#Starting cantaloupe seeds indoors free

#Starting cantaloupe seeds indoors free

Finally, plants like radishes and peas are so fast-growing and cold-tolerant that putting them right in the ground makes sense!įor seed-starting information customized to your location, check out our free online Planting Calendar.Plants with long tap roots also dislike being transplanted examples include dill and parsley. Root vegetables, like carrots, turnips, and beets, don’t like having their roots disturbed, so it’s usually safer to just start their seeds outdoors in the ground rather than transplant them later on. Some plants truly resist transplanting.These are all tender, however, so refrain from sowing them outdoors while frost is still a threat. Plants that do not transplant well and are therefore best started in the garden (or in outdoor containers) include cucumbers, muskmelon, pumpkins, squash, and watermelon.Tender vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers are very susceptible to the cold temperatures of spring, so it’s best to start them indoors and keep them safe from unpredictable weather.Those with a slower root development, like cauliflower, celery, eggplant, and peppers, should also be started indoors. Crops that are best started indoors include broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and tomatoes.Ultimately, it’s important to consider how each type of vegetable grows in addition to where you’re growing it.Ĭonsult the table below to see which crops are typically started indoors and which are typically started outdoors. Remember that there isn’t a hard-and-fast rule about what you can start indoors and outdoors it varies by your experience, personal preference, location, and the plant itself. In fact, most vegetables grow perfectly well when started outdoors and even prefer not to be transplanted.

See our list of which seeds are best started indoors versus outdoors below. Many vegetables-such as carrots and radishes-do best when started from seed directly outdoors, as they dislike having their roots disturbed once they start growing. It’s not just warm-season vegetables that can be started from seed.

Finally, seeds are much less expensive than buying plants at the garden store.

You can time the plants to be ready for when you want to plant them.

You will know how they have been raised-organically instead of bathed in a wash of chemicals.

A much wider range of varieties is available as seeds-things you would never find in a six-pack at the local garden center!.

When you plant your own seeds, you tend to have healthier starts, since you can care for them from day one. While some nursery starter plants are grown nicely, others may be of poor quality and don’t thrive once they’re home.

If you don’t start seeds indoors, you will need to buy young plants called “transplants” or “starts” at the garden store or nursery.

Starting seeds indoors allows you to gain a few precious weeks of growing time, which can really make a difference. In warmer regions, starting seeds indoors can allow you to get in an extra round of crops (especially cool-season crops) before summer heat stifles growth. In many regions (including New England and the Midwest), there are not enough growing days for those plants to get to harvest if they’re started outside. Warm-season vegetables-such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant-can’t be planted too early in the spring, as the soil is too cool. It’s actually necessary for a number of plants.Obviously, it gives you a head start on the growing season, which can lead to more fruitful harvests.10 Fast-Growing Vegetables for Cool Weather