It’s the middle of April… did you miss the seed starting boat?
Great news- No!
In fact, starting seeds now rather than mid-March means that your plants might not get leggy or overwhelmingly large before it’s time to put them outside. We’re about 6 weeks from our average last frost, and time still is on your side.
Outdoors, sow your peas, lettuces, carrots, beets, parsley, and cilantro. They love cooler weather so you won’t need to worry when the temperatures are cold. You can also sow snapdragons, violas and pansies, sweet peas, and blends for pollinators, hummingbirds, birds, and bees. When sowing the blends, use around a quarter to half of the packet and save the rest to saw again in three to four weeks. This way you have a staggered germinating and blooming start; if the last frost is early, you have a bumper crop and if there is a late frost you have more to restart with. Gotta love the Colorado garden gamble…
As far as seeds to start indoors, absolutely start your tomato, pepper, most herbs, broccoli, cauliflower, and tomatillo seeds now. The best time is between April 9th and April 28th.
Hold off starting melons, cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins until later. Starting them indoors too early can make them unruly and prone to problems when it is time to transplant them (unless you have a lot of room and circulation).
Remember to have a really good indoor light source and/or a lighting system to maintain plant growth and health. Keep the soil damp and watch for signs of mold. Consider adding a fan once the sprouts have leaves. This builds sturdy stalks, essential for being outdoors- plants without that stimulation are very prone to bending and breaking once they are in daily breezes and inevitable windy storms.
If you start them in small cells or expanding peat pellets, be sure you are ready to move them to a larger pot before transplanting outdoors. Giving the roots lots of space is key to a healthy plant.
Check back for more information about seed starting, next steps in planting, fertilizing, and more!
