At the start of March, we give our summer garden a head start by planting the seeds of 5 varieties of tomatoes, 4 varieties of peppers, herbs, cosmos, and marigolds in our temporary greenhouse.
We also start cosmos and marigolds in the greenhouse to be transplanted—these flowers are used to attract beneficial insects to our garden, so that we don’t have to use pesticides.
My husband, Olin, builds our temporary greenhouse each year using repurposed materials. This saves us tons of money, and sets us up for success with prepping our seedlings prior to transplanting outdoors after the last frost has passed.
Why start your seeds indoors?
Sure, you could plant all seeds directly in the soil, but some seeds are “persnickety” and may not germinate well. That’s why we start many of our seeds in our temporary greenhouse first, before transplanting them outdoors after the last frost.
As you prep for your spring planting this year, here are 10 seeds to start indoors.
10 Seeds To Start Indoors:
1. Broccoli
- Time from sowing to harvest: 80 – 100 days
- When to transplant: When the seedlings have at least two sets of true leaves
2. Brussels sprouts
- Time from sowing to harvest: 45 – 60 days
- When to transplant: After 4 – 6 weeks of growth
3. Cabbage
- Time from sowing to harvest: 60 – 100 days
- When to transplant: About 6 weeks after sowing, with seedlings producing 3 – 4 adult leaves
4. Cauliflower
- Time from sowing to harvest: 30 – 80 days
- When to transplant: When the seedlings have at least two sets of true leaves
5. Eggplant
- Time from sowing to harvest: 100 – 120 days
- When to transplant: Once the seedlings are 6 – 8 inches tall and have at least 3 sets of leaves
6. Kale
- Time from sowing to harvest: 30 – 40 days
- When to transplant: When seedlings are 4 – 6 weeks old
7. Lettuce
- Time from sowing to harvest: 45 – 55 days for most varieties
- When to transplant: 4 – 6 weeks after sowing when seedlings are 2 – 3 inches tall
8. Onion
- Time from sowing to harvest: 100 – 120 days
- When to transplant: 10 – 15 weeks after sowing
9. Pepper
- Time from sowing to harvest: 60 – 90 days
- When to transplant: When seedlings have 3 – 4 adult leaves
10. Tomato
- Time from sowing to harvest: 90 – 140 days
- When to transplant: When seedlings reach 3 inches tall and have their first true adult leaves
Local to Middle Tennessee?
Join us for our How to Build a Temporary Greenhouse for Summer Gardens class!
Join us at Stoney Creek Farm in Franklin, TN on Saturday, March 5, 2022 to learn how to build your own temporary greenhouse.
In this class, you’ll learn how to build an inexpensive, temporary greenhouse that is easy to put up and take down each year. Olin Funderburk has been building our farm’s greenhouse structure for the last 11 years and is able to reuse materials year to year. Olin will provide you with a materials list and allow you to participate in building the structure, so you can see how easy it is to erect.
