato | 6-8 weeks | After last frost |
| Watermelon | 3-4 weeks | After last frost |
