A great way to get a head start on your gardening for the spring and summer is to start growing some seedlings indoors prior to planting. This is a necessary step for many types of seedlings that require a longer growing season that we normally get here in Canada, even on the coast with it’s milder climate. In today’s blog we will be looking at why now is the best time to start some seedlings indoors.

Why start seedlings indoors?

The main reason to start seedlings indoors earlier in the year is to ensure that your plants have enough growing days to fully mature. Starting seedlings indoors can also lead to better harvests of fruits and vegetables as they will have more time to produce. It also allows you to maintain full control of your plants as you won’t need to buy starts or transplants that may be of poor quality. Starting from seeds is also cheaper than buying plants from a garden center.

When should I start my seedlings indoors?

When we say “now is the time” we are referring to late winter and early spring. Theoretically you should start most of your indoor seedlings 6 weeks prior to the last frost, which usually falls in mid to late April on the coast. This puts your ideal time for starting seedlings in late February or early March but this can vary from plant to plant.

What types of seedlings should I start indoors?

The short answer is that all seeds can benefit from being started indoors, this will give them more growing time and could lead to a more fruitful harvest for most fruits and vegetables. Plants like Peppers and Tomatoes can take a while to produce and really benefit from being started indoors before the growing season really begins. Many herbs also benefit from being started indoors earlier in the year, allowing them to be harvested for a longer period of time in spring and summer. In the end how many seedlings you start indoors will depend largely on how much light you can give them once they have sprouted. If you don’t have a great area where you seedlings can get a lot of light, you might want to focus on only a few plants that really need the extra growing time.

We hope we have been able to show you why now is the best time to start seedlings indoors for gardening in spring and summer. If you are looking for a great selection of seeds and some tips and tricks to get the most out of your garden this year, please feel free to come by our flagship store in Surrey, BC.

Art Knapp has 15 locations across British Columbia and is well known as the go-to garden centre for everything garden-related. Art Knapp, himself, began the business in the 1940's, and now, 80 years later, you can find more than he ever dreamed of in our stores. Come and see us on King George Boulevard in Surrey. 

If you have any questions about this article or want to talk to us about gardening, just give us a call at (604) 596-9201.