The best seeds to start indoorMarigolds, Zinnias, Cosmos, Alyssum, Celosia, Impatiens, Morning Glory, Nasturtium. One of my all-time favorite flowers, marigolds are super easy seeds to grow indoors. They attract pollinators and can also help deter garden pests. Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the average planting date in the spring.
Two of my favorite strains are French marigold and Crackerjack. Castor seeds can be a little picky, so it's much easier to start them indoors. Once they sprout, the seedlings grow very quickly. Red castor is my favorite type, and they are beautiful.
Plant the seeds indoors about a month before you plan to move them outdoors. Learn how to grow castor bean from seed here. In addition, they take a long time to ripen from seed. Plant seeds within 8 to 10 weeks before they can be transplanted outside.
I like this rainbow coleus mix. Plant them indoors 8 to 12 weeks before the average planting date in the spring. Little Prince is a cute variety of containers, and Black Beauty is a more traditional type of eggplant. Peppers are super easy plants to grow indoors from seed.
Some of my favorites are Sweet Bell, Cayenne Hot and Jalapeños. Start with them 8-12 weeks before your last frost date in early. Certain seeds can be sown 10-12 weeks before the last frost date in your area, either indoors or in a greenhouse. Here, they are protected from a cold snap and are ready to plant them in the garden when spring comes.
A full spectrum light is closest to daylight and should have a Kelvin rating of 5000 to 6500 K. The number of lights needed can be calculated using lumens. Seedlings require between 2000 and 3000 lumens per square foot of space, so the more seeds you want to grow indoors, the more lighting you'll need. LEDs can burn plants if placed too close (a foot or more is best), but fluorescent lights work best when placed closer, about 4 inches above the seeds.
Some manufacturers will specify the optimal height. Germinated seedlings need at least 12 hours of good light a day and 8 hours of darkness to rest. If you are using trays with cells, plant 2-3 seeds in one cell for a better chance of success. Lose weight if necessary once they have grown a few centimeters tall.
There is one type of phlox for all parts of a garden, from green covers to medium and tall varieties. The annual phlox variety, Phlox drumondii, is of medium height and comes in a variety of colors from blue, white, pink, purple and red. Cosmos are excellent cottage garden annuals that bloom in bright pink, soft pink and bright white for a charming garden presentation. There are also some varieties that are red, yellow or chocolate.
The seeds take a little longer to germinate, but once in the garden, they self-sow and grow in relatively poor soil. They are low-maintenance plants that are also drought tolerant. The cosmos also needs good airflow to avoid attracting pests and diseases. Bright blue lobelia is a joy in any garden, but lobelia also has pink, purple, white and red variations.
This plant is labeled a perennial, but its tender nature makes it best as an annual plant. Sow seeds 6-8 weeks indoors after last frost date before planting in the garden. Check with your local nursery what seeds are available and are suitable for your area. Long flowering pansies are the perfect fillers for flower pots and garden beds.
They provide a range of colors to match any color combination and can be grown in full sun and partial shade. Most varieties stay quite short, making them ideal as ground covers or along the edges of beds. Grow in zones 7-11 and sow seeds indoors 10-12 weeks before last date. They are easy to germinate, but they take a while to mature.
A versatile plant for mass planting and excellent in pots is the humble petunia. For maximum impact in the garden, a lot of plants are needed, so it's much better to grow these beauties from seeds. Petunias are heat-loving plants that should not be planted too early. Sow seeds at least 10-12 weeks before last frost date.
They are delicate in their early development and do not like to have their roots altered. Use degradable pots for petunias, so that the roots are not disturbed when planting in the garden or in containers. One of the best flowering plants to sow early is Antirrhinum majus. They are very slow growing, only producing flowers after 2-3 months of sowing seeds.
Snapdragons come in many different colors and heights. Some reach four feet in height, while dwarf varieties only reach a few centimeters in height. Often planted as a beneficial companion plant in the orchard, marigolds are versatile plants with stunning bright colors. Plant sunflowers 3-4 weeks indoors after the threat of frost has passed.
Plant three seeds in a degradable starter pot and plant every two weeks for a consistent supply. If you are new to starting seeds (indoors or outdoors), you can choose a reliable seed such as a marigold to decorate a border. Others may be prepared for a challenge and try to plant delphiniums or milkweed. Both are seeds that are reputed to be difficult, but once you know the tips (links below), you're on your way.
Annuals are plants that bloom or bear fruit during the first year, including many flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Sunflowers are a good example of annuals. Annuals can be short-lived and only last one growing season (spring and summer). This e-book is a digital file that you store on your device (not a physical product).
Like vegetables, annual flower seeds can also be grown indoors. Here is a short list of the best annual and perennial flowers that can be planted indoors. Seeds for indoor plants can be started at any time. Most gardeners don't grow trees and shrubs from seed, so I won't mention them, except to say that they can generally be treated as perennials.
It's hard not to love the bright yellow, orange and red flowers of a marigold. Fortunately, this is one of the easiest seeds to grow. You can sow marigold seeds directly in the garden after the last frost date. If you start sowing seeds indoors, sow the seeds to an eighth inch.
Look for outbreaks in less than a week. Commonly called marigold, marigold is cultivated for its aromatic yellow to deep orange flowers, resembling daisies or chrysanthemums. The cultivars of this plant are also available in many pastel, two-tone and white shades. Start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date, or plant them directly in the garden just before the last frost date.
Add bitter, edible flowers to soups, salads, or rice dishes as a colorful side dish. To plant the seeds outdoors, spread the seeds in the ground just before the date of the last spring frost and barely cover them. Sow seeds a quarter of an inch deep directly in the garden after the last frost date or start indoors six to eight weeks before. Sweet Alyssum seeds can germinate in as little as four days, maturing quickly to produce masses of small fragrant flowers for your spring garden.
This is the way to go if you want an entire flower garden with frills from a seed pack. Several of these varieties are very easy to start from seed, which are less expensive and offer you more interesting options than buying plants at a garden center. You can use the mini soil blocker (¾) for all smaller seeds, but for larger seeds like zinnias, sunflowers, and cosmos, you'll want to use the 2 blocker or a 128 cell plane. Sow seeds half an inch deep directly in the garden near the date of the last spring frost or in pots four to six weeks before the last spring frost.
Celosia seed will take up to three months to form blooms, so start sowing at least 6-8 weeks indoors before the last frost date for the first blooms. Tamp the seeds and cover with more soil or leave the seed on the surface, depending on whether or not they need light to germinate. Sowing in pots or in pots is quite simple: they are filled with the initial seed mixture and the seeds are planted. Pansies and violets, for example, should be sown about 14 weeks before the last frost, while asters and marigolds should be sown about six weeks before the last frost.
Spray the seeds with a fine mist water spray instead of pouring them over the water, which could wash out the seeds as lumps. . .
