Seed Starting Schedule
Growing a garden in Zone 3 comes with it’s rewards and also challenges. As a grower I have to get a little creative with the short growing season by knowing when to start seeds in time before the frost quickly comes back in September. I am still learning and even killing some plants from time to time in efforts to stretch the growing season as far as I can take it. No matter how many books you end up reading, you still come out of it a little confused because each grower is dealing with different growing climates which of course can set you up for failure if you are taking advice from someone growing in the tropics while you are up here like me in the cold climates. Don’t get me wrong, books are the best! I love them! My husband calls me a nerd on a daily basis because I’m always reading up on everything, but what really sinks in is trial and error! Learning from experience is truly the best teacher. You really remember what you do wrong and correct that for the next attempt.
So with that in mind, a seed sowing schedule is a great way to keep yourself on track so you are sowing those seeds at the right time.
I usually start at 12 weeks before last frost dates. Here in Winnipeg, Manitoba our average last frost date is around May.21 to May.25 so this weekend will mark the start of sowing seeds for me.
Some plants need more than 12 weeks so be sure to check you packages, these would include many perenials, slow growing herbs like rosemary, and lisianthus and eucalyptus. See below for the remaining charts of the main flowers and veggies and herbs and when I usually sow them. You may notice certain plants repeated in the next schedule of sowing, this is because they can be planted within a period of time, 4 to 6 weeks. By successively sowing the same plant a few weeks apart will lengthen the flowering time or harvest time you can enjoy that flower or veggies.
Cool weather flowers can take light frost so can be sown around 1 month before last frost dates.
Warm weather can not take frost so wait to sow until after risk of frost.
I’ll meet you out in the shop where I’ll be using a soil blocking method so sow seeds. This is a great way to grow seedlings if you have a small area to grow and uses less soil. More to come on that subject as I get my hands dirty!