Planting & seeds
When should I start my seeds?
Sowing and transplant dates counted back from your frost date, which you can pull straight from your ZIP code.
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How this works
Start from your ZIP (we use your state's typical last frost), your exact frost date, or a single crop. Offsets follow university-extension charts. Elevation and coasts shift frost dates — the exact-date tab wins when you know yours.
Questions people ask
How many weeks before last frost do I start tomatoes?
Six to eight weeks indoors. Starting earlier gives you a leggy plant that sulks at transplanting, not an earlier harvest.
What is a last frost date exactly?
The date after which a freeze is unlikely, usually the 50% or 10% probability date. It is a statistic, not a promise, so keep cover handy for a fortnight after.
Can I direct sow instead of starting indoors?
For beans, peas, corn, squash, carrots, beets and radish, direct sowing is better since they resent root disturbance. Indoors is for the long-season heat crops.