Seed Starting: Late Starts

Today is our last seed starting column for a while unless readers have questions, which I'm always happy to answer. By now, I hope you've had a chance to send away for organic seed catalogs or you've found organic seeds online or at your local store. You've purchased your soil and you're all set to start those seeds!

But oops…as you flip over the seed package to read the directions, you realize that it's late in the game to start them. The package recommend starting the seeds 12 weeks before the last frost date and you realize that you have only 8 weeks. What to do?



Better Late Than Never

If the seed package states starting seeds indoors 12 weeks before the last frost date and it's now only 8 weeks before that date, you can still start your seeds. It's actually better to put the plants outside a bit past the frost date. The seed package directions usually give the earliest date when you can set your plants outside. You have a few weeks of leeway after the frost-free date. Just be aware that you may get a slightly later harvest of vegetables or later blooms than expected. It may take the plants a little while to catch up.


Sow Directly Into the Garden

Most seeds can also be sown directly into the garden. Like sowing them late indoors, it may take the plants longer to catch up to those that got a head start inside the house, but you can usually start them outside. Read the directions on the seed package and follow the outdoor directions instead of the indoor ones. 

Some seeds, such as watermelons, cantaloupes, cucumbers, squashes, green beans, peas, lettuce, spinach, kale, chard and other leafy greens actually do much better if sown directly into the garden once the soil warms up.  The same goes for certain flower seeds. While you can start many flowers inside to get a head start, cosmos, zinnias, marigolds and many others (to name but a few) can do fine directly sown into the garden soil once the danger of frost is past.


Buy Plants

As a last resort, you can purchase starter plants at the garden center. I say "last resort" because there are some drawbacks. The advantage of course is that you get a robust, already growing plant that should easily transplant into the garden. The drawback is that few, if any, are started organically. Most are doused with chemical fertilizer to encourage rapid growth. The varieties may by genetically modified or hybridized. If you have a source of organically grown plants nearby, or an organic greenhouse, by all means shop and verify that the plants were grown organically. If not, you will take your chances. Certainly a tomato plant, even though it may have been started conventionally with chemical fertilizers, can be grown organically after planting in your garden at home, with the harvested tomatoes free from pesticides. It's up to you how far you want to take it.


Next week, we'll start talking about one of my favorite topics, caring for your soil and encouraging a healthy soil ecosystem, the heart of organic gardening methods. As always, I'd love to hear from you. Let me know what you would like to learn!


Do you have a gardening question? Email Jeanne at jeannegrunert@dishmail.net

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About the Author
Jeanne Grunert is a writer and marketing consultant who moved from New York City to a 17 acre organic farm in rural Virginia. She writes about gardening, health and raw foods for many publications, and her gardening book, Get Your Hands Dirty – A Beginner's Guide to Gardening, is available from her website, http://sevenoaksconsulting.com/GetYourHandsDirty.aspx  

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These statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration.  The preceding information and/or products are for educational purposes only and are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or treat illness. Please consult your doctor before making any changes or before starting ANY exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using this information or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.


Written by:  Jeanne Grunert
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