February is the time to start thinking about your spring and summer garden plans. Many plants have a better chance of becoming strong and healthy when they are started indoors, making transplanting them outside quite a bit easier, later in the spring.

Not all fruit and veggie seeds are created equal however, and some don’t do well when started inside.

Generally, many of your root vegetables are better off being directly sown into your garden once the soil is workable, as root development is crucial with those types of plants. Beets, carrots, potatoes, onions and the like should not be started inside for fear of disrupting their roots; but tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, lettuces, greens, cauliflower, etc. are great candidates for starting indoors.

There are many reasons you may want to start plants indoors and ready them for transplanting later in the season. Keep reading to learn more!

Why Should I Start Seeds Indoors?

• Cost Effective. Buying packs of seeds and starting them is often cheaper than buying flats of ready to transplant seedlings.

• Tweak Growing Preferences. Starting seeds indoors gives you some control over how you want to raise your plant babies- for example, if you want to raise organic plants, you won’t have to worry about their origins if you were the one to start the seeds yourself.

• Flexibility and variety. Often times when you go to visit a nursery, you may not always find the plant starts you want, yet if you go online and search a seed website, you may find hundreds of different fruits and vegetables and be able to buy the seeds you want without being limited to what the nursery has.

• Extends the growing season. If you start seeds indoors, you are adding to precious grow time that your plants may need in order to thrive. This rings especially true if you live in a colder climate, where any fair weather is advantageous to your fruit and veggie patches, and ultimately lead to better yields when it’s time to harvest than if you started them outside.

Getting Started

Are you ready to try your hand at starting seeds indoors? Here is what you will need:

• Seeds! This one is a given. Request catalogs or go online to explore what kind of seeds are the best fit for you and your family to grow.

• Planting trays and/or small containers

• Seed starting mix or potting soil

• Labels

• Plastic bags or tray covers

• Marker

• Grow light (if needed)

Now that you’ve gotten all of your supplies together, you can begin sowing the seeds by filling up your trays or containers with potting soil and gently planting the seeds in them. Be sure to follow the directions on the packages of seeds, as they will explain in more detail how to plant certain seed types as well as growing time, sunlight needs etc.

For more information on how to begin the process of starting seeds indoors, click here! 

As you can see, starting seedlings indoors has many benefits! Whether you want stronger, healthier plants, or bigger yields, getting seeds off to the right start can make a hugely positive difference in your gardening experience!