Is it time to start seeds??

It’s April and I am now getting this question from many family and friends. Is it time to start seeds? I see you starting seeds, do I need to too??

Mostly, no. But also, maybe? :)

Contrary to what we might think, there ARE some seeds that like a colder start. Some of those like to be in the ground in the early spring or even the fall! And they thrive with the freezing and thawing that happens all winter and into spring, and then they’re ready to break open and grow. (Think about the perennials you see in your own yard, around town, or even in ditches. Many of them drop their own seeds and those seeds are what grow back each spring.)

Many seeds that we typically think of as nice, warm, summer annuals, however, do not tolerate frost, so they need to wait until the threat of frost has passed.

So, first things first, look up what your last frost date is. Here in west Michigan, our last frost date is May 15. This website is a quick look at zones and dates.

Once you’ve determined that date, you can easily choose to just plant seeds that need to be planted out after that date. (See my quick guide below.) Many of these will say on the back of the seed packet, “Sow after threat of frost has passed,” but the first few I tell people to try are zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, celosia, marigolds, or bachelor buttons. They typically germinate and grow easily, so you’ll feel very successful (and you’ll also have a beautiful little cutting garden).

Next, if there are more that you tend to love or you want to try a bit more, you’ll want to look at the flowers that need to be started a bit earlier. One that people LOVE but needs more time is snapdragons. A few others listed in the guide below are bells of ireland, craspedia, statice, stock, or strawflower. If you don’t want to start them from seeds, then choose to grab a few plants from the garden center and use those! Otherwise, you’ll want to follow the back of the seed packet (and probably do some more of your own research) to determine when to start those seeds. Each one has its own needs and ways that it will thrive.

While I won’t go into detail here about how to start those seeds or what each seed needs, hopefully this gives you a quick glance/idea of how to determine if you should plan to start seeds early (March or April), or if you can wait until after your last frost date.

And for quick reference, here is my guide to help you determine what to plant and when.