The holidays are over, and many of us are studying seed catalogs and planning our plantings for the spring. Some of us have even started ordering seeds! But when can you start your seeds indoors? That is what we’re going to talk about in today’s blog article.

When to Start Seeds

There is no magic date at which time we start seeds. What is important is that you can give the seeds enough light, after they have germinated and have true leaves, so they can do well.

If young plants do not have enough light, then they will get tall and skinny, which is often called “leggy.” These young plants need good light either from artificial sources or a very sunny south window or both.

For this reason, most people do not start seeds until later in the year, maybe in April. Because of our high latitude on the Lower Mainland, the light from the sun is not very strong in January or February. You would likely need to supplement with artificial light, such as in a light stand.

As we get later in the year, the sun is higher in the sky, you would have much more sunlight to offer your young plants that are residing indoors.

Germination

Remember, that when you are germinating seeds, the seeds need warmth, not light. The plants do not need light until they have true leaves. So, you would not have any difficulty germinating your seeds now. However, do not start your seeds now unless you can offer them enough light to grow big and strong until they can go outside at the end of May or early June.

So, the answer to the question of when to start your seeds depends on whether or not you have artificial light to supplement their growth until they can go outside, and do you have room for lots of young and bushy plants until you can move them outside. You can start your seeds at any time. 

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.