Start Indoors or Direct Seed

Some seeds need to be started indoors and some can be direct seeded in the garden. If you don't have an indoor plant room or don't care to start seeds indoors LP Farm Store sells a wide range of plants.

Direct seed, these seeds go straight into the garden:

• Beans

• Beets

• Carrots

• Sweet Corn

• Kohlrabi

• Parsnips

• Peas

• Dill

• Cilantro

• Radish

• Rutabaga

• Peas

• Potatoes

• Swiss Chard

  
  

Start indoors or buy plants:

• Sweet and hot peppers

• Broccoli/Cauliflower

• Cabbage

• Celery

• Eggplant

• Onions

• Tomatoes

• Tomatillos

• Some flowers, the back of the seed packet will tell you whether to direct seed or start indoors. If it doesn't the internet is an excellent source of information. My favorite site for information is www.gardeningknowhow.com

• Most herbs

  
  

Direct seed or start indoors. Some seeds can either be started indoors or direct seeded, it all depends on preference. I start all my pumpkins, cucumbers, summer squash, winter squash, and cucumbers in my greenhouse. do this because I have found that seeds germinate poorly in my soil and/or pests eat the seeds. When you have a 3 acre pumpkin patch losing the majority of your seeds is bad. Other seeds that can be either or: kale, kohlrabi, and lettuce. It all depends on variety, some varieties you can direct seed and some should be starting inside (like romaine lettuce).

When to start seeds indoors: this is a good chart for when to start things indoors if you're in the prairies. I don't agree with all the dates on the chart (basil some needs to be started end of March, if they are more than 80 days), parsley is a finicky seed to germinate for me so I always start it middle of march, and lettuces vary. The best way to know when to start something is to look at the back of the seed packet and it will often tell you start either 4-6 weeks before last frost date or 8-9 weeks before last frost date, etc. Stay your frost free date is May 20, you count back however many weeks and that is when you start your seeds.

Last frost dates: a good tool to find out how many frost free days your areas has and when to plant. Though it should be noted weather can be very strange. Manitoba has had some hard and killing frosts in June so watching the weather before planting is important.