Seed Starting Guide

1. Count backward from your last frost

Seed packets say things like “start indoors 6 weeks before last frost.” Find your date with our growing-zone finder, mark it on the calendar, and count back — most tomatoes, peppers and brassicas fall in a tidy March-to-April window.

2. Give them more light than feels reasonable

A sunny windowsill is rarely enough. Hang a simple shop light two inches above the seedlings and raise it as they grow, running it 14 to 16 hours a day. Stocky stems come from light; leggy stems come from wishful thinking.

3. Water from below, then let them breathe

Set trays in a shallow reservoir so cells drink upward, then drain it away — soggy mix breeds damping-off. A small fan on low for a few hours a day builds sturdier stems than any fertilizer.

4. Feed lightly, pot up once

When the first true leaves appear, feed at quarter strength weekly. When roots circle the cell, move seedlings one step up — a 4-inch pot is the last stop before the garden for most crops.

5. Harden off before transplanting

Seven to ten days of graduated outdoor time — shade first, then morning sun, then full days — turns greenhouse-soft seedlings into garden-ready plants. Skip this and a single windy afternoon can undo six weeks of work.