Seeds to Start Early Indoors
January 24, 2021
With the new year comes dreams of the spring garden, and we’re all itching to get growing again! Though it’s still quite early to start seeding tomatoes, bedding plants and most veggies, there’s plenty of other things to keep us growing for now.
Microgreens
Sprouting seeds are a great way to grow year round, not just in winter. You can sow into little trays for your windowsill, and snip as you go! Mckenzie and West Coast Seeds both have a wonderful selection of seeds including alfalfa, spicy mustard, lentil, broccoli and much more. Visit us to check out our selection of sprouting seeds and microgreen kits.
Great Greens to Try
We love starting cold tolerant greens indoors, as they can take a chilly windowsill, and require much less light than other veggies started early indoors. Try lettuce, kales, arugula, watercress and mache. Start now indoors to enjoy in late winter months OR plant outdoors as early as late March. Either way, it’s a great time to gather seeds now, before the unique selections are gone.
Herbs
Many woody herbs need plenty of time to grow, so now is a great time to gather your seeds and get planting. Rosemary, Thyme, Chives, Sage, Oregano are all herbs that can be planted now. Do ensure you have plenty of supplemental light to encourage strong, compact growth.
Vegetables
Though many veggies only require 6-8 weeks before being planted out, onions, garlic (from seed), chili peppers and eggplants will all benefit from an early start. Remember these will require supplemental lighting to grow nice and strong.
Perennials
Many perennials seed packets will suggest starting indoors 6-8 weeks before planting out, so aim for about mid-March. However, note that many will benefit from a stratification period of about 6-8 weeks, and this can be started now. Simply place the seed packets in the fridge (away from fresh fruits and vegetables), then seed once the chilling period is up.
Great Growing Kits
For small crops of microgreens, lettuce, cress and herbs, these compact kits make windowsill growing a breeze